History of Malaysia
After reviewing the Cobbold Commission's findings, the British government appointed the Landsdowne Commission to draft a constitution for Malaysia. The eventual constitution was essentially the same as the 1957 constitution, albeit with some rewording; for instance, giving recognition to the special position of the natives of the Borneo States. North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore were also granted some autonomy unavailable to the states of Malaya. After negotiations in July 1963, it was agreed that Malaysia would come into being on 31 August 1963, consisting of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. The date was to coincide with the independence day of Malaya and the British giving self-rule to Sarawak and North Borneo. However, Indonesia and the Philippines strenuously objected to this development, with Indonesia claiming Malaysia represented a form of "neocolonialism" and the Philippines claiming North Borneo as its territory. The opposition from the Indonesian government led by Sukarno and attempts by the Sarawak United People's Party delayed the formation of Malaysia. Due to these factors, an eight-member UN team was formed to re-ascertain whether North Borneo and Sarawak truly wanted to join Malaysia. Malaysia formally came into being on 16 September 1963, consisting of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore. In 1963 the total population of Malaysia was about 10 million.
Malaysia–United States relations
The United States has a long commercial interest in Malaysia, dating back since the 1800s when the territories now part of the Southeast Asian country were still under British colonial rule. While Malaysia through Malaya only established a diplomatic presence in the US beginning from 1957, the US had consular posts in Malaya and commercial interests in northern Borneo since the 1800s. In 1850, the US recognised the status of Kingdom of Sarawak which was established by an Englishman named James Brooke as an independent state. US merchants Torrey and Harris through the American Trading Company of Borneo had a tract of land in north western of Borneo, which was however sold to Baron von Overbeck in 1876. The US further appointed a consul in George Town in 1918 and established additional consular posts in Kuala Lumpur in 1948 and Kuching in 1968. The modern ties between Malaysia and the US are generally warm with the US had supported Malaysia during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, an armed conflict arising from Indonesian opposition to the formation of Malaysia, marking the beginning of US direct involvement in the political affairs of Malaysia. Earlier during the World War II, the US played a role in the liberation of Southeast Asia from Japanese occupation especially in the liberation of Borneo as the island is located close to the Commonwealth of the Philippines, which is a protectorate of the latter.