Official Background Guide Malaysian Parliament 1965 Model United Nations at Chapel Hill XVIII February 22 – 25, 2018 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Table of Contents Letter from the Crisis Director ………………………………………………………………… 3 Letter from the Chair ………………………………………………………………………… 4 Background Information ………………………………………………………………………… 5 Background: Singapore ……………………………………………………… 5 Background: Malaysia ……………………………………………………… 9 Identity Politics ………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Radical Political Parties ………………………………………………………………………… 14 Race Riots ……………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Positions List …………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Endnotes ……………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 2 Letter from the Crisis Director Dear Delegates, Welcome to the Malaysian Parliament of 1965 Committee at the Model United Nations at Chapel Hill 2018 Conference! My name is Annah Bachman and I have the honor of serving as your Crisis Director. I am a third year Political Science and Philosophy double major here at UNC-Chapel Hill and have been involved with MUNCH since my freshman year. I’ve previously served as a staffer for the Democratic National Committee and as the Crisis Director for the Security Council for past MUNCH conferences. This past fall semester I studied at the National University of Singapore where my idea of the Malaysian Parliament in 1965 was formed. Through my experience of living in Singapore for a semester and studying its foreign policy, it has been fascinating to see how the “traumatic” separation of Singapore has influenced its current policies and relations with its surrounding countries. Our committee is going back in time to just before Singapore’s separation from the Malaysian peninsula to see how ethnic and racial tensions, trade policies, and good old fashioned diplomacy will unfold. Delegates should keep in mind that there is a difference between Southeast Asian diplomacy and traditional Western diplomacy (hint: think “ASEAN way”). Southeast Asian diplomacy is much less direct, slightly passive-aggressive, and very sensitive compared to Western diplomacy. Think of your vulnerabilities as countries, threats from your regional neighbors, and the impact of Western regional presence, particularly Great Britain. This is your opportunity to rewrite history! Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions! I am happy to answer your inquiries and supply help or hints for your positions. See you in the spring, Annah Bachman [email protected] Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 3 Letter from the Chair Greetings Delegates, My name is Ethan Gilbreath and I have the extraordinary pleasure of being your humble chair for the 2018 MUNCH Conference in the 1965 Malaysia Crisis. I am a sophomore working on a Global Studies Major and an Arabic Minor at UNC focusing on the Middle East and have been loosely affiliated with the Carolina’s International Relations Association both of my years here. I was formerly the Co-President of the Model UN organization at First Flight High School and staffed the Security Council Crisis Committee at MUNCH last year. I don’t have an abundance of experience in the history of Southeast Asia, but over the next few months, I look forward to learning more about the area and the history of the region. I will work hard to make the parliamentary procedure go as smoothly and enjoyable as possible, and facilitate the fun and fascinating process that is a Model UN crisis committee. I hope everyone will come prepared and bring along amazing and fun ideas to the table to rewrite the course of history, and to get into character! As Annah previously mentioned, Malaysian political discourse is different. I do expect for everyone to look into that and behave accordingly to the norms of that discourse! It will be a privilege to chair your Committee. Sincerely, R. Ethan Gilbreath Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 4 BACKGROUND: SINGAPORE Singapore is located in one of the most strategic places in Southeast Asia. Right in the middle of the Strait of Malacca, a key trading route, the British claimed Singapore as a crown colony in 1867. Singapore was claimed by the British in 1819 as the British were interested in Singapore’s rubber and tin industry. Singapore and Malaysia shared a joint-government department: currency, railway, post, and broadcasting to name a few. In 1946, Singapore separated from Malaysia in anticipation of Malay objection to the inclusion of Singapore’s Chinese population. In 1959, Singapore became a self-governing state, with Lee Kuan Yew as its Prime Minister, however, Britain was still in control of Singapore’s defense and foreign affairs. Singapore’s experience with colonialism produced a unique country. Both Singapore and Malaya experienced a demographic shift when cheap economic labor drove hordes of immigrants from the archipelago, China, and India. Under colonialism, British authorities turned the Chinese into the key capitalist class. The Chinese acquired wealth, but were politically stigmatized. Indigenous groups became politically and economically disempowered. The British continued to legitimize their colonial control through pseudo-scientific racism in an attempt to internalize racial classifications amongst the different racial populations. Although a strong colonial authority is no longer exacerbating racial tensions, the effects still remain. In 1961, there was an attempt at a territorial merger between Singapore and the Malaysian peninsula, which the PAP (People’s Action Party of Singapore) favored for a variety of reasons. Singapore lacks natural resources and the territorial merger assured imports and exports from the Malaysia peninsula, including water. The merger would also ensure political stability and terminate fear of competition. On May 27, 1961, the Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, proposed the formation of the Federation of Malaysia which would include Singapore, Malaya, Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 5 North Borneo, and Sarawak. The Malays viewed this merger as a British scheme for “orderly decolonization”. At this time, the PAP was comprised of two factions: the English speaking, which sought a mass base in marginalized Chinese educated youth, and Chinese speaking, which sought legitimacy from colonial authorities. In 1961, the left English speaking faction split to form what the PAP is now under Lee Kuan Yew. In 1961, Singapore, Malaya, and North Borneo become Malaysia. Three factors propelled the merger with Malaya: 1) Singapore held a belief that the island’s destiny was tied to the peninsula; 2) Malay was concerned about the radical left wing taking power in Singapore; 3) and Prime Minister Tunku, the PAP, and the British view that the merger was a solution to deal with the radical left. Indonesia and the Philippines opposed the creation of Malaysia. Indonesia’s President Sukarno saw Malaysia as a neo-colonial plot to sustain British influence in the region. The country launched an armed attack known as Konfrontasi, a guerilla war in Borneo with some bombings in Singapore, against numerous countries in the region. From 1963 to 1965, there were tensions all over the place. There were personal rivalries between LKY (Lee Kuan Yew) and Tunku, LKY and Tan Siew Sin, and the PAP and UMNO. There was also political mistrust. Tunku supported the UMNO candidates in the 1963 Singapore elections, however, when the PAP challenged the MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) in Malayan elections in 1964, Tunku saw this as a challenge to the UMNO. In July and September of 1964, violent race riots broke out across the peninsula. There are a number of things to keep in mind for Singapore in regards to this important decision parliament will discuss. At the heart of the difference between Malaya and Singapore is a difference in identity and interests. The PAP champions “Malaysia for Malaysians” with equal political and economic rights to all. The Alliance government champions Malay supremacy and affirmative action to address class inequalities due to concern regarding the Chinese economic and Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 6 political dominance. The PAP strongly believes Singapore has a number of vulnerabilities geographically, demographically, and environmentally. Singapore is an absolutely miniscule region, less than 300 square miles large. It has an absence of a natural hinterland, relies on food and water from the peninsula, and is constricted by sea and airspace. Demographically, it is a majority ethnic- Chinese population. Majority ethnic-Chinese identity are registered as an “alien identity” in the Malay maritime region. In this region, ethnic Chinese minorities are viewed with resentment and suspicion because of cultural identity and economic prominence. Regionally, Singapore is wedged between two large neighbors in which Singapore has never been at ease due to colonialism. An Anglo-Dutch rivalry is also present in maritime Southeast Asia due to Singapore and Malaya’s colonization by the British and Indonesia’s colonization by the Dutch. Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 7 Parliament of Malaysia 1965 Page 8 BACKGROUND: MALAYSIA Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 330,803 square kilometers (127,720 sq. mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo). Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand