On 29 August 1963, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong signed the Malaysia Declaration for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. This was subsequently approved by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on 4 September 1963 with 38 votes for and 5 against. A week later, Chief Minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan, 3 state cabinet ministers and 10 members of the Alliance flew to Kuala Lumpur to meet the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Colony of Britain, Duncan Sandys, as an exciting new future beckoned for Sarawak. On 16 September 1963, the Honourable Khir Johari read the historic Proclamation of Malaysia witnessed by Datu Abang Haji Openg Abang Sapiee, the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the Chief Minister, members of the first State Cabinet and the public at Central Padang in Kuching. It was a poignant and proud moment when Ningkan read the Proclamation of the Independence of Sarawak: “Now therefore I, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the Chief Minister of Sarawak
On 27 May 1961, Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj proposed a merger for closer political and economic co-operation between the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo (as Sabah was known then) and Brunei. British Prime Minister Sir Harold Macmillan supported the idea and the first Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee (MSCC) meeting was held in Singapore two months later, followed by an eye-opening visit by leaders from Sarawak and Sabah to Malaya on 12 August 1962. In 1962, a five-man team of 2 Malayans and 3 British representatives headed by Lord Cameron Cobbold conducted a referendum amongst Sarawakians on the proposed Federation of Malaysia. The findings of the Cobbold Commission led to the Malaysia Agreement signed on 9 July 1963 by Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. As spelt out in the 20-point requirements raised by Sabah and 18-point by Sarawak, the Agreement sought to protect the interest, rights and autonomy of the people of the t