Started strong on day one
Malaysia, 1957
Malaya became independent on 31 August 1957 as a federation of states that kept their traditional rulers. The rulers choose one of themselves as King for five years, in turn, so no single state holds the crown, and the federation had already run for nine years before independence.
The starting point
The Malay states were under British rule, with mixed Malay, Chinese and Indian populations (Malaysia).
Built before independence
The Federation of Malaya was set up on 1 February 1948. It restored the rulers' place in their own states and gave the country a working federal government nine years before independence.
Day one
- Independence: 31 August 1957, as a member of the Commonwealth.
- Federal design: nine Malay states keep hereditary rulers. Together they form the Conference of Rulers.
- Head of state: the rulers elect one of themselves as King (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) for a five-year term. The post has rotated between the states by informal agreement ever since (Yang di-Pertuan Agong).
What was new
Old leaders were not pushed aside. Each kept their role at home and took a turn at the top. This joined respect for tradition to a modern federal state.
How it held people together
Every ruler had a fair chance at the highest office. The independence deal was negotiated between the main communities' parties before 1957.
How it grew
- 1963: Malaysia formed on 16 September with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Singapore left in August 1965.
- After 1969: following riots on 13 May 1969, a New Economic Policy aimed to cut poverty and raise the Malay share of the economy. Fast industrial growth followed in the 1980s.
The result
Income per person is about $15,981 (2026 estimate), or $47,453 at purchasing-power parity (Malaysia).
What critics record
An insurgency, the Malayan Emergency, ran from 1948 to 1960. The New Economic Policy's preferences by ethnic group are still criticised as unfair to non-Malays (Malaysian New Economic Policy).
What it shows for Somalia
Respected leaders can keep their place and share the top role by turns, so no one region holds it for good.
Sources
- Malaysia · en.wikipedia.org
- Federation of Malaya · en.wikipedia.org
- Conference of Rulers · en.wikipedia.org
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong · en.wikipedia.org
- Malaysian New Economic Policy · en.wikipedia.org
Gathered in our research record “How successful countries stood up government on day one”. Wikipedia is used only as a backup.
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