Page:Report of the Commission of Enquiry North Borneo & Sarawak.pdf/52

 divisions. We feel that if it is decided to create a Federation, the decision should be made wholeheartedly and without reservations. We do not recommend inclusion of a secession clause.

(i) Borneanisasion of the public services should proceed as quickly as possible.

(j) Every effort should be made to encourage British officers to remain in the service until their places can be taken by qualiﬁed people from the Borneo territories.

(k) Citizenship

We have already made it clear in Chapters l and 2 that this is a matter to which the Chinese communities in both Sarawak and North Borneo attach such importance that it inﬂuences the attitude of many of them towards the Malaysia proposals as a whole. They fear that the arrangements under the pre—Merdeka Constitution of the Federation of Malaya might be applied to them.

At present persons of any race born in either of the two territories are automatically citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies; and aliens, regardless of race, who have resided in either territory throughout the 12 months preceding their applications and also have resided there or in the United Kingdom or one of its other dependencies for four years out of the seven preceding that 12 months and intend to continue such residence are eligible to apply in the Governor for naturalisation as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. Additional requirements are evidence of good character and a sufficient knowledge of the English language or a language recognised in the territory as being on an equality with the English language. In practice Malay has been accepted.

Although the great majority of the Chinese in both Sarawak and North Borneo have either been born in one or other territory or have resided there for a substantial number of years, only a small proportion of those who were not born locally have in fact applied for citizenship. It is necessary to secure sponsors; some expenses is involved; and there has up to now been no particular advantage in becoming a citizen. Moreover, many Chinese might not have been able to pass a language test in any language other than their own. It was on behalf of this considerable body of non-citizens that requests were made to us that the qualiﬁcations for citizenship in Sarawak and North Borneo after Malaysia comes into being should remain the same, or approximately the same, as those now in force for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies. There was readiness in some cases to agree to a rather longer qualifying period of residence such as seven or eight years instead of five.

We have considerable sympathy with these requests, although we believe that the fears of the Chinese are usually based on a misunderstanding of the present position in Malaya.

Our attention has been drawn to the memorandum in setting out the Heads at Agreement for a merger between the Federation of Malaya and Singapore (Singapore Command Paper No. 33 of 1961) in which