Most people only understand one side of the Borneo conflict— Why were Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand involved in this war from 1962 to 1970, supporting the formation of Malaysia and maintaining Malayan dominance? But rarely do we ask: what is the story from the other side? Why did thousands of Bornean people resist Malaysia? What were they fighting for?
The standard narrative romanticizes the establishment of Malaysia as a peaceful federation and labels the resistance as “Communist terrorism.” However, this obscures the reality that Malaysia was built through deception, suppression, and bloodshed, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
Colonial Strategies to Maintain Influence
After World War II, the British Empire was in decline. Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah) were incorporated as Crown Colonies in 1946, yet Britain publicly promised to restore Sarawak’s independence and prepared for Sabah's autonomy. However, increasing global pressure—particularly the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (1960), which called for decolonization—forced colonial powers to grant genuine independence to all non-autonomous territories.
Britain, facing financial crises and overextended strategic ambitions, was unable to sustain its colonies. Initially, due to opposition from Malaya and Borneo, Britain attempted to reinforce imperial control through the creation of the “Federation of Malaya (Plan A),” which ultimately failed. Eventually, Britain compromised, adopting the plan to establish Malaysia. This federation was presented as a decolonization effort but, in reality, aimed to preserve Western geopolitical interests.
The Brunei Uprising and Armed Resistance
On December 8, 1962, the People's Republic of Brunei (PRB) led an armed uprising against the proposed Federation of Malaysia. The trigger was the British arrest of PRB members and their brutal suppression. Large-scale arrests followed in Sarawak, igniting a nearly thirty-year-long guerrilla war—lasting from the early 1960s until 1990.
This protracted resistance was not the “Communist uprising” depicted by Malaya but a people’s war against a federation imposed upon them, one that deprived them of their right to self-determination.
Why Did Australia and Other Countries Intervene?
Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and later the US were not neutral parties. Their military and political backing were not solely aimed at defending Malaya from communism; rather, they sought to protect British and Western strategic interests as Britain prepared to withdraw from Southeast Asia. The creation of Malaysia was not about liberating colonies but about containing anti-colonial nationalism and preventing the rise of leftist or independence movements.
The formation of Malaysia was also seen as a necessary response to external threats, particularly during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1963–1966). This conflict was used to manipulate public opinion, diverting attention from the real issue—independence—among the Bornean peoples. Meanwhile, the presence of Malayan forces in Borneo was portrayed as a defense against foreign invasion, but in reality, it was used to suppress local armed resistance and impose Malayan dominance.
A Self-Determination War Wrongly Labeled as Terrorism
The resistance in Borneo—especially in Sarawak—was a direct response to the betrayal of the promise of independence. Decades of fighting in the jungles were not because the fighters were communists or terrorists but because they had been deprived of the right to choose their own future. Malaysia was not founded on the will of the people; it was manipulated through elite deals and military force, suppressing the legitimate aspirations of the Bornean peoples.
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