Cooperation today and the Maphilindo of the past

The exchanges of friendship and cooperation to develop Mindanao between Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may seem like today’s news but it has a long history.

Indeed it is a history we should cherish because as one Malaysian official called me once I was “his pinsan” .. We have a common history going back to ancient times. It was colonialism that drew us apart.

Malaysia to the British and Philippines to the Spanish. There is a third country in this tightly conglomerate of like peoples in origin and culture – Indonesia.

It is the tripartite history I want to recall in this column. Malaysia did play a role to the historic transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region as well as other international partners.

But I hope that this cooperation will not end there. I hope that in time we will revive the Greater Malayan Confederation or Maphilindo (for Malaya, the Philippines, and Indonesia) The union had great promise in the 60s, but it was scuttled by unfortunate sectors that did not want it to happen.

The original plan for a united state based on the concept of the Malay race was attempted by Wenceslao Vinzons during the Philippines’ Commonwealth Era.

He envisioned a united Malay race which he termed Malaya Irredenta (later another name for the union). In his 1959 book Someday, Malaysia, Major Eduardo Abdul Latif Martelino (later operations officer in the infamous Jabidah massacre) also cited the vision of then-President of the Philippines Manuel L. Quezon for an integrated, pan-Malayan nationhood in the region.

How many Filipinos know for example that Maphilindo was initially proposed as a realisation of Filipino national hero Dr. José Rizal. It was his dream to unite the Malay peoples.

But Western colonialists set up artificial divisions that eventually divided the Malays.

In July 1963, Quezon’s later successor, President Diosdado Macapagal, convened a summit in Manila where the three countries signed a series of agreements to resolve controversies over the former British colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak joining Malaysia.

But it was not to be. According to sources “while the union was described as a regional association that would approach issues of common concern, it was also perceived as a tactic employed by the Philippines and Indonesia to hinder the formation of the Federation of Malaysia as Malaya’s successor state. The Philippines had its own claim over the eastern part of Sabah (formerly British North Borneo), while Indonesia protested the formation of Malaysia as a British imperialist plot.”

The great enterprise of uniting the Malays was short lived. Political commentators pointed to the demise of uniting Malays when Sukarno, President of Indonesia, who adopted a policy of Konfrontasi (Indonesian, “confrontation”) with the newly constituted Malaysia. The aim of the Konfrontasi was to prevent Malaysia from achieving full sovereignty, and was introduced to President Sukarno by the Communist Party of Indonesia or PKI.

This was the height of the cold war. The PKI convinced President Sukarno that the formation of Malaysia was a form of neo-colonisation that will later affect Indonesian stability.

“The subsequent establishment of the larger Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1967 changed the dynamics of regionalism, from insular and linguistic oriented to one that rallied against domino theory communist advance, which included Indochina.”

“Economically, US ally Japan played a regional role in consolidating and developing trade links both within the region and between regions. ASEAN has maintained a rather neutral and conciliatory stance since the end of the Vietnam War with regards to the PRC. However, with recent rising Chinese economic and political power, along with waning US appetite for foreign wars, suddenly there is a split within ASEAN among those with territorial disputes with China and those without. These sea disputes encompass the Maphilindo sphere, plus Vietnam. How will Malaysia and the Philippines tackle that problem.”

Without saying it in so many words, Mahathir warned Duterte against getting huge loans from China. This onerous warning has its implications.

There were hands that made the Maphilindo become part of the larger Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1967 “changed the dynamics of regionalism, from insular and linguistic oriented to one that rallied against domino theory communist advance, which included Indochina.

It is well known that economically, “US ally Japan played a regional role in consolidating and developing trade links both within the region and between regions.”

“ASEAN has maintained a rather neutral and conciliatory stance since the end of the Vietnam War with regards to the PRC. However, with recent rising Chinese economic and political power, along with waning US appetite for foreign wars, suddenly there is a split within ASEAN among those with territorial disputes with China and those without. These very sea disputes encompass the Maphilindo sphere, plus Vietnam.”

Ruth Abbey Gita notes in Sunstar that the Barmm, created through the historic Bangsamoro Organic Law, is composed of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Marawi City, Lamitan City, Cotabato City, and 63 villages in North Cotabato.

It replaces the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and has expanded land and water jurisdiction, greater fiscal autonomy, and increased share in national government resources, among others.

The new Bangsamoro region will be governed by the 80-man Bangsamoro Transition Authority until the election for regular members of the Bangsamoro Parliament takes place in 2022.

Mahathir, vowed to boost the economic ties between the Philippines and Malaysia, considering the “vast economic potential” of Barmm.

“I congratulated President Duterte on the success of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the appointment of members into the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. I look forward to the smooth transition of the Armm through the interim government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao,” the Malaysian leader said.

“Given the vast economic potential of this area, I believe with the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or Barmm, we have to boost economic ties between both countries. I therefore assured Mr. President of Malaysia’s desire to continue to be of help in the development of Mindanao,” he added.

Mahathir said they committed to take the necessary steps to address the serious issue of terrorism and violent extremism through the Trilateral Cooperation Agreement.

“Under this framework, Malaysia and the Philippines together with Indonesia have agreed to undertake unilateral maritime and air patrols to tackle the growing security challenges,” the Malaysian prime minister said.