Catalogue description Commonwealth Relations Office and successors: High Commission, Federation of Malaya and Malaysia: Records

After the re-occupation of the territories which now form Malaysia by British troops in 1945, the British government imposed a Malayan Union. This included the four federated Malay states, the five unfederated Malay states, and the former Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca (but not Singapore), and imposed a strong centralised government under a British Governor on the region. This arrangement was abandoned following opposition from the Malay community, and the Malay Union only lasted from April 1946 to February 1948.

In its place the Federation of Malaya (comprising the Malay states of Johore, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Tregannu [Trengganu] [Terengganu] and the British settlements of Penang and Malacca) was constituted, with an executive council presided over by a High Commissioner. However, the outbreak of the Malay Emergency resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency, (which lasted from June 1948 to July 1960), and prevented the first Federal elections being held until July 1955. The Federation of Malaya became independent in August 1957, at which time Britain relinquished sovereignty over Penang and Malacca, which became states on a parity with the other federal states.

In September 1963 the Federation was enlarged by the accession of Singapore, Sabah (formerly British North Borneo) and Sarawak. At this time the Federation adopted the name of Malaysia. Singapore withdrew from Malaysia in August 1965, becoming a separate Commonwealth state with its own High Commissioner.