After the expulsion of the Japanese at the end of World War II, Malaya returned to its pre-war loose federation of states. Like Vietnam (then Indo-China) with the French, unrest in Malaya was already present and blew up in Feb 1948 when attacks were launched against Europeans. The Malayan Emergency was declared in Jul 1948 after terrorism had continued and British troops stepped up efforts against the guerillas. British, Malay, Australian, New Zealand and Rhodesian forces waged an aggressive counter-insurgency campaign from 1948 until the Emergency finished on 31 Jul 1960.

But this proved only a temporary respite. The potential formation of the Federation of Malay States was seen as a grave threat by Indonesia and the conflict erupted again c 2 years later.