Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with two of the former Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States, formed the Malayan Union. Two years later, the Union became the Federation of Malaya, which achieved independence in 1957, and finally Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.
Real power in the FMS and its constituent states rested with the four local British Residents and the Resident-General, the discretionary powers of the local sultans being essentially reduced to matters "touching Malay Religion and Customs".
The federation, along with the other Malay states and British possessions of the peninsula, was overrun and occupied by the Japanese during World War II. After the liberation of Malaya following the Japanese surrender, the federation was not restored, but the federal form of government was retained as the principal model for consolidating the separate States as an independent Federation of Malaya and the Federation's later evolution into Malaysia.
Formation and power structure
On 20 January 1874, Sir Andrew Clarke, governor of the Straits Settlements, concluded with the Sultan of Perak the treaty of Pangkor whereby the Sultan agreed to "receive and provide a suitable residence for a British Officer to be called Resident, who shall be accredited to his court, and whose advice must be asked and acted upon on all questions other than those touching Malay Religion and Customs". The residency system was extended the same year to the states of Selangor and Negri Sembilan, and in 1888 to Pahang.To promote greater administrative efficiency, these four states were brought together in 1895-1896 to form the Federated Malay States. This structure was highly centralized, real power resting in the hands of the agents of the British Government, at first called the Resident-General, and later the Chief Secretary.
The British established the Federal Council in 1898 to administer the Federation. It was headed by the High Commissioner, 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.
The sultans 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. At the formation of the Federated Malay States, the reigning sultans were:- Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor
- Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I of Perak
- Yamtuan Tuanku Muhammad Shah of Negeri Sembilan
- Sultan Ahmad Mu’adzam Shah of Pahang
Flag and emblem of the Federation
Flag
The Federated Malay States had a flag of its own until its dissolution in 1946. The flag consisted of four different-coloured stripes, from top to bottom: white, red, yellow and black. Different combinations of these colours represent 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 emblem. In the middle is an oblong circle with a Malayan tiger in it.The National History Museum located near the Dataran Merdeka 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, symbolising the federation of monarchies under the protection of the United Kingdom. A banner with the phrase "Dipelihara Allah" written in Jawi is located underneath the shield.The combinations of the four colours of the shield represents the colours of the flags of the states of the FMS in the same way the stripes of the FMS flag do.
- Red and yellow for Selangor
- Black, white and yellow for Perak
- Red, black and yellow for Negeri Sembilan
- Black and white for Pahang
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 ensign for use on government ships. The ensign, with the four colours of the FMS, was flown by HMS Malaya, commanded by Captain Boyle under the 5th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet) during the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea. This was the largest and the only full-scale clash of battleships during World War I.Resident-General
From 1896 to 1936, real power lay in the hands of the Resident-General, later known as Chief Secretary of the Federation.| Frank Athelstane Swettenham | 1896 | 1901 |
| William Hood Treacher | 1901 | 1904 |
| William Thomas Taylor | 1904 | 1910 |
| Arthur Henderson Young | 1910 | 1911 |
Chief Secretary to the Government
| Chief Secretaries | From | Until |
| Edward Lewis Brockman | 1911 | 1920 |
| William George Maxwell | 1920 | 1926 |
| William Peel | 1926 | 1930 |
| Charles Walter Hamilton Cochrane | 1930 | 1932 |
| Andrew Caldecott | 1932 | 1934 |
| Malcolm Bond Shelley | 1934 | 1935 |
| Marcus Rex | 1935 | 1936 |
Federal Secretaries
After 1936 the Federal Secretaries were no more than co-ordinating officers,under the authority of the High Commissioners, which are always the Governors of the Straits Settlements
| Federal Secretaries | 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, native chiefs, and representative 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 carried on with the administrative work.Residents
Selangor
- 1875 – 1876 James Guthrie Davidson
- 1876 – 1882 William Bloomfield Douglas
- 1882 – 1884 Frank Athelstane Swettenham
- 1884 – 1888 John Pickersgill Rodger
- 1889 – 1892 William Edward Maxwell
- 1892 – 1896 William Hood Treacher
- 1896 – 1902 John Pickersgill Rodger
- 1902 – 1910 Henry Conway Belfield
- 1910 – 1913 Reginald George Watson
- 1913 – 1919 Edward George Broadrick
- 1919 – 1921 Arthur Henry Lemon
- 1921 – 1926 Oswald Francis Gerard Stonor
- 1926 – 1927 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson
- 1927 – 1931 James Lornie
- 1932 – 1933 G. E. Cater
- 1933 – 1935 George Ernest London
- 1935 – 1937 Theodore Samuel Adams
- 1937 – 1939 Stanley Wilson Jones
- 1939 – 1941 G. M. Kidd
- 1941 Norman Rowlstone Jarrett
Perak
- 1874 – 1875 James Wheeler Woodford Birch
- 1876 – 1877 James Guthrie Davidson
- 1877 – 1889 Hugh Low
- 1889 – 1896 Frank Athelstane Swettenham
- 1896 – 1902 William Hood Treacher
- 1902 – 1903 John Pickersgill Rodger
- 1905 – 1910 Ernest Woodford Birch
- 1910 – 1912 Henry Conway Belfield
- 1912 – 1913 William James Parke Hume
- 1913 – 1919 Reginald George Watson
- 1919 – 1920 George Maxwell
- 1920 – 1921 William James Parke Hume
- 1921 – 1926 Cecil William Chase Parr
- 1926 – 1927 Oswald Francis Gerard Stonor
- 1927 – 1929 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson
- 1929 – 1930 Charles Walter Hamilton Cochrane
- 1931 – 1932 Bertram Walter Elles
- 1932 – 1939 G. E. Cater
- 1939 – 1941 Marcus Rex
Negeri Sembilan
- 1888 – 1891 Martin Lister
- 1891 – 1894 W. F. B. Paul
- 1894 – 1895 Robert Norman Bland
- 1895 – 1897 Martin Lister
- 1898 – 1901 Ernest Woodford Birch
- 1901 – 1902 Henry Conway Belfield
- 1902 – 1903 Walter Egerton
- 1904 – 1910 Douglas Graham Campbell
- 1910 – 1911 Richard James Wilkinson
- 1912 – 1919 Arthur Henry Lemon
- 1919 – 1921 J. R. O. Aldworth
- 1921 – 1925 Edward Shaw Hose
- 1925 – 1928 Ernest Charteris Holford Wolff
- 1928 – 1932 James William Simmons
- 1932 – 1937 John Whitehouse Ward Hughes
- 1937 – 1939 Gordon Lupton Ham
- 1939 – 1941 John Vincent Cowgill
Pahang
- 1888 – 1896 John Pickersgill Rodger
- 1896 – 1900 Hugh Clifford
- 1900 – 1901 Arthur Butler
- 1901 – D. H. Wise
- 1901 – 1903 Hugh Clifford
- 1905 – 1908 Cecil Wray
- 1908 – 1909 Harvey Chevallier
- 1909 – 1910 Edward Lewis Brockman
- 1910 – 1911 Warren Delabere Barnes
- 1911 – 1917 Edward John Brewster
- 1917 – 1921 Cecil William Chase Parr
- 1921 – 1922 F. A. S. McClelland
- 1922 – 1926 Henry Wagstaffe Thomson
- 1926 – 1929 Arthur Furley Worthington
- 1929 – 1930 C. F. J. Green
- 1931 – 1935 Hugh Goodwin Russell Leonard
- 1935 – 1941 C. C. Brown
Administrative subdivisions
Perak
State capital: Ipoh, PerakDistricts:
Selangor
State capital: Kuala LumpurDistricts:
Negeri Sembilan
State capital: SerembanDistricts:
Pahang
State capital: Kuala LipisDistricts:
The Federated Malay States as a Forerunner to Malaysia
Justice
The first Supreme Court was established in 1906 and headed by the Judicial Commissioner, in whom supreme judicial authority was vested. The title of Judicial Commissioner was changed to Chief Judge in 1925.Judicial Commissioners
- Lawrence Colvile Jackson
- 1913–1917 Sir Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell
- 1919–1920 Sir G. Aubrey Goodman
- 1920 Sir John Robert Innes
- 1921–1925 Sir Lionel Mabbot Woodward
Chief Judges
- 1925–1929 Sir Henry Hessey Johnston Gompertz
- 1929–1932 Sir Lancelot Henry Elphinstone
- 1933–1937 Sir Samuel Joyce Thomas
- 1937–? Sir Roger Evans Hall
- ?–1941 Kenneth Elliston Poyser
- 1941–c.1945 Sir Harry Herbert Trusted
Economy
The Federated Malay States main economic activity was mostly focused on agriculture and mining with emphasis on rubber and tin. 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 labour-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, many resources were poured into the development of the city of Kuala Lumpur, as the capital of the federation. This period also saw rapid growth in terms of communications infrastructure such as interstate roads, the expansion of the Federated Malay States Railways' narrow gauge railway line between the Padang Besar and Singapore, and Port Swettenham. 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 station, the Government Offices of the FMS and Masjid Jamek.
The table and section below illustrated the economic growth of the federation and its member states.
| 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 dollars. 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.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.Education
Press and Publications
Military History
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 Malaya; this was a motion proposed in the Federal Council by the Sultan of Perak in 1913 and supported by the Sultan of Selangor. The battleship which cost $25,000,000 was one of five of the Queen Elizabeth class, displacing 31,000 tons, mounting fifteen-inch guns and capable of. The most modern ships of their day, they formed the 5th Battle Squadron and fought as such at Jutland in 1916. HMS Malaya was also refurbished and was in service throughout World War II.WWII – Japanese invasion and dissolution
After the Japanese landed in Malaya on 8 December 1941, the Japanese forces began their invasion of the Malay Peninsula. Japanese forces began their invasion of the FMS by crossing the Thailand–FMS border at Kroh. Ipoh, the state capital of Perak, fell on 26 December 1941. Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Federated Malay States and the State of Selangor, was captured on 11 January 1942. Seremban, the state capital of Negeri Sembilan, was captured two days later. Kuantan, in the eastern component state of Pahang, fell on 30 December 1941, meanwhile the capital, Kuala Lipis was taken by the Japanese on 7 January 1942. With the conclusion of the Battle of Gemas on 15 January 1942, the entire FMS was now in Japanese hands.All of Malaya including Singapore remained under Japanese occupation until the surrender of the Japanese home islands.