Greater Indonesia
Encyclopedia
Greater Indonesia or in the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

, Indonesia Raya or Melayu Raya was a political concept that sought to bring the so-called Malay race
Malay race
The concept of a Malay race was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , and classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races...

 together by uniting the British territories on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...

 and North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...

 that formed Malaysia with the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....

 (Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

). It was espoused by students and graduates of Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
University Pendidikan Sultan Idris or UPSI is a public university in the town of Tanjung Malim, Perak in Malaysia. First established in 1922 as a teachers college, it is one of the oldest functioning institutions of higher learning in Malaysia.-History:...

 in the late 1920s, and individuals from Sumatra and Java including Muhammad Yamin
Muhammad Yamin
Muhammad Yamin was born in Talawi, Sawahlunto, in the heartland of the Minangkabau on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. He was the son of Oesman Gelar Baginda Khatib the Penghulu of Indrapura...

 and Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...

  in the 1950s.

The idea development in colonial era

The idea for Melayu Raya (Greater Malay) was penned by a history lecturer from Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
University Pendidikan Sultan Idris or UPSI is a public university in the town of Tanjung Malim, Perak in Malaysia. First established in 1922 as a teachers college, it is one of the oldest functioning institutions of higher learning in Malaysia.-History:...

 by the name of Abdul Hadi Hassan. The Pan-Malay union was based on understandings on similarities in race, shared language, religion and culture among ethnicites in Malay or Indonesian archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....

. The ancient concept of Alam Melayu or Nusantara
Nusantara
Nusantara is an Indonesian word for the Indonesian archipelago. It is originated from Old Javanese and literally means "archipelago".The word Nusantara was taken from an oath by Gajah Mada, as written on an old Javanese manuscript Pararaton and Negarakertagama...

advocate the historical awareness that the territory of British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

, Northern Borneo and Dutch East Indies was once united under grand native empires such as Sriwijaya, Majapahit, Malacca Sultanate
Malacca Sultanate
Established by the Malay ruler Parameswara, the Sultanate of Malacca was first a Hindu kingdom in 1402 and later became Muslim following the marriage of the princess of Pasai in 1409. Centered in the modern town of Malacca, the sultanate bordered the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam in the north to...

 and Johor-Riau Sultanate. However the course of history has separated this once one kin nation into British and Dutch colonial possession.

In the end 1920s, the idea to form a new independent nation has grew among the people of Dutch East Indies. While in Malay peninsula the idea of Greater Malay was proposed, in Dutch East Indies, the activist youth of Indonesian nationalist was more interested on the idea to form a new future nation of Indonesia as the successor of Dutch East Indies once the colony gains its independence. In 1928 the Youth Pledge was declared in Jakarta by Indonesian nationalist activist youth and proclaiming three ideals; one motherland, one nation, and support one unifying language.

The Malay nationalist Kesatuan Melayu Muda
Kesatuan Melayu Muda
Kesatuan Melayu Muda was the first national political establishment in British Malaya. Ibrahim Yaacob played a huge role in founding the union in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, then the capital of the Federated Malay States. The main goal of the union was to unite all Malays regardless of origin and fight...

 group, founded in 1938 by Ibrahim Hj Yaacob
Ibrahim Hj Yaacob
Ibrahim bin Haji Yaacob was a Malayan politician. An opponent of the British colonial government, he was President and founder of the Kesatuan Melayu Muda . During World War II, he supported the Japanese during their occupation of Malaya...

, was one of the more notable entities that embraced the concept as part of its goals.

Japanese occupation era

During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 advocates of Greater Indonesia collaborated with the Japanese against the British and the Dutch.
The cooperation was based on the understanding that Japan would unite Dutch East Indies, Malaya and Borneo and grant them independence. It was understood that under a unified Japanese occupation of these areas, the formation of Greater Indonesia was possible. On July 1945 the KRIS (Kesatuan Rakyat Indonesia Semenanjung) or Indonesian Peninsular People Union, that later the name would be change to "Kekuatan Rakyat Indonesia Istimewa" (Special Indonesian People Force) was formed in British Malaya under the leadership of Ibrahim Yaacob and Dr. Burhanuddin Al-Hemy with the aim to achieve independence from Great Britain and union with Republic of Indonesia. This plan has been consulted with Sukarno and Hatta.

In 12 August 1945, Ibrahim Yaacob met with Sukarno, Hatta and Dr. Radjiman in Taiping, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...

. Sukarno transitted in Taiping airport on his flight back from Saigon back to Jakarta. Previously Sukarno was summoned by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi in Dalat to discuss about the Indonesian independence and to receive direct statement from Terauchi that Japanese Empire permitted the independence of Indonesia. During this meeting Yaacob expressed his intention to unite Malay Peninsula into independent Indonesia. It was in this short conference that Sukarno, flanked by Hatta, shook hands with Ibrahim Yaacob and said, 'Let us form one single Motherland for all the sons of Indonesia.'

Sukarno and Muhammad Yamin are Indonesian nationalist activist that agreed to the ideal of grand union. However they were reluctant to coined the idea as Melayu Raya (Greater Malay) and proposed another alternative Indonesia Raya (Greater Indonesia). Basically the idea of Greater Malay and Greater Indonesia is exactly identical. The reluctancy was based on the fact that unlike in Malay Peninsula, in other parts of archipelago the term "Malay" is more closely associated with ethnic Malay than Malay race
Malay race
The concept of a Malay race was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , and classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races...

. Malay ethnicity is considered as just one of myriad ethnicities in the archipelago with equal status with Minangkabau, Aceh, Javanese, Sundanese
Sundanese people
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim...

, Madurese, Balinese
Balinese people
The Balinese population of 3.0 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live...

, Dayak
Dayak people
The Dayak or Dyak are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily...

, Bugis, Makassar, Minahasa
Minahasa
The Minahasa are an ethnic group located in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes...

n, Ambonese, etc. The grouping under Malay race or "Malay" label was considered risky and counter-productive with the ideal of Indonesian unity that encompassed diverse ethnicities, religions, culture and races; moreover with the facts that people of Eastern Indonesia, such as Papuans, Ambonese and people of East Nusa Tenggara (Flores and Timor) were not belongs to Malay Austronesians, but belongs to Melanesian.

However in 15 August 1945 Emperor Hirohito declared the surrender of Japanese Empire through radio broadcast. Indonesian Republic proclaimed its independence in 17 August 1945. Accused as collaborator, in 19 August Ibrahim Yaacob flew in Japanese military airplane to Jakarta. Yaacob sought refuge in Jakarta with his wife Mariatun Haji Siraj, his in-law Onan Haji Siraj and Hassan Manan. Ibrahim Yaacob that fought for the unity of Malay Peninsula into Indonesia then resides in Jakarta until his death in 1979. With the fall of Japanese power in August 1945 all the ideas of the union between peninsula with Indonesia were decayed and never heard again in Malay peninsula eversince.

After the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, through armed battles in Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...

 between 1945-1949, The Republic of Indonesia finally gained recognition of sovereignty from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 during Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in 1949. While across the straits after Japanese occupation the Malay Peninsula were practically under Great Britain control.

Confrontation and the Greater Indonesia ideal

After the end of World War II, the idea of Greater Indonesia was never heard again, until more than ten years later. In late 1950's Sukarno strongly opposed the British decolonization initiative through the formation of Malaysia that will include Malay Peninsula and North Borneo. The hostile political stance has led to the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...

 in early 1960's that manifested in undeclared war with small scale transborder battles and military infiltration in Borneo. Sukarno accused that the new nation of Malaysia is British's puppet state to reestablish the so-called neo-imperialism and neo-colonialism in Southeast Asia, and also to contained Indonesian ambition to be the regional hegemon. However another analyst suggested that the Sukarno's campaign against the formation of Malaysia was actually motivated to unite Malay Peninsula and the whole island of Borneo under Indonesian rule and to complete the previously disbanded idea of Greater Indonesia.

In late 1965 the failed coup attempt of 30 September Movement
30 September Movement
The Thirtieth of September Movement ) was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian National Armed Forces members who, in the early hours of 1 October 1965, assassinated six Indonesian Army generals in an abortive coup d'état. Later that morning, the organization declared that it was in control...

 has caused Sukarno fell from power and the rise of General Suharto to seize power in Indonesia. Because of this domestic conflict, Indonesia has lost its desire to continue their hostile policy against Malaysia, and therefore the war ended. In 28 May 1966 a conference held in Bangkok secured agreement between the Kingdom of Malaysia and Republic of Indonesia to resolved the conflict. The violence ended in June, and the peace deal was signed in 11 August and officially recognized two days later. With this peace deal Indonesia and Malaysia officially agreed to be two separated national entities that mutually recognized the existence and sovereignty of eachoter.

After the peace deal, Indonesia was occupied with its own domestic problems to build its economy while tried to maintain its unity as a diverse and plural nation, as the result during the reign of Suharto freedom and democracy was sacrified in the name of national stability and unity. In 1975 Indonesia annexed the former Portugal colony of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

 that finally liberated from Indonesia in 2002. Indonesia suffered various problems that ranges from economic crisis, separatist movement in Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...

 and Papua
Papua
Papua was the name, as provided to the Portuguese commander Jorge de Meneses while sheltering there in 1526, of the people living on Waigeo, one of the Raja Ampat Islands west of the Vogelkop Peninsula, now part of the West Papua province of Indonesia. The Spanish pilot Martin de Uriarte in the...

, to the terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

 problem. Indonesia is more interested in defining themself "to be Indonesia" by trying to develop national character building, to define themself as pluralist nation encapsuled in Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is the official national motto of Indonesia. The phrase is Old Javanese translated as "Unity in Diversity,". It is inscribed in the Indonesian national symbol, Garuda Pancasila , and is mentioned specifically in article 36A of the Constitution of Indonesia.It is a quotation...

 (unity in diversity) under Pancasila
Pancasila
The Five Precepts constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama in the Theravada as well as in Mahayana traditions. The precepts in both traditions are essentially identical and are commitments to abstain from harming living beings, stealing,...

 as national ideology with territorial claim only spanned from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. As the largest nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia seems to be satisfied on channeling its regional ambition through assuming leadership role among ASEAN countries.

On the other side, Malaysia is struggling on nation building and facing problems in inter-racial relations, especially between Malay majority with Chinese and Hindu Indian minority, the problem that plagued Malaysian politics up until now.. The racial issue and the disagreement on citizenship and previleged issues between Bumiputra
Bumiputra
Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...

 and Chinese and Indian Malaysian is the very problems that has caused the separation of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 from Malaysia back in 1960s. In North Borneo, the Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

 royals choosed not to follow Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...

 and Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

 on joining Malaysia and remained under Great Britain protection until 1984. With each parties kept busy and being occupied in their own problems, the ideal of a grand union that united the whole so-called Malay race under one great national entity called Greater Malay or Greater Indonesia has finally faded away, ceased to exist and remain irredentist.

See also

  • Maphilindo
    Maphilindo
    Maphilindo was a proposed nonpolitical confederation of those countries.The original plan for a united state based on the concept of the Malay race was attempted by Wenceslao Vinzons during the Commonwealth government in the Philippines...

    , another irredentist concept, including the Philippines
  • Indonesia Raya
    Indonesia Raya
    "Indonesia Raya" is the national anthem of the Republic of Indonesia. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in Batavia...

    , the national anthem of Republic of Indonesia
  • Nusantara
    Nusantara
    Nusantara is an Indonesian word for the Indonesian archipelago. It is originated from Old Javanese and literally means "archipelago".The word Nusantara was taken from an oath by Gajah Mada, as written on an old Javanese manuscript Pararaton and Negarakertagama...

    , the geograpic realm that based on ancient concept to identify the Malay/Indonesian archipelago that span from Sumatra to West New Guinea that encompassed the territory of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and East Timor.
  • Indonesia–Malaysia relations
    Indonesia–Malaysia relations
    Indonesia–Malaysia relations are foreign bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia.Indonesia and Malaysia are two neighboring nations that shared similarities in many aspects. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have many common characteristic traits, these include common frames of reference in...

    , the issues facing the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia
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