The late Tun Jugah as the Temenggong of the Iban organized The Kapit Conference on 15.2.1962 which was attended by 51 elected Pengarah and Penghulu to discuss the proposals for a Federation of Malaysia.
The conference reached general agreement that the scheme should be supported subjected to certain conditions and resolutions which were submitted to the Cobbold Commission.
The resolutions were :-
(1) The Head of the State of Sarawak to be native of Sarawak.
(2) The Head of of each State in the Federation of Malaysia to be eligible in due course to be the Head of the Federation of Malaysia.
(3) Adat Lama to remain under the control of the Government of the State of Sarawak.
(4) Land to be under the control of the State.
(5)English to remain the official language of the State of Sarawak and to continue to be one of the official languages of Malaysia.
(6) Freedom of religious worship.
(7)There should be adequate representation for Sarawak in the Federal Government.
(8) British Officers to remain until replaced by properly qualified local people. Natives to have a fair share of Government employment.
(9) Sarawak natives to enjoy the same status as Malay in Malaya.
(10) Education to be a Federal subject and to be equalised throughout Malaysia as soon as possible. Sarawak natives to have a fair share of overseas scholarships.
(11) Immigration to remain under the control of the State of Sarawak.
(12) Powers reserved in the Constitution of a State may not be changed without the Agreement of the State.
(13) Development in Sarawak to be accelerated.
Iban who appeared before the Cobbold Commission in Kapit also raised the question about the right to withdraw from the new Federation and such a right should be written into the Federal Constitution.
In the words of the late Tun Jugah;
"IN THE EVENT OF TENGKU ABDUL RAHMAN BEING NO LONGER PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA, AND IF THE CONSTITUTION WAS CHANGED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE SARAWAK GOVERNMENT, THEN THE STATE OF SARAWAK MUST BE FREE TO WITHDRAW FROM MALAYSIA".
(Tun Jugah of Sarawak by Vinson H. Sutlive Jr.)
Source: Sarawak
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