PENGARUH ETNIK DALAM PEMBENTUKAN PARTI-PARTI POLITIK AWAL DI SARAWAK, 1959-1963

This paper discusses the influence of ethnicity in the formation of early political parties in Sarawak. The cession of Sarawak to the British government has led to the emergence of the people’s nationalism awareness leading to the formation of political parties in Sarawak. Discussion is done through the library method by analysing books, dissertation and articles by previous researchers. The results of this study found that the plurality of races in Sarawak played a significant role in shaping the political pattern in Sarawak. The evidence can be seen in the formation of political parties that are heavily influenced by racial elements. Thus, ethnic factors have become the main factor in the formation of political parties in Sarawak. This considering that the purpose of establishing the parties is to safeguard the interests of their respective races. Therefore, the influence of ethnicity in a party can be seen according to the composition of party membership which is dominated by certain races. However, there are also several other factors that influence the formation of early political parties in Sarawak. Among them are, differences in idealism, the effects of the 1956 municipal elections, the desire for independence, regional sentiments and the influence of a party's ideology. Overall, this study can disclose to the public that the racial nature has been rooted in political parties in Sarawak since the beginning. Therefore, it is suggested for the future studies, the researcher can analyse whether this race-based party has an impact on the political development in Sarawak.