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| Sarawak Flag as Crown Colony |
By 1950 it was clear that the Colonial Office was failing to control the recently created Crown Colony of Sarawak. The ceding of the kingdom by Rajah Charles Brooke broke the 1941 constitution as the Council Negri (parliament) and people were all too aware. They denounced the cynical manner in which their independance had been traded for money and demanded an end to colonial control through the restoration to the throne of the White Rajahs through the person of Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, the nephew of Charles and Rajah Muda (Heir) of Sarawak.
They felt he was capable - having run the country for a year - of governing it without any Westminister interferance. Many in the local civil service agreed and used their positions to undermine the new authorities - they distributed posters and organised opposition wherever possible. People in the countryside displayed their loyalties by flying the pre-colonial flag or through other prominant referances to the old regime.
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A nationalist showing their support of the Brooke's by painting the Royal Crest on their door. During the time of the Crown Colony a fine was imposed on those who did this and the crest hastily painted over, as such this example is a rare survivor.
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| Abang Haji Abdillah : The Gandhi of Sarawak |
History is often made by extraordinary people and one of those must surely be Abang Haji Abdillah, the son of the late mayor of Kuching he was both an ardent nationalist and a powerful orator. Called the "Sarawak Gandhi" he followed a similar path of peaceful pass protest and non - violent demostration. [1] Through powerful speeches such as "Me and my people would never agree with the cession of Sarawak to the British Crown!...We cherish the independence of this state where we were born..." he raised the spirits of the people and brought coverage to the plight of Sarawak. Supporters of him took part in hunger strikes and prevented colonial officials from entering their villages. His persona was crucial to uniting the Dayaks and Malays behind the Brooke claim and preserving their close realtionship against Colonial Office divide and conquer techniques.
DUM SPIRO SPERO | PERGO ET PERAGO
Article credit to Xhavnak
