18-point agreement

The 18-point agreement, or the 18-point memorandum, was a list of 18 points drawn up by Sarawak, proposing terms for its incorporation into Malaysia, during negotiations prior to the creation of the new federation in 1963.

A Commission of Enquiry, headed by Lord Cameron Cobbold, and The Lansdowne Committee, an inter-governmental committee, were appointed to aid in the drafting of the Malaysia Agreement. Lord Lansdowne served for Britain and Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya, served for Malaya. The 18 points were based on the Nine Cardinal Principles of the rule of the English Rajah. A similar memorandum, known as the 20-point agreement, was prepared and submitted by North Borneo. These memoranda are often cited by those who believe that Sarawak's and Sabah's rights within Malaysia have since been eroded.

The agreements, which can be found in the Proclamation of Malaysia and also the Cobbold Commission reports, stated the conditions and rights that were meant to safeguard the autonomy and the special interest of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, protecting, among others, these regions’ rights on religion, language, education, administration, economy and culture.

Some of the points were incorporated into the Constitution of Malaysia while the rest of Sarawak’s 18 points are outlined as follows:

1. Religion Point
2. Language Point
3. Constitution Point
4. Head of the federation Point
5. Name of the federation Point
6. Immigration Point
7. Right to secession Point
8. Borneanisation Point
9. British Officers Point
10. Citizenship Point
11. Tariffs and Finance Point
12. Special position of indigenous races Point
13. State Government Point
14. Transitional period Point
15. Education Point
16. Constitutional safeguards Point
17. Representation in Federal Parliament Point
18. Name of Head of State

See also

• 20-point agreement
• Malaysia Act 1963

Further reading

• An Agreement Forged and Forgotten, Borneo Post
• The 18 Point Agreement Revisited, Borneo Post