By the 1890s each of the four western states — Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang — had its own British Resident, but each ran its own affairs separately. Development was uneven, costs were high, and Pahang in particular was heavily in debt. To solve this, Britain decided to federate (bersekutu) the states.
Why federate?
- To create a uniform, efficient system of administration.
- To coordinate development of railways, roads and mines.
- To share revenue, so that richer states like Perak and Selangor could help a poorer, indebted state like Pahang.
- To strengthen British central control over the states.
Key idea
Federated Malay States, 1896 = Perak + Selangor + Negeri Sembilan + Pahang, capital Kuala Lumpur, proposed by Frank Swettenham.
The new federation
The plan was largely the work of Frank Swettenham. In 1896 the four states became the Federated Malay States (Negeri-negeri Melayu Bersekutu), with Kuala Lumpur as capital and a Resident-General at the head. Although the Sultans kept their titles, their real power and that of their State Councils was reduced as authority shifted to the central government. To ease their worries, the British later held a gathering of the rulers called the Durbar, where the Sultans could meet and discuss matters, though real decisions still lay with the British officials. Federation thus made the states run more like a single, tightly controlled colony.
Remember
- FMS formed in 1896; proposed by Frank Swettenham.
- Capital Kuala Lumpur; headed by a Resident-General.
- Aims: uniform administration, coordinated development, shared revenue, tighter British control.