Crown Colony of North Borneo | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–1963 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Motto: Latin:Pergo et Perago[1] (I persevere and I achieve)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Anthem: God Save the King (1946–1952) God Save the Queen (1952–1963) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Status | British colony | ||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Jesselton | ||||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | English,Kadazan-Dusun,Bajau,Murut,Lundayeh,Rungus,Sabah Malay,Chinese etc. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||||||||||||
• 1946–1952 | George VI | ||||||||||||||||||
• 1952–1963 | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | |||||||||||||||||||
• 1946–1949 | Edward Twining | ||||||||||||||||||
• 1959–1963 | William Goode | ||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | New Imperialism | ||||||||||||||||||
• North Borneo ceded to the Crown Colony | 15 July 1946[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 16 October 1947 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 31 August 1963[4][5] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 September 1963 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Currency | North Borneo dollar, Malaya−British Borneo dollar | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Malaysia Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||
TheCrown Colony of North Borneo was aCrown colony on the island ofBorneo established in 1946 shortly after the dissolution of theBritish Military Administration.[6] TheCrown Colony of Labuan joined the new Crown colony during its formation. It was succeeded as the state ofSabah through the formation of the Federation ofMalaysia on 16 September 1963.
On 16 October 1947 the British transferred administration of theTurtle Islands and theMangsee Islands to thePhilippine government under a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the United States.[7][8] The islands now form a part of theSouthwestern Tagalog Region (MIMAROPA) andBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
| Governor of British Crown Colony of North Borneo | |
|---|---|
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| Style | His Excellency |
| Appointer | King George VI Queen Elizabeth II |
| Inaugural holder | Edward Francis Twining (1946–1948) Succeeded by Herbert Ralph Hone (1949–1954) Roland Evelyn Turnbull (1954–1959) |
| Formation | 1946–1963 |
| Final holder | William Goode (1960–1963) |
| Abolished | 16 September 1963 (Formed the Federation ofMalaysia)[9] |
| Superseded by | Edward Francis Twining |
The Governor of the Crown Colony of North Borneo was appointed byKing George VI, and laterQueen Elizabeth II.[9] After the formation of Malaysia in 1963 the title was changed to Yang di-Pertua Negara[10] and was subsequently changed to 'Tuan Yang TerutamaYang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah', in 1976 (Enactment. No. 17/1976 Constitution (Amendment)(No. 2)) which means 'His Excellency The Governor of Sabah', or 'His Excellency The Head of State of Sabah' and the appointment was later made by theYang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia).
Executive and legislative councils were established in October 1950, replacing the provisional Advisory Council, which had existed since July 1946. The Executive Council, which advised the governor on matters of policy, consisted of threeex officio members (the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Attorney-General), two appointed official members, and four appointed unofficial members. The Legislative Council consisted of the Governor as president, the threeex officio members, nine appointed official members, and ten appointed unofficial members. The governor customarily appointed unofficial members from lists of names put forward by a representative body. The development of democratic institutions was much slower in North Borneo than it was in neighbouring Sarawak.[11]
For local administration, the colony was divided into four residencies overseen by a resident, which were subdivided into districts overseen by district officers. The district officer for the island of Labuan reported directly to the Chief Secretary. The districts were subdivided into sub-districts overseen by assistant district officers. Most district officers were expatriates, while the majority of assistant district officers were locally recruited.[11]
Within each district, village headmen were responsible for minor administrative tasks. Headmen reported to chiefs, who in turn reported to the district officer. The chiefs presided over native courts, which dealt with breaches of native custom and Islamic law. District officers could also act in a magisterial capacity and had jurisdiction over civil actions, breaches of the laws of the colony, and offences against the penal code.[11]
In 1951, the Rural Development Ordinance provided for the establishment of local authorities in rural areas. The first such authority was set up inKota Belud District on 1 January 1952 under the direction of the district and assistant district officers. Members of the local authority were entirely appointed, representing both the native population and the Chinese population of Kota Belud. This pattern was repeated throughout the territory as other rural authorities were established.[11]
An ordinance regarding urban government came into force on 1 July 1954, which allowed for the creation of township authorities, town boards, and municipal councils. Jesselton and Sandakan became town board areas, as did Tawau and Labuan in 1955. Members of local councils were entirely appointed by the governor, though unofficial members were required to be in the majority.[11]
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