Suruhanjaya Cobbold ialah suruhanjaya yang dibentuk bersama oleh kerajaan British dan Malaya pada tahun 1962 untuk memungut dan menentukan pandangan rakyat Borneo Utara (sekarang Sabah dan Labuan) dan Sarawak sama ada menyokong cadangan untuk membentuk atau membuat Persekutuan Malaysia yang terdiri daripada Malaya, Singapura, Borneo Utara, dan Sarawak. Suruhanjaya ini juga bertanggungjawab atas penyusunan semula perlembagaan berikutnya untuk dijadikan Perlembagaan Malaysia sebelum pembentukan Malaysia pada tarikh 16 September1963.[1] Suruhanjaya ini diketuai oleh bekas gabenor Bank England, Sir Florence.
Ahli
Ahli-ahli Suruhanjaya Cobbold ialah:
Lord Cameron Cobbold, bekas Gabenor Bank England, Ketua Suruhanjaya,
Suruhanjaya menerbitkan penemuan, laporan dan cadangannya pada tarikh 1 Ogos 1962. Suruhanjaya ini menyimpulkan bahawa pembentukan Malaysia harus dilaksanakan. Namun, Lord Cobbold juga menekankan bahawa semua pihak masuk persekutuan sebagai rakan sejajar. Penemuan tersebut diringkaskan oleh Lord Cobbold sebagai berikut:
About one-third of the population of each territory strongly favours early realisation of Malaysia without too much concern about terms and conditions. Another third, many of them favourable to the Malaysia project, ask, with varying degrees of emphasis, for conditions and safeguards varying in nature and extent: the warmth of support among this category would be markedly influenced by a firm expression of opinion by Governments that the detailed arrangements eventually agreed upon are in the best interests of the territories. The remaining third is divided between those who insist on independence before Malaysia is considered and those who would strongly prefer to see British rule continue for some years to come. If the conditions and reservations which they have put forward could be substantially met, the second category referred to above would generally support the proposals. Moreover once a firm decision was taken quite a number of the third category would be likely to abandon their opposition and decide to make the best of a doubtful job. There will remain a hard core, vocal and politically active, which will oppose Malaysia on any terms unless it is preceded by independence and self-government: this hard core might amount to near 20 per cent of the population of Sarawak and somewhat less in North Borneo.
