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Federation of Malaya

The Federation of Malaya (Malay: Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi: ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya, comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca)[2] that existed from 1 February 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957,[3] and in 1963, Malaysia was formed when Malaya united with Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak.[4]

Federation of Malaya
Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Malay)
ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو (Jawi)
1948–1963
Anthem: God Save the King / Queen (1948-1957).
Negaraku (1957-1963)
StatusBritish protectorate (1948–1957)
Independent monarchy as member state of the Commonwealth of Nations (1957–1963)
Capital
and largest city
Kuala Lumpur
3°8′N 101°41′E / 3.133°N 101.683°E / 3.133; 101.683
Common languagesMalay (official), English
GovernmentFederation as British protectorate (1948–1957)
Federal parliamentary elective constitutional monarchy (1957–1963)
Monarch 
• 1948–1952
George VI
• 1952–1957
Elizabeth II
• 1957–1960
Abdul Rahman
• 1960
Hisamuddin
• 1960–1963
Putra
High Commissioner 
• 1948
Edward Gent
• 1948–1951
Henry Gurney
• 1952–1954
Gerald Templer
• 1954–1957
Donald MacGillivray
Head of government 
• 1955–1957 (as chief minister)
1957–1963 (as prime minister)
Tunku Abdul Rahman
LegislatureFederal Legislative Council
(1948-1959)
Parliament
(since 1959)
Dewan Negara (Senate)
(since 1959)
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)
(since 1959)
History 
• Established
1 February 1948[1]
31 August 1957
16 September 1963
CurrencyMalayan dollar (1948–1953)
Malaya and British Borneo dollar (1953–1967)
Today part ofMalaysia

History

From 1946 to 1948, the eleven states formed a single British crown colony known as the Malayan Union.[5] Due to opposition from Malay nationalists, the Union was disbanded and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the symbolic positions of the rulers of the Malay states.

Within the Federation, while the Malay states were protectorates of the United Kingdom, Penang and Malacca remained British colonial territories. Like the Malayan Union before it, the Federation did not include Singapore, despite its traditional connections with Malaya.

The Federation of Malaya Agreement was formulated by the British–Malay Pleno Conference between June and December 1946. At the end of the meeting, the Pleno Conference produced a 100-page "Blue Book."[6] It was signed on 21 January 1948 at King House by the Malay rulers, and by Sir Edward Gent as the representative of the British government.[7] The Agreement superseded the Agreement creating the Malayan Union, and prepared for the establishment of the Federation of Malaya on 1 February 1948. The position of the Malay rulers was also restored.

The Federation became independent from British colonial rule and became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on 31 August 1957.[2][8] In 1963, the Federation was reconstituted as "Malaysia" when it federated with the British territories of Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo; a claim to the latter territory was maintained by the Philippines.[9][10] Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent republic on 9 August 1965.[11]

List of member states

System of government

The government of the Federation of Malaya was headed by a British High Commissioner with executive powers, assisted and advised by the Federation of Malaya Executive Council and the Federation of Malaya Legislative Council.

  • The Federation of Malaya Executive Council comprised 7 official and 7 unofficial members.
  • The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council comprised the High Commissioner as the Council President, 14 official and 50 unofficial members representing the Straits Settlements, business groups and all races. Additionally, 9 State Council Yang Di Pertua (heads of state), Chief Ministers and 2 representatives from the Straits Settlements became unofficial members.
  • The Malay Conference of Rulers would advise the High Commissioner on immigration issues. The British Resident was replaced with a Chief Minister in each state of the federation.

Conditions of citizenship

The conditions of citizenship of the Federation of Malaya were further tightened using law enforcement and naturalisation by application. Under the laws, the following were automatically granted citizenship:

  1. Citizens of the Sultan of any state
  2. British subjects born in Penang or Malacca who have lived continuously for 15 years in the federation
  3. British subjects born in the federation whose fathers were born or lived continuously for 15 years in the federation
  4. Anyone born in the federation, conversant in the Malay language and following Malay traditions in his or her daily life
  5. Anyone born in the federation whose parents were born and lived continuously for 15 years in the federation

Via naturalisation (by application), one could achieve citizenship, given these criteria:

  1. Born and lived for at least 8 of 12 years in the Federation of Malaya before the application was made
  2. Lived in the Federation of Malaya for at least 15 of 20 years before the application was made

In both cases (via naturalisation), applications must be well-behaved, swear allegiance and clarify their reasons for living in the federation, and are fluent in either the Malay or the English language.

The Federation of Malaya, through its constitution, guarantees the rights and special position of the Malay people as well as rights, powers and sovereignty of the Malay rulers in their respective states.[13]

Separation of powers of the federal and state governments

The federation agreement (Perjanjian Persekutuan) set the powers of the federal and state governments. Financial matters must be handled by the respective states. The Sultan was given full power on religious issues and Malay customs. Foreign policy and defence continued to be administered by the British government. The federation agreement was made the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya and officially declared on 1 February 1948.[6]

Federation of Malaya Legislative Council

 
Dato' Onn bin Jaafar Mentri Besar of Johor, and President of the United Malays National Organisation, unpacking the State and Federation of Malaya Agreements with Dr. W. Linehan, C.M.G. Adviser on Constitutional Affairs, for the signatures of His Highness the Sultan of Johor, 1948

The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council held its first meeting in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Hall, Kuala Lumpur in 1948. It was opened by the British High Commissioner Sir Edward Gent. Attendees included the British Minister of State for Colonial Affairs, Lord Listowel. The membership of the Council was structured to include:

  • the British High Commissioner (as President);
  • 3 ex officio members (namely the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, and the Attorney General);
  • 11 "State and Settlement Members" (the President of the Council of State of each Malay state, and a member elected by each of the Settlement Councils)
  • 11 official members; and
  • 34 appointed "unofficial" members.

The unofficial members were required to be either Federation citizens or British subjects.

In 1948 the ethnic composition of the council was made up as follows:

  • 28 Malay representatives, including all the chief ministers,
  • 14 Chinese representatives,
  • 6 Indian representatives, and
  • 14 Europeans (the ex officio and official members).

Dato' Onn Jaafar stressed at the first meeting that the citizens of the Federation of Malaya did not want the interference of external powers in the affairs of the Federation; the Chinese representative Dr Ong Chong Keng asserted that the Chinese people would be loyal to the Federation of Malaya. At this first Council meeting, several minor committees were formed:

  • the Standing Committee on Finance;
  • the Election Committee; and
  • the Committee of Privileges.

The first session passed the Kuala Lumpur City Bill, the Transfer of Power Bill, and the Loan and Debt Bill.[14]

Registration of PKMM rejected

In 1950, the Federation of Malaya Government rejected the registration of the Malay Nationalist Party of Malaya (Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya, PKMM) as a legitimate political party. PKMM had two wings, namely Angkatan Pemuda Insaf and Angkatan Wanita Sedar. Initially, PKMM did not have communist leanings. After Mokhtaruddin Lasso was elected as the first PKMM president in October 1946, this party was influenced with communism. The Young Malays Union (Kesatuan Melayu Muda, KMM) merged with PKMM, and Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy became the second PKMM president. Dr Burhanuddin led PKMM toward the formation of Melayu Raya, a merger of Indonesia and Malaya. In December 1947, Ishak Haji Mohamed became the third PKMM president and PKMM switched from communism to nationalism. PKMM tended against United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and colonisation. PKKM established the Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (PUTERA), a conglomeration of radical Malay Political Parties and then merged with the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA) which thoroughly opposed the 1948 Federation Agreement for the foundation of the Federation of Malaya. PKMM accused officials selected in the Federation of Malaya of being "puppets" of the "Colonial Office". For PKMM, there was no basis in "preparing Malaya as a democratic government".[15]

Judiciary

The judicial system was a typical hierarchical structure consisting of lower courts, a High Court and a Court of Appeal. Successive Chief Justices were Sir Stafford Foster-Sutton (1952–1953) (afterwards Chief Justice of Nigeria, 1955), Sir Charles Mathew (1953–1956) and Sir James Beveridge Thomson (1957–1963).

Demographics

Federation of Malaya Population[16]
Ethnic Group 1948 1951
Malay 2,457,014 2457014
 
2,631,154 2631154
 
Chinese 1,928,965 1928965
 
2,243,971 2243971
 
Indian 536,646 536646
 
566,371 566371
 
Other 64,802 64802
 
75,726 75726
 

Evolution of Malaysia

 

See also

References

  1. ^ "Federation of Malaya is inaugurated - Singapore History". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b See: Cabinet Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 21 February 1956 Federation of Malaya Agreement
  3. ^ The UK Statute Law Database: Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 (c. 60)[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ (PDF). United Nations Treaty Collection. United Nations. July 1963. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  5. ^ Burgess, Michael; Pinder, John (2007). Multinational Federations. Routledge. ISBN 9781134120864. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  6. ^ a b . National Archives of Malaysia. 23 December 1946. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  7. ^ Hale, Christopher (2013). Massacre in Malaya: Exposing Britain's My Lai. History Press. ISBN 9780750951814. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  8. ^ "1957: Malaya celebrates independence". BBC News. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  9. ^ "United Nations Treaty No. 8029, Manila Accord between Philippines, Federation of Malaya and Indonesia (31 July 1963)" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Exchange of notes constituting an agreement relating to the implementation of the Manila Accord of 31 July 1963" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  11. ^ See: the Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 and the Proclamation of Singapore.
  12. ^ a b See: The UK Statute Law Database: Formation of the Malay States and of the Settlements of Penang and Malacca 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine into a new independent Federation of States under Federation of Malaya Constitution
  13. ^ . National Archives of Malaysia. 1 February 1948. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  14. ^ . National Archives of Malaysia. 24 February 1948. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  15. ^ Rejection of the registration of the Malay Nationalist Party of Malaya[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ Annual Report on the Federation of Malaya: 1951 in C.C. Chin and Karl Hack, Dialogues with Chin Peng pp. 380, 81.

External links

  • Colonial administration records (migrated archives): Malaya at The National Archives (Pg. 52)
  • The UK Statute Law Database: Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 (c. 60)[permanent dead link]
  • United Nations Treaty Collection:
  •   Media related to Federation of Malaya at Wikimedia Commons

federation, malaya, malay, persekutuan, tanah, melayu, jawi, ڤرسكوتوان, تانه, ملايو, federation, what, previously, been, british, malaya, comprising, eleven, states, nine, malay, states, british, straits, settlements, penang, malacca, that, existed, from, febr. The Federation of Malaya Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu Jawi ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states nine Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements Penang and Malacca 2 that existed from 1 February 1948 until 16 September 1963 The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957 3 and in 1963 Malaysia was formed when Malaya united with Singapore North Borneo and Sarawak 4 Federation of MalayaPersekutuan Tanah Melayu Malay ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو Jawi 1948 1963Top Flag 1948 1950 Bottom Flag 1950 1963 Coat of arms 1950 1963 Anthem God Save the King Queen 1948 1957 Negaraku 1957 1963 StatusBritish protectorate 1948 1957 Independent monarchy as member state of the Commonwealth of Nations 1957 1963 Capitaland largest cityKuala Lumpur3 8 N 101 41 E 3 133 N 101 683 E 3 133 101 683Common languagesMalay official EnglishGovernmentFederation as British protectorate 1948 1957 Federal parliamentary elective constitutional monarchy 1957 1963 Monarch 1948 1952George VI 1952 1957Elizabeth II 1957 1960Abdul Rahman 1960Hisamuddin 1960 1963PutraHigh Commissioner 1948Edward Gent 1948 1951Henry Gurney 1952 1954Gerald Templer 1954 1957Donald MacGillivrayHead of government 1955 1957 as chief minister 1957 1963 as prime minister Tunku Abdul RahmanLegislatureFederal Legislative Council 1948 1959 Parliament since 1959 Upper houseDewan Negara Senate since 1959 Lower houseDewan Rakyat House of Representatives since 1959 History Established1 February 1948 1 Independence31 August 1957 Malaysia Agreement16 September 1963CurrencyMalayan dollar 1948 1953 Malaya and British Borneo dollar 1953 1967 Preceded by Succeeded byMalayan UnionCrown Colony of MalaccaCrown Colony of Penang MalaysiaToday part ofMalaysia Contents 1 History 2 List of member states 3 System of government 3 1 Conditions of citizenship 3 2 Separation of powers of the federal and state governments 4 Federation of Malaya Legislative Council 5 Registration of PKMM rejected 5 1 Judiciary 6 Demographics 7 Evolution of Malaysia 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksHistory EditFrom 1946 to 1948 the eleven states formed a single British crown colony known as the Malayan Union 5 Due to opposition from Malay nationalists the Union was disbanded and replaced by the Federation of Malaya which restored the symbolic positions of the rulers of the Malay states Within the Federation while the Malay states were protectorates of the United Kingdom Penang and Malacca remained British colonial territories Like the Malayan Union before it the Federation did not include Singapore despite its traditional connections with Malaya The Federation of Malaya Agreement was formulated by the British Malay Pleno Conference between June and December 1946 At the end of the meeting the Pleno Conference produced a 100 page Blue Book 6 It was signed on 21 January 1948 at King House by the Malay rulers and by Sir Edward Gent as the representative of the British government 7 The Agreement superseded the Agreement creating the Malayan Union and prepared for the establishment of the Federation of Malaya on 1 February 1948 The position of the Malay rulers was also restored The Federation became independent from British colonial rule and became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on 31 August 1957 2 8 In 1963 the Federation was reconstituted as Malaysia when it federated with the British territories of Singapore Sarawak and North Borneo a claim to the latter territory was maintained by the Philippines 9 10 Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent republic on 9 August 1965 11 List of member states Edit Johor Kedah Kelantan Malacca First 1948 12 Malacca Under Merdeka Negeri Sembilan Pahang Penang First 12 Penang Under Merdeka Perak Perlis Selangor Terengganu First Terengganu SecondSystem of government EditThe government of the Federation of Malaya was headed by a British High Commissioner with executive powers assisted and advised by the Federation of Malaya Executive Council and the Federation of Malaya Legislative Council The Federation of Malaya Executive Council comprised 7 official and 7 unofficial members The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council comprised the High Commissioner as the Council President 14 official and 50 unofficial members representing the Straits Settlements business groups and all races Additionally 9 State Council Yang Di Pertua heads of state Chief Ministers and 2 representatives from the Straits Settlements became unofficial members The Malay Conference of Rulers would advise the High Commissioner on immigration issues The British Resident was replaced with a Chief Minister in each state of the federation Conditions of citizenship Edit The conditions of citizenship of the Federation of Malaya were further tightened using law enforcement and naturalisation by application Under the laws the following were automatically granted citizenship Citizens of the Sultan of any state British subjects born in Penang or Malacca who have lived continuously for 15 years in the federation British subjects born in the federation whose fathers were born or lived continuously for 15 years in the federation Anyone born in the federation conversant in the Malay language and following Malay traditions in his or her daily life Anyone born in the federation whose parents were born and lived continuously for 15 years in the federationVia naturalisation by application one could achieve citizenship given these criteria Born and lived for at least 8 of 12 years in the Federation of Malaya before the application was made Lived in the Federation of Malaya for at least 15 of 20 years before the application was madeIn both cases via naturalisation applications must be well behaved swear allegiance and clarify their reasons for living in the federation and are fluent in either the Malay or the English language The Federation of Malaya through its constitution guarantees the rights and special position of the Malay people as well as rights powers and sovereignty of the Malay rulers in their respective states 13 Separation of powers of the federal and state governments Edit The federation agreement Perjanjian Persekutuan set the powers of the federal and state governments Financial matters must be handled by the respective states The Sultan was given full power on religious issues and Malay customs Foreign policy and defence continued to be administered by the British government The federation agreement was made the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya and officially declared on 1 February 1948 6 Federation of Malaya Legislative Council Edit Dato Onn bin Jaafar Mentri Besar of Johor and President of the United Malays National Organisation unpacking the State and Federation of Malaya Agreements with Dr W Linehan C M G Adviser on Constitutional Affairs for the signatures of His Highness the Sultan of Johor 1948 The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council held its first meeting in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Hall Kuala Lumpur in 1948 It was opened by the British High Commissioner Sir Edward Gent Attendees included the British Minister of State for Colonial Affairs Lord Listowel The membership of the Council was structured to include the British High Commissioner as President 3 ex officio members namely the Chief Secretary the Financial Secretary and the Attorney General 11 State and Settlement Members the President of the Council of State of each Malay state and a member elected by each of the Settlement Councils 11 official members and 34 appointed unofficial members The unofficial members were required to be either Federation citizens or British subjects In 1948 the ethnic composition of the council was made up as follows 28 Malay representatives including all the chief ministers 14 Chinese representatives 6 Indian representatives and 14 Europeans the ex officio and official members Dato Onn Jaafar stressed at the first meeting that the citizens of the Federation of Malaya did not want the interference of external powers in the affairs of the Federation the Chinese representative Dr Ong Chong Keng asserted that the Chinese people would be loyal to the Federation of Malaya At this first Council meeting several minor committees were formed the Standing Committee on Finance the Election Committee and the Committee of Privileges The first session passed the Kuala Lumpur City Bill the Transfer of Power Bill and the Loan and Debt Bill 14 Registration of PKMM rejected EditIn 1950 the Federation of Malaya Government rejected the registration of the Malay Nationalist Party of Malaya Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya PKMM as a legitimate political party PKMM had two wings namely Angkatan Pemuda Insaf and Angkatan Wanita Sedar Initially PKMM did not have communist leanings After Mokhtaruddin Lasso was elected as the first PKMM president in October 1946 this party was influenced with communism The Young Malays Union Kesatuan Melayu Muda KMM merged with PKMM and Dr Burhanuddin al Helmy became the second PKMM president Dr Burhanuddin led PKMM toward the formation of Melayu Raya a merger of Indonesia and Malaya In December 1947 Ishak Haji Mohamed became the third PKMM president and PKMM switched from communism to nationalism PKMM tended against United Malays National Organisation UMNO and colonisation PKKM established the Pusat Tenaga Rakyat PUTERA a conglomeration of radical Malay Political Parties and then merged with the All Malaya Council of Joint Action AMCJA which thoroughly opposed the 1948 Federation Agreement for the foundation of the Federation of Malaya PKMM accused officials selected in the Federation of Malaya of being puppets of the Colonial Office For PKMM there was no basis in preparing Malaya as a democratic government 15 Judiciary Edit The judicial system was a typical hierarchical structure consisting of lower courts a High Court and a Court of Appeal Successive Chief Justices were Sir Stafford Foster Sutton 1952 1953 afterwards Chief Justice of Nigeria 1955 Sir Charles Mathew 1953 1956 and Sir James Beveridge Thomson 1957 1963 Demographics EditFederation of Malaya Population 16 Ethnic Group 1948 1951Malay 2 457 014 2457014 2 631 154 2631154 Chinese 1 928 965 1928965 2 243 971 2243971 Indian 536 646 536646 566 371 566371 Other 64 802 64802 75 726 75726 Evolution of Malaysia Edit See also EditFederation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 Federal Legislative Council Peninsular Malaysia Malayan Emergency Reid CommissionReferences Edit Federation of Malaya is inaugurated Singapore History eresources nlb gov sg Archived from the original on 8 October 2015 Retrieved 21 August 2015 a b See Cabinet Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies 21 February 1956 Federation of Malaya Agreement The UK Statute Law Database Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 c 60 permanent dead link No 10760 Agreement relating to Malaysia PDF United Nations Treaty Collection United Nations July 1963 Archived from the original PDF on 14 May 2011 Retrieved 29 July 2010 Burgess Michael Pinder John 2007 Multinational Federations Routledge ISBN 9781134120864 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 21 August 2015 a b Constitution Of The Federation Of Malaya Announced National Archives of Malaysia 23 December 1946 Archived from the original on 13 September 2019 Retrieved 13 September 2019 Hale Christopher 2013 Massacre in Malaya Exposing Britain s My Lai History Press ISBN 9780750951814 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 21 August 2015 1957 Malaya celebrates independence BBC News Retrieved 9 August 2016 United Nations Treaty No 8029 Manila Accord between Philippines Federation of Malaya and Indonesia 31 July 1963 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 23 July 2013 Exchange of notes constituting an agreement relating to the implementation of the Manila Accord of 31 July 1963 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 23 July 2013 See the Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 and the Proclamation of Singapore a b See The UK Statute Law Database Formation of the Malay States and of the Settlements of Penang and Malacca Archived 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine into a new independent Federation of States under Federation of Malaya Constitution Formation of The Federation of Malaya National Archives of Malaysia 1 February 1948 Archived from the original on 13 September 2019 Retrieved 13 September 2019 Inaugural Conference of The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council National Archives of Malaysia 24 February 1948 Archived from the original on 13 September 2019 Retrieved 13 September 2019 Rejection of the registration of the Malay Nationalist Party of Malaya permanent dead link Annual Report on the Federation of Malaya 1951 in C C Chin and Karl Hack Dialogues with Chin Peng pp 380 81 External links EditFederation of Malaya at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Wikisource has original text related to this article Federation of Malaya Agreement Wikisource has original text related to this article Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 Colonial administration records migrated archives Malaya at The National Archives Pg 52 The UK Statute Law Database Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 c 60 permanent dead link United Nations Treaty Collection No 10760 Agreement relating to Malaysia Media related to Federation of Malaya at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Federation of Malaya amp oldid 1143060508, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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