Unfederated Malay States

Unfederated Malay States Negeri-Negeri Melayu Tidak Bersekutu (Malay)
1909–1942 1942–1945 (Japanese occupation) 1945–1946
Malaya in 1922:   Unfederated Malay States   Federated Malay States   Straits Settlements
Status	Protectorates of the British Empire
Common languages	Malay (de facto official) English (lingua franca) Chinese Tamil
Religion	Sunni Islam Christianity Buddhism Taoism (including Chinese folk religion) Hinduism
Membership	Johor Kedah Kelantan Perlis Terengganu
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Monarch
• 1909–1910 (first)	Edward VII
• 1936–1942; 1945–1946 (last)	George VI
Historical era	British Empire
• Anglo-Siamese Treaty	9 July 1909
• Japanese occupation	15 February 1942 – 2 September 1945
• Japanese surrender	2 September 1945
• Malayan Union	1 April 1946
Currency	Straits dollar (1909–1939) Malayan dollar (1939–1942; 1945–1946)
Preceded by Succeeded by 1885: Johore 1909: Kedah Kelantan Perlis Terengganu Rattanakosin Kingdom 1941-42: Japanese occupation of Malaya 1943: Si Rat Malai 1945: British Military Administration (Malaya) 1946: Malayan Union
Today part of	Malaysia

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History of Malaysia
Prehistoric period Paleolithic  Lenggong Valley c. 2,000,0000 BCE  Mansuli Valley 235,000 BCE Mesolithic  Niah cultures 65,000–40,000 BCE Neolithic  Bewah man/woman 16,000 BCE  Perak man/woman 11,000–200 BCE  Neolithic Klang 500 – 200 BCE
Early kingdoms Ancient Kedah <100 BCE Chi Tu 100 BCE–642 CE Langkasuka 100 BCE–1474 CE Gangga Negara c. 100 CE–1025 Pan Pan 424–775 Old Kedah 170–1135 Old Pahang 449–1454 Srivijaya 700s–1025 Majapahit 1300s
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Pahang Sultanate 1470–1623 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516– 1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present Sarawak Sultanate 1599–1641 Selangor Sultanate 1766–present Besut Kingdom 1780–1899 Setul Kingdom 1808–1916 Reman Kingdom 1810–1902 Kubang Pasu Kingdom 1839–1864
Colonial period Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 Burney Treaty 1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War 1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Mat Salleh Rebellion 1894–1905 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944
Formative period BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo/Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Baling Talks 1955
Independence period Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Sarawak Insurgency 1962–1990 North Borneo self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989
Modern period 1966 Sarawak constitutional crisis 1965–1966 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Dawn Raid 1981 Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Sabah Emergency 1986 Ming Court Affair 1987 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Asian financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 Federal Territory of Putrajaya 2001 2008 Malaysian Opposition Wave 2008 2009 Perak constitutional crisis 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009–2010 Lahad Datu standoff 2013 Sedition Dragnet 2014 1MDB scandal 2015–present Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022 Political crisis 2020–2022 Bornean Amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022–present 2023 Sabah political crisis 2023
Incidents Brunei revolt 1962–1966 North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks) 1962–present Singapore race riots 1964 Brunei's Limbang claim 1967–2009 Penang Hartal riot 1967 Ligitan and Sipadan dispute 1969–2002 Kuala Lumpur flash floods 1971 Malaysian haze crisis 1972–present AIA building hostage crisis 1975 National Monument bombing 1975 Campbell Shopping Complex fire 1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash 1976 Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident 1977 MH653 incident 1977 1982 Bukit Merah radioactive pollution 1982 1985 Lahad Datu ambush 1985 Memali Incident 1985 Penang terminal bridge collapse 1988 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire 1989 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway crash 1990 Bright Sparklers disaster 1991 Highland Towers collapse 1993 Genting landslide 1995 MH2133 incident 1995 Pos Dipang mudflow 1996 Tropical Storm Greg 1996 Nipah virus outbreak 1998–1999 2000 Sipadan kidnappings 2000 Al-Ma'unah incident 2000 Sauk Siege 2000 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2001 2002 Taman Hillview landslide 2002 Indian Ocean tsunami 2004 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods 2006–2007 Bukit Gantang bus crash 2007 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide 2008 Attacks against places of worship 2010 2010 Cameron Highlands bus crash 2010 Hulu Langat landslide 2011 2013 Genting Highlands bus crash 2013 MH370 incident 2014 MH17 incident 2014 2014–15 Malaysia floods 2014–2015 Sabah earthquake 2015 2015 Plaza Low Yat riot 2015 Movida Bar grenade attack 2016 Kim Jong-nam's Assassination 2017 Darul Quran madrasa fire 2017 2018 Subang Temple riot 2018 2019 Kim Kim River toxic pollution 2019 2020-21 Malaysia floods 2021 LRT train collision 2021 2021-22 Malaysia floods 2021–2022 2022 Batang Kali landslide 2022 2023 Elmina plane crash 2023 2024 Lumut helicopters crash 2024 2024 Ulu Tiram police station attack 2024 2025 Putra Heights pipeline fire 2025 2025 Gerik bus crash 2025
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The Unfederated Malay States (Malay: Negeri-Negeri Melayu Tidak Bersekutu; Jawi: نݢري٢ ملايو تيدق برسکوتو) was the collective term for five distinct British protected states situated in the Malay Peninsula during the early to mid-twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. In contrast to the neighbouring Federated Malay States comprising Selangor, Perak, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, the Unfederated Malay States did not share a unified administration or common institutions. Though they were nominally independent, each of them functioned as an individual protectorate under British oversight and were not recognised as a single entity in international law.^[1][2]

Following the conclusion of World War II, the British crown colony known as the Straits Settlements was formally de jure dissolved in 1946 (having been rendered de facto defunct with the Japanese occupation of Malaya and the Fall of Singapore in 1942).^[1][2] Penang and Malacca were subsequently combined with both the Unfederated and Federated Malay States to form the Malayan Union.^[1][2] Singapore was administratively separated and established as a standalone crown colony directly governed by the United Kingdom, independent of any Malayan political framework.^[1][2]

In response to widespread local opposition, the Malayan Union was restructured in 1948 into the Federation of Malaya, comprising eleven states.^[1][2] Of these, nine continued as British protected states, while Penang and Malacca remained crown colonies.^[1][2] The Federation of Malaya achieved full independence on 31 August 1957 and was later transformed into Malaysia on 16 September 1963 through the inclusion of Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore. Singapore was ultimately separated once more from Malaysia and became a sovereign state on 9 August 1965.^[1][2]

Johor accepted a treaty of protection with the United Kingdom in 1885, and eventually succumbed to British pressure to accept a resident "Advisor" in 1914. Unlike the other Malay states under British protection, however, Johor remained outside of the Federated Malay States (formed in 1895).^[1][2]

Under the Bangkok Treaty of 1909, Siam transferred its rights over Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis to the United Kingdom.^[3] These states then became British protected states. With the assistance of Japan, they temporarily returned to Thai jurisdiction for the latter part of World War II but was returned to Britain after the defeat and surrender of the Axis Powers.^[1][2]

The chief officer of the British colonial administration was the "Advisor". In contrast with the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States enjoyed greater autonomy. The de facto official language of the Unfederated Malay States was Malay (written with the Jawi script).^[1][2]