Decolonisation in Malaya SBQ Student Answer

“TheMalayanUnionwasagoodideafor thepeopleof Malaya.”UseSourcesA–Etoshowhowfar theevidenceconfirmsthisstatement. Fortheassertiontobetrue,itwouldmeanthattheMalayanUnionbenefitedthepeopleofMalaya.SomeofthesourcessupporttheassertionthattheMalayanUnionwasanideawhichwouldbenefitthepeople,howeverothersourcessuggestotherwise.SourcesBandDsupporttheassertionthattheMalayanUnionwasbeneficialtothecitizensofMalaya.Ontheotherhand,sourcesA,CandEopposetheassertion,astheysuggestthattheMalayanUnionwasabadidea.GOOD! SourceBandDsupportthegivenassertionastheyshowthattheMalayanUnionhadgarneredthesupportofboththeBritishandtheMalaycommunityinMalaya.SourceBstatesthat“TheBritishCrownmustprovidethecommonlinkwhichwilldrawtogetherthecommunitiesofMalayaandpromoteasenseofcommoninterestsandthedevelopmentofcommoninstitutions.“ ThissuggeststhattheMalayanUnionwasgoodasitwouldallowthegovernmenttodevelopMalayamoreeffectivelyandsuccessfully,asthegovernmentcanmakelawsfortheentiretyofMalaya.SourceDsuggeststhatthe“semi-educatednatives”“appreciatethegoodpointsandadvantagesderivedfromsuchanarrangement.”andthat“suchaproposalwouldhavetheunanimoussupportandagreementofnotonlythesonsofthe,butalsotheotherracesresiding”Therefore,sourceDsuggeststhatthepeoplelivinginMalayahadapositiveattitudetowardstheMalayanunion. Upondeeperanalysis,itrevealsthatthesourcesBandDarenotverycredible.SourceBisnotverycredibleasitisaratherone-sidedviewpoint.SourceBisanextractfromtheBritishgovernmentproposals.Therefore,itwouldbeinfavouroftheMalayanUnionwhichwasproposedbytheBritish,andhenceitpresentsabiasedviewpoint.SourceDisalsonotcredibleasitcontainsvestedinterests.SourceDisanarticlebyaMalayRajah,whowouldbeabletogetspecialprivilegesandrightsshouldhesupporttheBritishadministrationinsettinguptheMalayanUnion.HewouldthenbeinclinedtopublishstatementswhichareinsupportoftheBritishforhisownbenefits.Therefore,sourcesBandDarenotcredibleduetotheinherentbiases. SourcesA,CandEopposethegivenassertion,astheysuggestthattheMalayanUnionwasabadidea.SourceAisaphotographofarallyinJohorBahru,whichwaspublishedinSingaporeon24May1946.Amanholdingupasignthatsays“DownwithMalayanUnion”canbeseenstandingbehindtheDatoandtheBritishMPs.

SourceAhighlightsthelackofsupportfortheMalayanUnionfromthepeople,astheyhadstagedarallytoopposetheMalayanUnion.SourceCstatesthat“PlanstosetupaMalayanUnionwerecriticisedbyspeakersfromallparties.”ThissuggeststhatthepeoplewereopposedtotheMalayanUnion.SourceCalsostatedthat“TheysaidthatintimidationbytheBritishGovernmenthadledthesultansoftheMalaystatestosignawaytheirsovereignty.”ThissuggeststhatthepeopleoftheMalayawerenotwillinglyacceptingtheMalayanunion,butinsteadcoercedintoacceptingit,whichimpliesthattheMalayanUnionwasnotinthebestinterestofthepeopleofMalaya.SourceEstatesthat“ TheMalaysofthiscountrywillneveracceptaMalayanUnion.”andthatUMNOhaddecidedtosend“adelegationofthreerepresentativestoEnglandtopresentthecaseofthepeopleagainsttheMalayanUnion.”ThissuggeststhatthepeopleofMalayawerestronglyopposedtotheMalayanUnion. Upondeeperanalysis,SourceAisrathercrediblebecauseitisaphotographthatshowswhatwastrulyhappeningonthedayofthemeetingoftheDatoandBritishMPtodiscusstheMalayanUnion.SOURCEAISALSOSUPPORTEDBYSOURCECWHICHTELLSUSTHAT…SourceCiscredible,aseventhoughitisanAmericannewspaper, itdoesnotsupporttheBritishwhomAmericawasallieswithbutinsteadexposedthecoercionoftheBritishgovernmenttowardstheSultans.SourceEisalsocredibleasitwasaspeechbytheDatoOnnbinJafaarhimself,anditwouldaccuratelyportraytheviewpointsofthepeopleregardingtheMalayanunionatthattime.Therefore,sourcesA,CandE,whichopposethehypothesis,arerelativelymorecrediblethanthesourcesBandDwhichsupportthehypothesis. Inconclusion,thesourcesarestrongerinchallengingthehypothesisthantheyareinsupportingit.Contextually, theMalaynUnionwasaBritishattempttoconsolidatepoliticalpowerintheimmediatepostwarperiodupontheirreturntoMalaya,butitwasalmostimmediatelyrejectedbythevocallocalMalaycommunity. THISISSEENINSOURCESACE)WhiletheMalayanUnionwasagoodideaforthepeopleasitwouldcentralisedecisionmakingandrecognisedthecontributionsofotherracesbygivingthemcitizenshipright,theMalayanUnionwasnotbeneficialforMalayrightsinMalaya.Thesources(B&D?)thatchallengethehypothesissupportthisassertionandarerathercredible.Therefore,thesourcesarestrongerinchallengingthehypothesisthattheMalayanUnionwasagoodideaforthepeopleofMalaya,thantheyareinsupportingit.