Formation of Malaysia 1963

On 29 August 1963, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong signed the Malaysia Declaration for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. This was subsequently approved by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on 4 September 1963 with 38 votes for and 5 against. A week later, Chief Minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan, 3 state cabinet ministers and 10 members of the Alliance flew to Kuala Lumpur to meet the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Colony of Britain, Duncan Sandys, as an exciting new future beckoned for Sarawak.

On 16 September 1963, the Honourable Khir Johari read the historic Proclamation of Malaysia witnessed by Datu Abang Haji Openg Abang Sapiee, the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the Chief Minister, members of the first State Cabinet and the public at Central Padang in Kuching.

It was a poignant and proud moment when Ningkan read the Proclamation of the Independence of Sarawak: “Now therefore I, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, hereby proclaim that Sarawak has this day attained independence as a State of Malaysia”.

This was followed by the hoisting of the federal flag and the playing of the national anthem ‘Negaraku’. On this historical day, Sarawak achieved full independence as a member state of the Federation of Malaysia.

source: Sarawak Government Website

British Military Administration (August 1945 - April 1946)

Japan sought peace on 15 August, 1945 and all regular resistance to the occupation forces ceased on that date. The Australian armed forces under Major-General Wootten entered Kuching on 11 September 1945 to receive the formal surrender of the Japanese army in Sarawak, which was immediately placed under British Military Rule administered by the Australian Military until 15 April 1946. Major General H. Yamamura surrending his sword, 11 September 1945 in Kuching. Source: Sarawak Government Website

Sarawak Before 1841

The eastern seaboard of Borneo was charted, though not settled, by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. The area of Sarawak was known to Portuguese cartographers as Cerava, and by the early 19th century, Sarawak had become a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate. Sarawak, 1598 According to the Salasilah Raja-Raja Brunei, the Pengiran Muda Tengah Ibrahim Ali Omar Shah, better known as Raja Tengah, accepted the offer by his elder brother, the Sultan of Brunei, to be the Sultan of Sarawak in 1598. He brought along 1,000 warriors and a coterie of nobilities to help him administer the new country. In 1599, while returning from Pahang, Sultan Tengah’s storm-lashed ship ran aground in Sukadana in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. He stayed and married there. On his return to Sarawak, he was killed by one of his followers at present day Kampung Batu Buaya in Santubong. Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali At the beginning of the 19th century, Brunei’s Sultan, O

The Brooke Era (1841 - 1941)

James Brooke had served in the East India Company’s army in his younger days. On his second visit in 1841, he agreed to help Raja Muda Hashim to quell the rebellion in Sarawak. As a reward, he was installed as the Rajah of Sarawak (which comprised the territory from Tanjong Datu to the Sadong River) in Kuching on 18 September 1842. Sarawak’s border continued to expand from Sadong River to Tanjong Kidurong until he was succeeded by his nephew, Charles Brooke in 1867. James Brooke died in England in 1868. Under Charles Brooke, who ruled from 1868 until his death in 1917, the territory of Sarawak was extended to include Baram (1881), Limbang (1890) and Lawas (1905), and to its present boundaries. At this time, the government machinery was formalised with proper laws and order, and efforts were made towards economic development using technologies from the west. Rajah Charles introduced public administration system, built a strategic network of fortresses, including Fort Margherita. Th

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