- This article is not to be confused with the Unfederated Malay States
The term Unfederated Malay States was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu...
.
The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a
federationA federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
of four protected states in the
Malay PeninsulaThe Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
—
SelangorSelangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
,
PerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
,
Negeri SembilanNegeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
and
PahangPahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
—established by the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the
Straits SettlementsThe Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
and the
Unfederated Malay StatesThe term Unfederated Malay States was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu...
, formed the
Malayan UnionThe Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
. Two years later, the Union became the
Federation of MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
and finally
Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of
SabahSabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
(then
North BorneoNorth Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
),
SarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was responsible for foreign affairs and defence of the federation, whilst the states continued to be responsible for their domestic policies. Even so, the British
ResidentA Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
General would give advice on domestic issues, and the states were bound by treaty to follow that advice. The federation had
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, which was then part of Selangor, as its capital. The first FMS Resident General was Sir
Frank SwettenhamSir Frank Athelstane Swettenham GCMG CH was the first Resident General of the Federated Malay States which was formed by combining a number of sultanates. He served from 1 July 1896 to 1901. He was also an amateur photographer...
.
The federation along with the other
Malay statesThe term Unfederated Malay States was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu...
of the peninsular and British possessions was overrun and occupied by the Japanese. After the liberation of Malaya due to the Japanese surrender, the federation was not restored. However, the federal form of government was retained as the principal model for consolidating the separate States as an independent
Federation of MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
and the Federation's later evolution into
Malaysia.
Constituent States and First Durbar
Although the Resident General was the real administrator of the federation, each of the four constituent states of the federation retained their respective hereditary rulers (sultans). At the formation of the Federated Malay States, the reigning sultans were:
- Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah
Almarhum Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Muda Musa GCMG, KCVO, was the fifth Sultan of Selangor from 1898 until 1938...
of SelangorSelangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
- Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I
Idris Shah I of Perak was the 19th Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Perak. He succeeded his father-in-law, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah, in 1887 and ruled to his death on 14 January 1916....
of PerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
- Yamtuan Tuanku Muhammad Shah of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
- Sultan Ahmad Mu’adzam Shah of Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
In 1897 the first Durbar was convened in the royal town of
Kuala KangsarKuala Kangsar is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia, located at the downstream of Kangsar River, where it flows into the Perak River. It is the main town in the administrative district of Kuala Kangsar.-History:...
, Perak as the platform for discussions for the four Rulers. This formed the basis for the
Conference of RulersThe Conference of Rulers in Malaysia is a council comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, and the governors or Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the other four states...
that was created later on under Article 38 of the
Malaysian ConstitutionThe Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957, is the supreme law of Malaysia. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation...
on August 27, 1957.
Flag
The Federated Malay States had a flag of its own until its dissolution in 1946. The flag consisted of four different-colored stripes, namely, from top to bottom, white, red, yellow and black. Combination of any color represents the four states that formed the FMS - red, black and yellow are for Negeri Sembilan; black and white for Pahang; black, white and yellow for Perak; and red and yellow for Selangor. The same design concept is used in
Malaysian national emblemThe Coat of Arms of Malaysia is a coat of arms comprising a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen point star for a crest and a motto)...
. In the middle is an oblong circle with a
Malayan tigerThe Malayan tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified as endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population was estimated at 493 to 1,480 adult individuals in 2003; none of the three subpopulations likely harbors more than 250...
in it.
The National History Museum located near the
Dataran MerdekaMerdeka Square is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was here the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on August 31, 1957...
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has a replica of the federation's flag.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of the Federated Malay States featured a shield guarded by two tigers. On the top of the shield is the crown (known as Eastern Crown in English heraldry), as symbol of the federation of monarchies under the protection of the United Kingdom. A banner with the phrase "Dipelihara Allah" (Under God's (Allah) Protection) written in Jawi is located underneath the shield.
The combinations of the four colors of the shield represents the colors of the flag of the states of the FMS (in the same way the flag of the FMS represents the states)
- Red and yellow for Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
- Black, white and yellow for Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
- Red, black and yellow for Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
- Black and white for Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
This design forms the basis of the
Federation of Malaya'sThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
(later Malaysia)
national emblemThe Coat of Arms of Malaysia is a coat of arms comprising a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen point star for a crest and a motto)...
with the guardian
tigersThe Malayan tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified as endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population was estimated at 493 to 1,480 adult individuals in 2003; none of the three subpopulations likely harbors more than 250...
element and a quartered shield of four colours (white, red, yellow and black) in the central part of the shield representing the Federated Malay States.
The phrase "Dipelihara Allah" was also adopted as the current state motto for the state of Selangor.
Naval Ensign
In addition to a state flag, the Federated Malay States also had a naval jack or
ensignAn ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
for use on government ships. The ensign, with the four colors of the FMS, was flown by HMS Malaya (commanded by Captain Boyle under the
5th Battle SquadronThe British 5th Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of battleships. The 5th Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the First World War, the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet.-August 1914:...
of the
British Grand FleetThe Grand Fleet was the main fleet of the British Royal Navy during the First World War.-History:It was formed in 1914 by the British Atlantic Fleet combined with the Home Fleet and it included 35-40 state-of-the-art capital ships. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe...
) during the
Battle of JutlandThe Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in the North Sea, which was the largest and the only full scale clash of battleships during World War One.
The Treaty of Federation and Administration
British Protectorate
The protectorate of the Federated Malay States was established after the four Rulers of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang agreed to a federation and centralized administration in 1895 and in which the Treaty of Federation was drawn up and signed on the 1st of July 1896. By this treaty and the previous acceptance of the British Residents System in Selangor (1875), Perak (1874), Negeri Sembilan (1873) and Pahang (1888); the FMS were officially turned into a nominally independent protectorate of Great Britain (not to be confused with the British possessions like the
territories of the Straits SettlementsThe Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
With the Treaty of Federation the Malay Rulers effectively gave up their political power in their states, having to act after consulting and only with the due consent of their respective Residents. However, the United Kingdom pledged not to interfere in matters relating to native Malay traditions and Islamic affair.
Structure of the Federated Malay States
A well-ordered system of public administration was established, public services were extended, and large-scale rubber and tin production was developed. This control was interrupted by the Japanese invasion and occupation from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.
Federal Council
The British established the Federal Council in 1889 to administer the FMS. It was headed by the High Commissioner (The Governor of the Straits Settlement), assisted by the Resident-General, the Sultans, the four state Residents and four nominated unofficial members. This structure remained until the Japanese invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941.
Resident-General
From 1896 to 1936, real power lay in the hands of the Resident-General, later known as Chief Secretary of the Federation.
Residents-General of the FMS (1896–1911)
| Residents-General |
From |
Until |
Sir Frank Athelstane SwettenhamSir Frank Athelstane Swettenham GCMG CH was the first Resident General of the Federated Malay States which was formed by combining a number of sultanates. He served from 1 July 1896 to 1901. He was also an amateur photographer...
|
1896 |
1901 |
Sir William Hood TreacherSir William Hood Treacher, K.C.M.G. was born on 1 December 1849 and died on 3 May 1919. Sir William was the fourth son of Rev. Joseph Skipper Treacher, MA, Vicar of Sandford-on-Thames, by his 1st wife Pauline Louise Pierret. He was the sixth British Resident of Perak and the first Governor of...
|
1901 |
1904 |
| Sir William Thomas Taylor |
1904 |
1910 |
| Sir Arthur Henderson Young |
1910 |
1911 |
Chief Secretary to the Government
Chief Secretaries to the Government of the FMS (1911–1936)
| Chief Secretaries |
From |
Until |
| Edward Lewis Brockman |
1911 |
1920 |
Sir William George MaxwellSir William George Maxwell KBE, CMG was born in 1871 in Singapore and died in 1959. He was the eldest son of William Edward Maxwell and Lilias Grant Mackay. Sir George was a British naturalist and colonial administrator in British Malaya and Straits Settlements. His father W.E...
|
1920 |
1926 |
| Sir William Peel |
1926 |
1930 |
| Charles Walter Hamilton Cochrane Charles Walter Hamilton Cochrane, MCS, CMG was the 17th British Resident of Perak and Chief Secretary to Government of Malaya from 1929 to 1930....
|
1930 |
1932 |
Andrew CaldecottSir Andrew Caldecott, GCMG, KBE was a British colonial administrator.-Early Life, Education:Sir Andrew Caldecott was born on 26 October 1884 in Kent, England. His father was a cleric...
|
1932 |
1934 |
| Malcolm Bond Shelley |
1934 |
1935 |
| Marcus Rex Marcus Rex, CMG was born in 1886 and died in 1971. He was the last British Resident of Perak during the World War II waged in British Malaya.-Education and career:...
|
1935 |
1936 |
Federal Secretaries
After 1936 the Federal Secretaries were no more than coordinating officers,
under the authority of the High Commissioners, which are always the Governors of the Straits Settlements
Federal Secretaries of the FMS (1936–1942)
| Residents-General |
From |
Until |
| Christopher Dominic Ahearne |
1936 |
1939 |
| Hugh Fraser |
1939 |
1942 |
State Council
In the Federated Malay States, the individual State were still ruled by the Sultan but was now advised by the State Council for the purpose of administrating the State. The State Council was made up of the Resident (or in certain cases by the Secretary to the Resident), native chiefs, and representative(s) of the Chinese community nominated by the Sultan. The council discussed matters of interest for each respective state such as legislative and administrative issues as well as revision of all sentence of capital punishment. The Resident and his staff (mostly consist of European and Malay) carried on with the administrative work.
Selangor
- 1875 - 1876 James Guthrie Davidson
- 1876 - 1882 Bloomfield Douglas (b. 1822 - d. 1906)
- 1882 - 1884 Frank Athelstane Swettenham (b. 1850 - d. 1946)
- 1884 - 1888 John Pickersgill Rodger (1st time) (acting) (b. 1851 - d. 1910)
- 1889 - 1892 William Edward Maxwell (b. 1846 - d. 1897)
- 1892 - 1896 William Hood Treacher (b. 1849 - d. 1919)
- 1896 - 1902 John Pickersgill Rodger (2nd time) (s.a.)
- 1902 - 1910 Henry Conway Belfield (b. 1855 - d. 1923)
- 1910 - 1913 Reginald George Watson (b. 1862 - d. 1926)
- 1913 - 1919 Edward George Broadrick (b. 1864 - d. 1929)
- 1919 - 1921 Arthur Henry Lemon (b. 1864 - d. 1933)
- 1921 - 1926 Oswald Francis Gerard Stonor (b. 1872 - d. 1940)
- 1926 - 1927 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson (b. 1874 - d. 1941)
- 1927 - 1931 James Lornie (b. 1876 - d. 1959)
- 1932 - 1933 G.E. Cater
- 1933 - 1935 George Ernest London (b. 1889 - d. 1957)
- 1935 - 1937 Theodore Samuel Adams (b. 1885 - d. 1961)
- 1937 - 1939 Stanley Wilson Jones (b. 1888 - d. 1962)
- 1939 - 1941 G.M. Kidd
- 1941 Norman Rowlstone Jarrett (acting) (b. 1889 - d. 1982)
Perak
- 1874 - 1875 James Wheeler Woodford Birch (b. 1826 - d. 1875)
- 1876 - 1877 James Guthrie Davidson
- 1877 - 1889 Hugh Low (from 1883, Sir Hugh Low) (b. 1824 - d. 1905)
- 1889 - 1896 Frank Athelstane Swettenham (b. 1850 - d. 1946)
- 1896 - 1902 William Hood Treacher (b. 1849 - d. 1919)
- 1902 - 1903 John Pickersgill Rodger (b. 1851 - d. 1910)
- 1905 - 1910 Ernest Woodford Birch (b. 1857 - d. 1929)
- 1910 - 1912 Henry Conway Belfield (b. 1855 - d. 1923)
- 1912 - 1913 William James Parke Hume (1st time) (acting) (b. 1866 - d. 1952)
- 1913 - 1919 Reginald George Watson (b. 1862 - d. 1926)
- 1919 - 1920 George Maxwell (b. 1871 - d. 1959)
- 1920 - 1921 William James Parke Hume (2nd time) (s.a.)
- 1921 - 1926 Cecil William Chase Parr (b. 1871 - d. 1943)
- 1926 - 1927 Oswald Francis Gerard Stonor (b. 1872 - d. 1940)
- 1927 - 1929 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson (b. 1874 - d. 1941)
- 1929 - 1930 Charles Walter Hamilton Cochrane (b. 1876 - d. 1932)
- 1931 - 1932 Bertram Walter Elles (b. 1877 - d. 19...)
- 1932 - 1939 G.E. Cater
- 1939 - 1941 Marcus Rex (b. 1886 - d. 1971)
Negeri Sembilan
- 1888 - 1891 Martin Lister (1st time) (b. 1857 - d. 1897)
- 1891 - 1894 W.F.B. Paul
- 1894 - 1895 Robert Norman Bland (b. 1859 - d. 1948)
- 1895 - 1897 Martin Lister (2nd time) (s.a.)
- 1898 - 1901 Ernest Woodford Birch
Sir Ernest Woodford Birch, ICS, KCMG was the eighth British resident of Perak. Sir Ernest was the eldest son of James Wheeler Woodford Birch.-Family:...
(b. 1857 - d. 1929)
- 1901 - 1902 Henry Conway Belfield (b. 1855 - d. 1923)
- 1902 - 1903 Walter Egerton
Walter Egerton had a long career in the administration of the British Empire, holding a number of senior positions including the Governorships of Lagos Colony Southern Nigeria and British Guiana .-Early career:...
(b. 1858 - d. 1947)
- 1904 - 1910 Douglas Graham Campbell (b. 1867 - d. 1918)
- 1910 - 1911 Richard James Wilkinson (b. 1867 - d. 1941)
- 1912 - 1919 Arthur Henry Lemon (b. 1864 - d. 1933)
- 1919 - 1921 J.R.O. Aldworth (acting)
- 1921 - 1925 Edward Shaw Hose (b. 1871 - d. 1946)
- 1925 - 1928 Ernest Charteris Holford Wolff (b. 1875 - d. 1946)
- 1928 - 1932 James William Simmons (b. 1877 - d. 19...)
- 1932 - 1937 John Whitehouse Ward Hughes (b. 1883 - d. 19...)
- 1937 - 1939 Gordon Lupton Ham (b. 1885 - d. 1965)
- 1939 - 1941 John Vincent Cowgill (b. 1888 - d. 1959)
Pahang
- 1888 - 1896 John Pickersgill Rodger (b. 1851 - d. 1910)
- 1896 - 1900 Hugh Clifford (1st time) (b. 1866 - d. 1941)
- 1900 - 1901 Arthur Butler (b. 18... - d. 1901)
- 1901 D.H. Wise (acting)
- 1901 - 1903 Hugh Clifford (2nd time) (s.a.)
- 1905 - 1908 Cecil Wray
- 1908 - 1909 Harvey Chevallier (acting)
- 1909 - 1910 Edward Lewis Brockman (b. 1865 - d. 1943)
- 1910 - 1911 Warren Delabere Barnes (b. 1865 - d. 19...)
- 1911 - 1917 Edward John Brewster (b. 1861 - d. 1931)
- 1917 - 1921 Cecil William Chase Parr (b. 1871 - d. 1943)
- 1921 - 1922 F.A.S. McClelland (acting) (b. 1873 - d. 1947)
- 1922 - 1926 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson (b. 1874 - d. 1941)
- 1926 - 1929 Arthur Furley Worthington (b. 1874 - d. 1964)
- 1929 - 1930 C.F.J. Green
- 1931 - 1935 Hugh Goodwin Russell Leonard (b. 1880 - d. 19...)
- 1935 - 1941 C.C. Brown
Administrative subdivisions
For the purpose of efficient administration, all the states of the federation were further divided into districts (Malay: Daerah). Each district was administered by a District Office (Malay: Pejabat Daerah) headed by a District Officer (Malay: Pegawai Daerah).
Perak
State capital :
TaipingTaiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
Districts:
- 1. Ulu Perak (Upper Perak)
- 2. Larut and Krian
- 3. Kuala Kangsar
- 4. Kinta
- 5. Hilir Perak (Lower Perak)
- 6. Batang Padang
- Notes:
- The territories of Dinding and Pangkor Island
Pulau Pangkor is an island off the coast of Perak in north-west peninsular Malaysia, reached by ferry from Lumut . It has a land area of only 8 square kilometers, and a population of approximately 25,000 islanders...
was cededThe Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between the British and the Sultan of Perak. Signed on January 20, 1874, on the island of Pangkor off Perak, the treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimized British control of the Malay rulers and paved the way for...
to the British, administered as part of the Straits Settlement. Returned to the government of Perak in 1935.
Selangor
State capital :
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
(also as the Federal capital)
Districts:
- 7. Kuala Selangor
- 8. Ulu Selangor
- 9. Kuala Lumpur
- 10. Klang
- 11. Ulu Langat
- 12. Kuala Langat
Negeri Sembilan
State capital :
SerembanSeremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
Districts:
- 13. Coast District
- 14. Seremban District
- 15. Jelebu
- 16. Kuala Pilah
- 17. Tampin
- Notes:
- Tanjung Tuan
Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachado is an exclave of the state of Malacca, Malaysia. It is a cape with a lighthouse facing the Strait of Malacca...
(also known as Cape Rachado) was a Dutch possession (originally Portuguese before 1641), passed to the British in 1824. Administered as an exclave of MalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
until today.
Pahang
State capital :
Kuala LipisKuala Lipis is a big town in Pahang, Malaysia with a population of 200,000. It is located in the district of Lipis.-History:Kuala Lipis was a gold-mining center before the British arrived in 1887. In 1898 it became the capital of Pahang until 1953....
Districts:
- 18. Ulu Pahang
- 19. Temerloh
- 20. Kuantan
- 21. Pekan
The Federated Malay States as a forerunner to Malaysia
Economy
From the earlier period of the federation the currency in used was the Straits dollar issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency. As the currency depreciated over time, it was pegged at two shillings four sterling pence in 1906. In 1939, the British government introduced a new currency, Malayan dollar (ringgit in Malay) for used in Malaya and Brunei replacing the Straits dollar at par value. It had the smallest denominations of 1 cent to a highest of 1000 Malayan dollar and retained the exchange rate as was from the Straits dollar.
The Federated Malay States main economic activity was mostly focused on agriculture and mining with emphasis on
rubberNatural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
and
tinTin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
. FMS and Malaya as a whole was the main supplier of these two commodities for the British industrial need. Rubber estates or plantations were established in all four states and tin was mined primarily in the Klang valley in Selangor and the Kinta valley in Perak. This labor intensive economic activities prompted the British to bring in immigrant workers from Southern India to work at the plantations and workers from Southern China to mine the tin.
The economic condition in the period can be viewed as self-sustainable, as the income of the federation was more than what was expended in terms of maintaining the administration and economic activities. In the later period, a lot of resources was poured into the development of the city of
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, as the capital of the federation. This period also saw rapid growth in terms of communications infrastructure such as interstate roads, a narrow gauge railway line from Penang to Singapore, and the Port Swettenham (present day
Port KlangPort Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area...
). Public schools and academic institutions were also opened along with an improvement in public health. An area in the city was also gazetted as a settlement for the Malay called Kampung Baru. Public buildings were also constructed such as the
Kuala Lumpur railway stationKuala Lumpur Railway Station is a train station located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Completed in 1910 to replace an older station on the same site, the station was Kuala Lumpur's railway hub in the city for the Federated Malay States Railways and Malayan Railway , before Kuala Lumpur Sentral...
, the
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad complexThe Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located in front of the Dataran Merdeka and the Royal Selangor Club, by Jalan Raja in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
and
Masjid JamekJamek Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback.-History:...
.
The table and section below illustrated the economic growth of the federation and its member states.
Growth of trade and government revenue and expenditure (1875–1922)
| Year |
Revenue |
Expenditure |
Import |
Export |
| 1875 |
$409,394 |
$436,872 |
$831,375 |
$739,972 |
| 1880 |
$881,910 |
$794,944 |
$2,231,048 |
$1,906,952 |
| 1885 |
$2,208,709 |
$2,261,954 |
$8,667,425 |
$9,961,786 |
| 1890 |
$4,840,065 |
$5,237,275 |
$15,443,809 |
$17,602,093 |
| 1895 |
$8,481,007 |
$7,582,553 |
$22,653,271 |
$31,622,805 |
| 1900 |
$15,609,807 |
$12,728,930 |
$38,402,581 |
$60,361,045 |
| 1905 |
$23,964,593 |
$20,750,395 |
$50,575,455 |
$80,057,654 |
| 1910 |
$26,553,018 |
$23,598,610 |
$53,255,151 |
$102,851,990 |
| 1915 |
$40,774,984 |
$42,838,631 |
$61,343,935 |
$162,429,254 |
| 1920 |
$72,277,146 |
$100,433,471 |
$175,916,712 |
$289,112,016 |
| 1921 |
$54,449,568 |
$114,386,546 |
$102,914,877 |
$134,955,549 |
| 1922 |
$52,494,110 |
$49,811,007 |
$78,822,349 |
$140,429,775 |
Note: All values are in Straits Dollar (One dollar fixed at two shillings and four pence sterling). Data for Pahang included only from 1890 onwards
Ref: Harrison, Cuthbert Woodville. An Illustrated Guide to the Federated Malay States. 1923
Selangor
The revenue of Selangor in 1875 amounted to only $115,656; in 1905 it had increased to $8,857,793. Of this latter sum $3,195,318 was derived from duty on tin exported, $1,972,628 from finance, federal receipts, and $340,360 from land revenue. The trade balance was chiefly derived from the revenue farms, which included the right to collect import duty on opium and spirits. The expenditure for 1905 amounted to $7,186,146, of which sum $3,717,238 was on account of federal charges and $1,850,711 for public works. The value of the imports in 1905 was $24,643,619 and that of the exports was $26,683,316, making a total of $51,326,935 equivalent to £5,988,000. Tin is the principal export. The amount exported in 1905 was 17,254 tons. The total area of alienated mining land at the end of 1905 amounted to 65573 acres (265 km²).
Perak
The revenue of Perak in 1874 amounted to $226,333. That for 1905 amounted to $12,242,897. Of this latter sum $4,876,400 was derived from duty on exported tin, $2,489,300 from railway receipts, $505,300 from land revenue and $142,800 from postal and telegraphic revenue. The remainder is mainly derived from the revenue farms, which are leased for a short term of years, conveying to the lessee the right to collect import duties upon opium, wine and spirits, to keep pawnbroking shops, and to keep public licensed gambling-houses for the use of non-Malay only. The expenditure for 1905 amounted to $10,141,980. Of this sum $4,236,000 was expended upon railway upkeep and construction and $2,176,100 upon public works. The value of the imports into Perak during 1905 was over $20,000,000, and that of the exports exceeded $40,000,000, making a total of over $60,000,000, equivalent to about seven million sterling. The output of tin from Perak ranged between 18,960 tons, valued at $23,099,506 in 1899, and 26,600 tons, valued at $35,500,000, in 1905. The fluctuating character of the output was due to the uncertainty of the labour supply. The mining population was recruited exclusively from the districts of southern China, and during certain years an increased demand for labourers in China itself, in French Indo-China, in the Dutch colonies, and in South Africa temporarily and adversely affected immigration to the Straits of Malacca. The output had, moreover, been affected from time to time by the price of tin, which was $32.20 per pikul in 1896, rose to $42.96 in 1898, to $74.15 in 1900, and averaged $80.60 in 1905. Exclusive of tin, the principal exports were $108,000 worth of Para rubber, $181,000 of copra, $54,000 of hides, $48,000 of patchouli, and considerable quantities of timber, rattans and other jungle produce.
Negeri Sembilan
The revenue of the Negri Sembilan amounted to only $223,435 in 1888. In 1898 it had increased to $701,334, in 1900 to $1,251,366, and in 1905 to $2,335,534. The revenue for 1905 was derived mainly as follows: - customs $1,268,602, land revenue $145,475, land sales $21,407, while the revenue farms contributed $584,459. The expenditure in 1905 amounted to $2,214,093, of which $1,125,355 was expended upon public works. The trade returns for 1905, which are not, however, complete, showed an aggregate value of about $13,000,000. The value of the tin exported during 1905 exceeded $6,900,000, and the value of the agricultural produce, of which gambier represented $211,000 and damar $80,000, amounted to $407,990.
Pahang
The revenue of Pahang in 1899 amounted to only $62,077; in 1900 to $419,150. In 1905 it was $528,368. The expenditure in 1905 amounted to $1,208,176. Of this sum $736,886 was expended on public works. Pahang is still a source of expense to the federation, its progress having been retarded by the disturbances which lasted from December 1891 until 1895, with short intervals of peace, but the revenue was steadily increasing, and the ultimate financial success of the state is considered to be secure. Pahang owed something over $3,966,500 to Selangor and $1,175,000 to Perak, which had financed it for some years out of surplus revenue. The value of the imports in 1905 was $1,344,346, that of the exports was $3,838,928, thus making a total trade value of $5,183,274. The most valuable export is tin, the value of which in 1905 amounted to $2,820,745. The value of the gutta exported exceeded $140,000, that of dried and salted fish amounted to nearly $70,000, and that of timber to $325,000.
WWI and the FMS
With the threat of Germany, the British Navy was in a drive for expansion. As a contribution, the Government and people of the Federated Malay States; agreed to finance the commissioning of
HMS MalayaHMS Malaya was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship of the British Royal Navy, built by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company at High Walker and launched in March 1915...
in a motion proposed in the Federal Council by His late Highness the Sultan of Perak in 1913, supported by His late Highness the Sultan of Selangor. The
battleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
which cost $25,000,000 (approximately £2,945,709) was one of five of the "
Queen Elizabeth"' ClassThe Queen Elizabeth-class battleships were a class of five super-dreadnoughts of the Royal Navy. The lead ship was named after Elizabeth I of England...
, displacing 31,000 tons, mounting fifteen-inch (381 mm) guns and capable of 25 knots (49 km/h). The most modern ships of their day, they formed the 5th Battle Squadron and fought as such at
JutlandThe Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in 1916. HMS Malaya was also refurbished and was in service throughout World War Two.
WWII - Japanese invasion and dissolution
After the
JapaneseThe Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
landed in Malaya on 8 December 1941, the Japanese forces began their invasion of the
Malay PeninsulaThe Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
.
IpohIpoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, the state capital of Perak, fell on 26 December 1941.
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, the capital of the Federated Malay States and the State of Selangor, was captured on 11 January 1942.
SerembanSeremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
, the state capital of Negeri Sembilan, was captured two days later.
KuantanKuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, the capital of the eastern component state of Pahang, fell earlier on 15 December 1941.
All of
MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
including
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
remained under
Japanese occupationThroughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation.The Japanese Empire commenced the Pacific War with the invasion of Kota Bahru in Kelantan on 8 December 1941 at 00:25, about 90 minutes before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at 07:48 on 7...
until the
surrender of the Japanese home islandsDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
.
After the war the federation was dissolved formally on 1 April 1946, and was incorporated into the
Malayan UnionThe Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
thereafter. It will be preceded by the
Federation of MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1948 and gain
independenceHari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
in 1957.
Postage stamps
While the four states issued their own
postage stampA postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s as before, there were additional issues for the Federated States as a whole.
Notable event
The Federated Malay States was also within the flight path of American aviator,
Amelia EarhartAmelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
, on her Thailand - Singapore leg during her final and fatal attempt to cross the globe in 1937. Permission to enter the FMS airspace with provision to land in
Taiping AirportTaiping Airport is an airport in Taiping, Malaysia. It is located at Jalan Muzaffar Shah formerly Creagh Road, Assam Kumbang and also called as Tekah Airport. The airport was built in early 1929, this wooden structure aerodrome was the first airfield in the state of Perak and also in Peninsular...
was given on 7 June 1937.
See also
- Unfederated Malay States
The term Unfederated Malay States was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu...
- Malay states
- The Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
- HMS Malaya (1915)
HMS Malaya was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship of the British Royal Navy, built by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company at High Walker and launched in March 1915...
- Pangkor Treaty of 1874
The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between the British and the Sultan of Perak. Signed on January 20, 1874, on the island of Pangkor off Perak, the treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimized British control of the Malay rulers and paved the way for...
- Federated Malay States Appeals Order in Council, 1912