英国殖民当局延缓公布马来亚联盟计划的原因探析

从1942年2月新加坡被日本占领到1944年4月,英国政府对战后马来亚统治形式的决策基本成型。但拟定政策一直是秘密进行,直到1946年1月该政策才正式公布。英国为什么迟迟不公布早已拟就的计划?文章认为,战争时期,英国担心公布马来亚政策会遭到马来人的反对,又担心遭到国内一批前马来亚殖民官员的反对;战争结束后,英国要迫使马来苏丹签署让渡主权和管辖权的协定,计划泄露会引起苏丹们的警觉,所以才迟迟不公布政策,而是采用“秘密计划、迅速执行”的策略,其实质是将英国殖民当局的意志强加给马来亚各族人民。

Reasons for the Delayed Release of Malayan Union Plan by British Government

From February 1942 to May 1944,the British Government's policy towards Malaya had been made,but the decision-making process was confidential.The policy was not made public until January 1946,while the military sector urgently demanded the publicity of the policy.The delay of the policy publicity was due to the worry of the British Government about the opposition from the Malay and the Pro-Malay groups in the UK during the wartime.After the war,the British Government decided to usurp the sovereignty of the Malay Sultans before the promulgation of the policy.This practice of "secret planning and quick implementation" implied that the British Government means to force its will upon the Malayan communities.