Greater Indonesia

Map of Greater Indonesia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and East Timor

Greater Indonesia or in the Malay language, Indonesia Raya or Melayu Raya was a political concept that sought to bring the so-called Malay race together by uniting the British territories on the Malay Peninsula and North Borneo that formed Malaysia with the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia).^[1] It was espoused by students and graduates of Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers in the late 1920s, and individuals from Sumatra and Java including Muhammad Yamin and Sukarno in the 1950s.^[1]

The idea development in colonial era

The idea for Melayu Raya (Greater Malay) was penned by a history lecturer from Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers by the name of Abdul Hadi Hassan.^{[citation needed]} The Pan-Malay union was based on understandings on similarities in race, shared language, religion and culture among ethnicites in Malay or Indonesian archipelago. The ancient concept of Alam Melayu or Nusantara advocate the historical awareness that the territory of British Malaya, Northern Borneo and Dutch East Indies was once united under grand native empires such as Sriwijaya, Majapahit, Malacca Sultanate and Johor-Riau Sultanate. However the course of history has separated this once one kin nation into British and Dutch colonial possession.

In the end 1920s, the idea to form a new independent nation has grew among the people of Dutch East Indies. While in Malay peninsula the idea of Greater Malay was proposed, in Dutch East Indies, the activist youth of Indonesian nationalist was more interested on the idea to form a new future nation of Indonesia as the successor of Dutch East Indies once the colony gains its independence. In 1928 the Youth Pledge was declared in Jakarta by Indonesian nationalist activist youth and proclaiming three ideals; one motherland, one nation, and support one unifying language.^[2]

The Malay nationalist Kesatuan Melayu Muda group, founded in 1938 by Ibrahim Hj Yaacob, was one of the more notable entities that embraced the concept as part of its goals.^[3]

Japanese occupation era

During World War II advocates of Greater Indonesia collaborated with the Japanese against the British and the Dutch.^[4] The cooperation was based on the understanding that Japan would unite Dutch East Indies, Malaya and Borneo and grant them independence.^[4] It was understood that under a unified Japanese occupation of these areas, the formation of Greater Indonesia was possible.^[4] On July 1945 the KRIS (Kesatuan Rakyat Indonesia Semenanjung) or Indonesian Peninsular People Union, that later the name would be change to "Kekuatan Rakyat Indonesia Istimewa" (Special Indonesian People Force) was formed in British Malaya under the leadership of Ibrahim Yaacob and Dr. Burhanuddin Al-Hemy with the aim to achieve independence from Great Britain and union with Republic of Indonesia. This plan has been consulted with Sukarno and Hatta. ^[5]

In 12 August 1945, Ibrahim Yaacob met with Sukarno, Hatta and Dr. Radjiman in Taiping, Perak. Sukarno transitted in Taiping airport on his flight back from Saigon back to Jakarta. Previously Sukarno was summoned by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi in Dalat to discuss about the Indonesian independence and to receive direct statement from Terauchi that Japanese Empire permitted the independence of Indonesia.^[6] During this meeting Yaacob expressed his intention to unite Malay Peninsula into independent Indonesia. It was in this short conference that Sukarno, flanked by Hatta, shook hands with Ibrahim Yaacob and said, 'Let us form one single Motherland for all the sons of Indonesia.'^[7]

Sukarno and Muhammad Yamin are Indonesian nationalist activist that agreed to the ideal of grand union. However they were reluctant to coined the idea as Melayu Raya (Greater Malay) and proposed another alternative Indonesia Raya (Greater Indonesia). Basically the idea of Greater Malay and Greater Indonesia is exactly identical. The reluctancy was based on the fact that unlike in Malay Peninsula, in other parts of archipelago the term "Malay" is more closely associated with ethnic Malay than Malay race. Malay ethnicity is considered as just one of myriad ethnicities in the archipelago with equal status with Minangkabau, Aceh, Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Balinese, Dayak, Bugis, Makassar, Minahasan, Ambonese, etc. The grouping under Malay race or "Malay" label was considered risky and counter-productive with the ideal of Indonesian unity that encompassed diverse ethnicities, religions, culture and races; moreover with the facts that people of Eastern Indonesia, such as Papuans, Ambonese and people of East Nusa Tenggara (Flores and Timor) were not belongs to Malay Austronesians, but belongs to Melanesian.

However in 15 August 1945 Emperor Hirohito declared the surrender of Japanese Empire through radio broadcast. Indonesian Republic proclaimed its independence in 17 August 1945. Accused as collaborator, in 19 August Ibrahim Yaacob flew in Japanese military airplane to Jakarta. Yaacob sought refuge in Jakarta with his wife Mariatun Haji Siraj, his in-law Onan Haji Siraj and Hassan Manan. Ibrahim Yaacob that fought for the unity of Malay Peninsula into Indonesia then resides in Jakarta until his death in 1979. With the fall of Japanese power in August 1945 all the ideas of the union between peninsula with Indonesia were decayed and never heard again in Malay peninsula eversince.^[5]

After the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, through armed battles in Indonesian National Revolution between 1945-1949, The Republic of Indonesia finally gained recognition of sovereignty from the Netherlands during Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in 1949. While across the straits after Japanese occupation the Malay Peninsula were practically under Great Britain control.

Confrontation and the Greater Indonesia ideal

The gilded map of Nusantara or Indonesian Archipelago, in the Hall of Independence, Indonesian National Monument, Jakarta. If examined closely the territory of Sabah, Sarawak Brunei and East Timor are included as part of Greater Indonesia envisioned by Sukarno if only Indonesia succeed in its confrontation campaign against the British initiative on the formation of Malaysia.

After the end of World War II, the idea of Greater Indonesia was never heard again, until more than ten years later. In late 1950's Sukarno strongly opposed the British decolonization initiative through the formation of Malaysia that will include Malay Peninsula and North Borneo. The hostile political stance has led to the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation in early 1960's that manifested in undeclared war with small scale transborder battles and military infiltration in Borneo. Sukarno accused that the new nation of Malaysia is British's puppet state to reestablish the so-called neo-imperialism and neo-colonialism in Southeast Asia, and also to contained Indonesian ambition to be the regional hegemon. However another analyst suggested that the Sukarno's campaign against the formation of Malaysia was actually motivated to unite Malay Peninsula and the whole island of Borneo under Indonesian rule and to complete the previously disbanded idea of Greater Indonesia.

In late 1965 the failed coup attempt of 30 September Movement has caused Sukarno fell from power and the rise of General Suharto to seize power in Indonesia. Because of this domestic conflict, Indonesia has lost its desire to continue their hostile policy against Malaysia, and therefore the war ended. In 28 May 1966 a conference held in Bangkok secured agreement between the kingdom of Malaysia and Republic of Indonesia to resolved the conflict. The violence ended in June, and the peace deal was signed in 11 August and officially recognized two days later. With this peace deal Indonesia and Malaysia officially agreed to be two separated national entities that mutually recognized the existence and sovereignty of eachoter.

After the peace deal, Indonesia was occupied with its own domestic problems to build its economy while tried to maintain its unity as a diverse and plural nation, as the result during the reign of Suharto freedom and democracy was sacrified in the name of national stability and unity. In 1975 Indonesia annexed the former Portugal colony of East Timor that finally liberated from Indonesia in 2002. Indonesia suffered various problems that ranges from economic crisis, separatist movement in Aceh and Papua, to the terrorism problem. Indonesia is more interested in defining themself "to be Indonesia" by trying to develop national character building, to define themself as pluralist nation encapsuled in Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity) under Pancasila as national ideology with territorial claim only spanned from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua.^[8] As the largest nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia seems to be satisfied on channeling its regional ambition through assuming leadership role among ASEAN countries.

On the other side, Malaysia is struggling on nation building and facing problems in inter-racial relations, especially between Malay majority with Chinese and Hindu Indian minority, the problem that plagued Malaysian politics up until now.^[9]. The racial issue and the disagreement on citizenship and previleged issues between Bumiputra and Chinese and Indian Malaysian is the very problems that has caused the separation of Singapore from Malaysia back in 1960s. In North Borneo, the Brunei royals choosed not to follow Sarawak and Sabah on joining Malaysia and remained under Great Britain protection until 1984. With each parties kept busy and being occupied in their own problems, the ideal of a grand union that united the whole so-called Malay race under one great national entity called Greater Malay or Greater Indonesia has finally faded away, ceased to exist and remain irredentist.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} McIntyre, Angus (1973). "The 'Greater Indonesia' Idea of Nationalism in Malaysia and Indonesia.". Modern Asian Studies 7 (1): 75–83. doi:10.1017/S0026749X0000439X. 
2. ^ Sumpah Pemuda
3. ^ Page 208-209 Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah Sejarah Tingkatan 2. Zainal Abidin bin Abdul Wahid; Khoo, Kay Kim; Muhd Yusof bin Ibrahim; Singh, D.S. Ranjit (1994). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. ISBN 983-62-1009-1
4. ^ ^{a b c} Graham, Brown (February 2005). The Formation and Management of Political Identities: Indonesia and Malaysia Compared. Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, CRISE, University of Oxford. http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/pubs/workingpaper10.pdf. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Reinventing Indonesia: menemukan kembali masa depan bangsa
6. ^ Terobosan Sukarno dalam Perundingan Linggarjati
7. ^ Joseph Chin Yong Liow The Politics of Indonesia-Malaysia Relations: One Kin, Two Nations
8. ^ Sekretariat Negara
9. ^ Time: Facing Malaysia's Racial Issues

See also

• Maphilindo, another irredentist concept, including the Philippines
• Indonesia Raya, the national anthem of Republic of Indonesia
• Nusantara, the geograpic realm that based on ancient concept to identify the Malay/Indonesian archipelago that span from Sumatra to West New Guinea that encompassed the territory of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and East Timor.
• Indonesia–Malaysia relations, the issues facing the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia