I just finished reading a geography book by American author Kenneth C. Davis (which is probably not the most reliable source on the matter) that claims that, “Parts of Borneo joined Singapore when it became independent.” If true, what parts of Borneo did Singapore own, and do they still own them?
Parts of Borneo and Singapore joined Malaysia when Malaysia became independent in 1963. Singapore left in 1965. No part of Borneo is or ever has been part of Singapore.
Presumably the short excerpt quote in the OP was intending to infer that the Malay States, the two British colonies in Northern Borneo, and Singapore came together to form Malaysia… the sentence if written properly by the author would have read something like “Parts of Borneo joined Singapore, when it became independent, and the former Malay states to comprise the new nation of Malaysia.”
The funny thing about Singapore is that it didn’t want to leave Malaysia in 1965 — but the other Malaysians kicked them out! I can’t think of a single other example of a country expelling part of itself. Usually countries try to get more territory, or at least keep what they’ve got.
The two Malaysian states in Borneo are Sabah and Sarawak. Sabah had been a British colony, known as North Borneo, prior to joining independent Malaysia in the 1960s.
But Sarawak was another oddment. Instead of being a British colony, for about a hundred years it was a kingdom ruled by a dynasty of Englishmen, known as the “White Rajahs.” An English adventurer named Brooke went there in the mid-19th century and helped the Sultan of Brunei put down a rebellion. As a reward, Brooke took most of the territory of Brunei!!! Leaving only a little smidgen which is the present-day Brunei. Sarawak was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, and after the war, Brooke’s grandson, the last of the White Rajahs, knew the game was up and he signed it over to the British government.