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Not British colony, but used Reid's constitution

The Reid Commission was an independent commission responsible for drafting the constitution of the Federation of Malaya prior to Malayan independence from Britain on August 31 1957.

Members of Reid Commission according to Wikipedia:

  • William Reid - Chairman
  • Ivor Jennings - Britain
  • William McKell - Australia
  • B Malik - India
  • Abdul Hamid - Pakistan
Now we want to ask the professor Zainal Kling and Umno leaders if Malaya had never been colonised by the British, why had our constitution been discussed in the British Parliament and not instead been decided by the Malayan government at the time?

If Malaya were not colonised we should not need any permission from the British government and we would have done our own constitutional drafting.  

If a country was free from occupation it would draw up its own constitution without interference or approval from another country. Why is it Malaya and Malaysia still adopts the constitution of the Reid Commission, rather than use a constitution to suit the customs and culture of the Malay land/Malaysia or use a constitutional framework in accordance with sharia law?

All the Members of Reid Commission were from other countries; not even one representative was from the local government or Malayan government of the time.  

Here are some questions to be answered, and considered: if it was true that Malaya had never been occupied, we should have been free use our own constitution.

Umno leaders must be prepared to accept the fact that this country had indeed been colonised by the British and that those who had fought against the British government before independence were a freedom fighters.

Jofri Jaraiee is PAS Miri chief cum PAS Sarawak deputy commissioner.

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