Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 explained

Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965
Long Name:●Agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign state
●Proclamation on Singapore
●Constitution and Malaysia (Singapore Amendment) Act, 1965
Location Signed:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Signatories:
Depositor:Singapore Government
dated 1 June 1966
The Secretary-General of the acting in his capacity as depositary the following:[1]
English and French
Registered No. I-8206
Language:English
Wikisource:Agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign state

The Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 was a major agreement between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore on 7 August 1965 that formally expelled Singapore from Malaysia as a state and to be an independent sovereign country. The agreement included a Proclamation on Singapore to be made by Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman; a different Proclamation of Singapore was made by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

As a result of the agreement, Singapore permanently became distinct and separate from Malaysia with effect from 9 August 1965, and rendered the Malaysia Agreement invalid in regards to Singapore. It also became a member of the United Nations a few weeks later on 20 September with an unanimous decision.[2] The Singapore Act 1966 followed the treaty a year after, which admitted Singapore into the Commonwealth of Nations with retroactive effect from the agreement.[3]

Background

Singapore first achieved sovereignty on 3 June 1959 from the United Kingdom. From 1959 to 1963, Singapore was a country with full internal self-governance, but the British colonial administration still controlled external relations, similar to the Irish Free State.

On 16 September 1963, the Proclamation of Malaysia was declared, which declared the merger of four countries: Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore – the latter three already self-governing colonies by this point – into the new entity of Malaysia. With this, Singapore subsequently joined Malaysia as an autonomous state, along with Sarawak and Sabah.

Legacy

The short-lived union would prove tenuous due to various factors, including deep political and economic differences, and would end up lasting for just 1 year, 10 months and 24 days before this agreement became effective on 9 August 1965.[4] Meanwhile, Sarawak and Sabah have remained part of Malaysia.

See also

Notes and References

  1. See: United Nations General Assembly Resolution 97 (1)
  2. Web site: (Chapter VII) Practices Relative to Recommendations to the General Assembly Regarding the Admission of New Members . un.org . . 8 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090809173705/https://www.un.org/en/sc/repertoire/64-65/64-65_07.pdf . 9 August 2009 . . 20 September 1965.
  3. Web site: Singapore Act 1966 (1966 C 29) . legislation.gov.uk . . 8 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101218014329/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1966/29/pdfs/ukpga_19660029_en.pdf . 18 December 2010 . London . English . 9 August 1966.
  4. Milne . R. S. . Singapore's Exit from Malaysia; the Consequences of Ambiguity . Asian Survey . 1 March 1966 . 6 . 3 . 175–184 . 10.2307/2642221 . 8 May 2024 . University of California Press. 2642221 .