Biography and Involvement of Sir Malcolm Macdonald (1901-1981) in The Formation of Malaysia 1963

Abstract

Malaysia was officially formed in 1963 with the union of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak. One of the earliest British figures to put forward the idea of the formation of Malaysia was Sir Malcolm MacDonald, the British High Commissioner in Southeast Asia and had a collection of historical documents related to events that took place in Malaysia after independence. However, his life background and his involvement in the formation of Malaysia are unknown to many. Thus, this article aims to explain the background of Sir Malcolm MacDonald's life, his involvement in the formation of Malaysia, and also his contribution. This writing uses document analysis methods to obtain data related to his background and role throughout his tenure as British High Commissioner in Southeast Asia. The data collection method used in this writing is document analysis. The results of this writing found that Sir Malcolm MacDonald was a figure who grew up in a family involved in politics and community activities. This situation has influenced him to also get involved in political activities and contribute to the world community. His collection documents are now housed in the Durham University Library, United Kingdom in original and digital form. Some of the documents, especially related to the history of Malaysia, have been digitized by researchers from Sultan Zainal Abidin University (UniSZA), Terengganu. It is anticipated that the digitization of this document will make it easier for researchers and the public to make references from authoritative sources.