DONALD STEPHENS DAN PERANANNYA DALAM PEMBENTUKAN MALAYSIA

Abstract

This article examines the role played by Donald Stephens, the President of the United National Kadazan Organisation (UNKO) and the owner of the Sabah Times newspaper in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. His role has not been sufficiently examined in the existing literature. The article discusses the difficulties faced by Donald Stephens and UNKO in the effort to influence the Dusun and Murut communities in the interior of Sabah to accept the formation of Malaysia. Both the communities
initially disagreed with the action of UNKO. But despite some initial hesitance, they eventually supported the formation of Malaysia. Donald initially opposed the proposed formation of Malaysia. But he then changed his mind during the first conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Singapore on 21st July 1961 and recommended the establishment of the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee (MSCC) to consider in depth the concept of Malaysia that was being proposed. This article also examines Donald Stephens’ role in the formal negotiations of the formation of Malaysia, including the inter-government committee meetings and the declaration of Malaysia after the investigations conducted by the United Nations in North Borneo and Sarawak.