BRITISH COLONIAL POLICY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN MALAYA, 1945-1957: TAMING THE SHREW?

Abstract

This article examines the policies of the British colonial administration in Malaya towards the formation and development of political parties between 1945 and 1957. The period 1945-1957 witnessed the emergence of political parties of various ideological dispositions and was an important formative period in the development of modern party system in Malaysia. While there are numerous studies of political parties in Malaysia, no serious study has been undertaken to examine the policies and legislation governing the formation and activities of political parties in the post-war period. This article examines the policies of the colonial administration during this period to regulate the establishment and functioning of political parties. In a broader sense, this study examines the extent to which the British colonial administration attempted to influence party politics and political activities in the period leading up to Malayan independence in 1957.