Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a former federation of the states of Perak, Pahang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan on the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. British colonial administrator Frank Swettenham (1850–1946) suggested the idea, and the FMS was established 1 July 1896 and terminated in 1946. With the inclusion of the unfederated Malay States, the Federation of Malaya was formed in 1948.
The British Resident system had previously overseen local administration in the various states. However, Swettenham and other British officers, felt that a central government was needed for greater unity, uniformity, and cooperation between these states. The FMS headquarters were established in Kuala Lumpur, where a Federal Civil Service consisting of departments such as Justice, Communications, Finance, and Public Works was set up. A council of Malay rulers for the FMS was instituted to discuss matters of importance with the British rulers. The first conference of Malay rulers, popularly known as the Durbar (royal display), was held in July 1897 at Istana Negara, Kuala Kangsar, Perak. The Durbar conference was held nine times until the year 1939.
With the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, the Durbar membership increased with the inclusion of the unfederated Malay States of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Trengganu. On 18 February 1948 its first conference was held in Kuala Lumpur. The Conference of Rulers was held fifty times from February 1948 until August 1957.
Further Reading
Heussler, Robert. (1981) British Rule in Malaya: The Malayan Civil Service and Its Predecessors, 1867–1942. Oxford: Clio Press.
Ryan, N. J. (1976) The Making of Modern Malaysia and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press.
Sidhu, Jagjit Singh. (1980) Administration in the Federated Malay States, 1896–1920. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press.
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