Federated Malay States

The Federated Malay States were a federation of four British protectorates in the Malay Peninsula: Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. The federation was established in 1895, following the residency system introduced by the Pangkor treaty of 1874, under which each sultan accepted a British Resident whose advice had to be sought and acted upon in all matters except Malay religion and custom. Unlike the Unfederated Malay States, real authority in the federation lay with the four Residents and a Resident-General, and the powers of the rulers were confined largely to religion and custom. The administration was centralised, with Kuala Lumpur as its capital, and the states became the world's leading producers of tin and rubber. The federation lasted until 1946, when it was replaced, together with the Straits Settlements of Malacca and Penang and the Unfederated Malay States, by the Malayan Union after the Japanese occupation. The union proved short-lived and was succeeded in 1948 by the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957 and, with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, formed Malaysia in 1963.