Merdeka: Malaya, Malaysia and Singapore

Britain's strategy in Malaya linked defeating communism to building a cross-ethnic, moderate government. The Alliance, a coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, won the 1955 election and negotiated independence. The Federation of Malaya became independent on 31 August 1957, with special constitutional provisions for Malays alongside citizenship for many non-Malays. In 1963 Malaya joined with Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia, partly to balance Singapore's large Chinese population with the Borneo territories.

Indonesia's Sukarno opposed the federation as a British neocolonial project and launched 'Konfrontasi', a low-level conflict lasting until 1966. Tensions between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore's leader, Lee Kuan Yew, over ethnic politics led to Singapore's separation on 9 August 1965. Lee wept on television announcing it, yet Singapore went on to become one of the world's most prosperous states.