Anti-communist forces: United Kingdom[1] Malaysia[2] Supported by: Australia Brunei New Zealand United States Communist forces: North Kalimantan Communist Party[3] Indonesia (1962–65) (military aid)[2] Other support: Brunei People's Party Malayan Communist Party Walter Walker (1962–1965) Tunku Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak Hussein Hussein Onn Mahathir Mohamad Stephen Kalong Ningkan Tawi Sli Abdul Rahman Ya'kub Abdul Taib Mahmud Brigadier Othman Ibrahim Brigadier Ungku Nazaruddin Wen Ming Chyuan Lam Wah Kwai Bong Kee Chok Ang Cho Teng Wong Lieng Kui Yang Chu Chung † Yap Choon Hau † Cheung Ah Wah 1,500+ armed police and soldiers[10][11] 600–1,000+ guerrilla fighters[10][13] 99 killed144 wounded 400–500 killed260 captured220 surrendered The communist insurgency in Sarawak was an insurgency in Malaysia from 1962 to 1990, and involved the North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP) and the Malaysian Government.

[1] The communist insurgents in Sarawak were also supported by Indonesia until 1965, when the pro-Western president Suharto assumed power in a coup and ended the confrontation with Malaysia.

In addition, the Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Rahman Ya'kub also managed to convince many of the NKCP insurgents, to enter into peace negotiations and lay down their arms between 1973 and 1974.

[17]: 3,4  The Sarawak Overseas Chinese Democratic Youth League (砂拉越新民主主义青年团) was formed in 1951[18] in Kuching Chung Hua Middle School (古晋中华中学), led by a student named Weng Min Chyuan (文铭权).

Their tactic was to establish a "united front" with other left-wing and anti-colonial groups in Sarawak to achieve their goal of independence of the colony from British rule.

[16]: 81-83 Under the guidance of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), the Sarawak Liberation League (SLL) was founded in July 1953 in Kuching, led by Weng Min Chyuan.

The objective of SLL was to gain autonomy first, then topple the British colonial authority to build an independent sovereign country, promoting equality for all, and individual democratic rights.

On 22 June 1962, Wen Min Chyuan, together with Bong Kee Chok and Wang Fu Ying (王馥英) were captured and deported out of Sarawak.

It was a failed uprising against the British by the Brunei People's Party and its military wing, the North Kalimantan National Army (Tentera Nasional Kalimantan Utara, TNKU), who were opposed to the Federation of Malaysia and wanted to create a state in northern Borneo consisting of Brunei, Sarawak, and North Borneo.

[7][16]: 85-86  The SLL leaders Wen Min Chyuan and Bong Kee Chok were aware of A.M Azahari's planned revolt but were reluctant to resort to guerrilla warfare due to their weak presence in Sarawak's Fourth and Fifth Divisions, which were located adjacent to Brunei.

Following the Brunei Revolt, the SLL switched to a policy of armed insurgency from January 1963 since the defeat of the Bruneian rebels deprived it of a source of weapons.

[1] Due to the Sukarno government's hostility to Britain and Malaysia, the Sarawak communists used Indonesian Kalimantan as a base for building up a guerrilla force.

The PGRS was formed on 30 March 1964 at Mount Asuansang in Paloh, Sambas, West Kalimantan[17]: Appendix 20  with the assistance of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[4][16][note 1] According to Conboy, the PGRS numbered about 800 and was based in West Kalimantan at Batu Hitam, with a contingent of 120 from the Indonesian intelligence agency and a small cadre trained in China.

[clarification needed] While they had discussed creating a communist party in Sarawak, they delayed doing so until 1971 due to the tense political situation in Indonesia.

While the first raids included SCO members, they were often led by regular Indonesian officers or non-commissioned officers from the Marine commandos (Korps Komando Operasi, KKO), the Army para-commandos (Resimen Para Komando Angkatan Darat, RPKAD), and the Air Force paratroopers ( Pasukan Gerak Tjepat, PGT).

Overnight, the Sarawak communists lost a safe haven and the Indonesian military would subsequently co-operate with the Malaysians in counter-insurgency operations against their former allies.

On 30 June 1965, the Sarawak government's Operations Sub-Committee of the State Security Executive Council (Ops SSEC) implemented the Goodsir Plan.

[16]: 129-130 By 22 July 1966, the Malaysian prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman estimated that there were approximately 700 communists in Indonesian Kalimantan and about 2,000 sympathisers.

The end of the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation also enabled the establishment of military co-operation between the Indonesian and Malaysian armed forces against SCO guerrillas in Borneo.

Due to a decline in manpower, resources and increased isolation from their support base, the SCO shifted from guerrilla warfare towards reestablishing the movement's link with the masses, including the natives, to preserve the 'armed struggle'.

To replace the decimated SPGF, the Sarawak Communist Organisation created the North Kalimantan People's Guerrilla Force at Nonok on 13 July 1969.

[7] In 1973–74, the Malaysian government scored a key victory when Rahman Ya'kub successfully convinced one of the NKCP leaders Bong Kee Chok to surrender along with 481 of his supporters.

By 17 October 1990, a peace agreement formally ending the insurgency was ratified at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in the state capital Kuching.