Colonialism in Malaysia (1551-1957)

In 1511, begins the era of colonial legacies in the Malay Peninsula that would last well into the 20th century. It is all started when a Portuguese fleet led by Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Malacca's harbor, opened fire with cannon, and captured the city. Malacca's glory age had come to an end.

   The Portuguese constructed a massive fort in Malacca called A’ Famosa, which the Dutch captured in turn in 1641. This would give the Dutch an almost exclusive lock on the spice trade until 1785, when the British East India Company convinced the Sultan of Kedah to allow them to build a fort on the island of Penang. The British were mainly interested in having a safe port for ships on their way to China, but when France captured the Netherlands in 1795, England's role in the region would amplify. Rather than hand Malacca over to the French, the Dutch government in exile agreed to let England temporarily oversee the port. The British returned the city to the Dutch in 1808, but it was soon handed back to the British once again in a trade for Bencoleen, Sumatra. The Dutch still largely controlled the region, however, and in 1819 Britain sent Sir William Raffles to establish a trading post in Singapore. These three British colonies which are Penang, Malacca, and Singapore have come to be known as the Straits Settlements. 

   Coupled with the power of the White Rajas in Borneo, Britain ruled over what was then called Malaya until the Japanese invaded and ousted them in 1942. During this time, large numbers of Chinese fled to the jungle and established an armed resistance which, after war's end, would become the basis for an infamous communist insurgency. In 1945, when World War 2 ended, Britain resumed control again, but Malaya's independence movement had matured and organized itself in an alliance under Tunku Abdul Rahman. When the British flag was finally lowered in Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square in 1957, Tunku became the first prime minister of Malaya.

Remembering that the Malay Peninsula was colonized half a millennium ago is one way to remind the post-independence generation of Malaysians to be grateful for Merdeka It is critical to teach the present generation about the dangers of empire and colonialism so that we can celebrate what independence means and pay tribute to the people who fought for it.

A' Famosa Fort in Malacca

Sources:

1. http://www.kiat.net/malaysia/history.html 
2. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/remembering-500-years-of-colonialism-tommy-thomas