Page:Report of the Commission of Enquiry North Borneo & Sarawak.pdf/49

 wide current usage. We believe moreover, that in fact objections to the name would not persist for long. We recommend, however, that the word "Malaysia" should be generally incorporated into the Malay language; at present it is widely translated into Malay as "Melayu Raya".

(e) Religion Feeling on the point ran much stronger. There are differences of opinion among the Commission.

(i) Views of the Chairman and British members The non-Muslim communities are most insistent that there should be complete religious freedom as to woship, education, and propagation, in the Borneo territories.

We recommend the insertion in the State Constitution of a specific provision to this effect.

There remain the provisions in the exiting Federal Constitution of Malaya that Islam is the national religion and that certain public expenditure may be incurred for Islamic purposes. All Muslim communities would welcome the provision that Islam should be national religion of the Federation. But even with guanrantees of freedom of religion for the Borneo States, we have met with strong resistance from many non-Muslim communities to the idea that these Federal provisions should apply to the Borneo territories. We consider that this is a matter for the peoples of the Borneo territories (which have a non-Muslim majority) to decide for themselves at a later stage when fully elected representative bodies have been constituted. We recommend therefore that the Federal provisions should not be extended to the Borneo territories in the meantime.

(ii) Views of Malayan members We think that all Muslim communities would welcome a provision that Islam should be the national religion of the Federation. Amongst the non-Muslims who appreared before us there was a substantial number who would not object to the present practice in the Federation of Malaya, as they are satisfied with provisions for fundamental liberties and freedom of religion in the Malayan Constitution. There were, however, a number of non-Muslims who most anxious that there should be no national religion for the Federation; a great many of them, however, would be prepared to consider that Islam might be made the national religion provided that it should not be the religion of their particular State. Taking these point fully into consideration we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation. We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation, which in effect would be secular.