Dewan Merdeka

The Jesselton Community Centre, renamed Dewan Merdeka (Independence Building), was completed in March 1958. It was the venue for many important and historical events, including the historic signing of the Cobbold Commission of Inquiry that collected the views of the people of Sabah and Sarawak on the proposal for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. In the Inquiry, Sabah and Sarawak agreed to the formation of Malaysia together with the Federated States of Malaya and Singapore. This led to the Proclamation of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963