| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision for and in connection with the establishment of theFederation of Malaya as an independent sovereign country within theCommonwealth. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 5 & 6 Eliz. 2. c. 60 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 31 July 1957 |
| Commencement | 31 August 1957 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
TheFederation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 (5 & 6 Eliz. 2. c. 60) was anact of parliament in the United Kingdom.[1] It came into operation on 31 July 1957.
The Act made provisions for the nation ofFederation of Malaya (formerly the Protected States ofJohor,Kedah,Kelantan,Negeri Sembilan,Pahang,Perak,Perlis,Selangor, andTerengganu) and the Settlements ofPenang andMalacca to gain an independent sovereign country within and become a member of theCommonwealth of Nations on 31 August 1957; prior to this,Federation of Malaya (formerlyMalay States) had been a fully self-governingBritish colony.
TheMalayan Union came into being in 1946. It was established byBritish Malaya and comprised theFederated Malay States (Perak,Selangor,Negeri Sembilan,Pahang), theUnfederated Malay States (Kedah,Perlis,Kelantan,Terengganu,Johor) and theStraits Settlements ofPenang andMalacca. In a series of agreements between the British and theMalayan Union, theMalayan Union was superseded by theFederation of Malaya on 1 February 1948.
After extensive work to stabilize the political situation and reduce racial tensions, the British government finally ceded full autonomy to the Federation of Malaya on 31 August 1957, and the country achieved independence, led by the inaugural prime ministerTunku Abdul Rahman, who remained in office until 1970.
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