Cobbold Commission

Report

The Cobbold Commission published its conclusions on 1 August 1962, recommending that the formation of Malaysia go ahead, while Lord Cobbold insisted that every party must join the federation as an equal partner. In a private letter to British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan dated 21 June 1962, which was not included in the public report, Cobbold wrote that his support for Malaysia depended on Singapore’s participation, and that a federation of Malaya with the Borneo territories alone would hold little appeal without Singapore.

The Commission judged that, when weighed against alternatives such as continued British rule, immediate independence for the Borneo states, or a separate Borneo federation, the Malaysia plan was the best choice—provided the Borneo states received special treatment due to their different racial makeup, their great distance from Malaya, and their relative political inexperience compared to Malaya and Singapore. Commissioners Abell and Watherston added that forming Malaysia would prevent a Communist takeover of Singapore, which they feared would trigger a domino effect in Sarawak and North Borneo.

The Commission also agreed that Sarawak and North Borneo should retain their distinct identities within the federation. This could be done by granting them a high degree of autonomy in local administration and by allocating them a specific number of seats in the Malaysian parliament, based on their populations and sizes. Lord Cobbold summarised the Commission’s findings accordingly.

Language

Other recommendations included: no decision on whether the heads of state of Sabah and Sarawak could be elected as the head of the federation; the federation would be named “Malaysia”; Islam would be the official religion, but without threatening freedom of other religions, making the country effectively secular; and for ten years after Malaysia’s formation, Malay, English, and other indigenous languages could be used freely in the Borneo state assemblies, after which only the national language, Malay, could be used, subject to consultation with the state governments.

Did You Know?

• The Commission's report was released on 1 August 1962.
• The Commission recommended that for 10 years after Malaysia's formation, Malay, English, and other indigenous languages could be used freely in Borneo state assemblies.