In this Monograph, Joseph M. Fernando examines events in the 1950s leading to creation of the Alliance, the political coalition that handled preparations leading to independence and dominated politics in the decades that followed. He describes the somewhat ad-hoc way in which the Reid Commission was formed and their deliberations, along with the negotiations between the different parties in the Alliance. The work of the Reid Commission led to the Malayan Constitution as adopted at Merdeka in 1957. This book is an informative and insightful portrait of a key period in the history of modern Malaysia.

The Author

Joseph Milton Fernando is an Associate Professor at the Department of History in the University of Malaya and MBRAS council member. Dr. Fernando has also co-authored a recent biography of Ceylonese planter and pre-independence Malaya politician Sir E.E.C. Thuraisingham that was published by the University of Malaya Press. Dr. Fernando is an expert on the Malaysian Constitution, having produced several articles on its early origins and latter-day comparison with its American counterpart.

Contents

1. The Origins of the Alliance (1948 – 1952)
2. The Transformation of the Alliance (1952 – 1955)
3. The Alliance Memorandum and the Inter-communal Bargain (1955 – 1956)
4. The Reid Commission: A Question of Balance (1956 – 1957)
5. The Tripartite Negotiations (22 February – 22 May 1957)
6. The Alliance, Nationalism and National Identity: Some Theoretical Perspecitves
7. The Conscience of a National

Appendix I: Citizenship Qualification Proposals by Alliance and Reid Commission
Appendix II: Biodata of Prominent Personalities