Four states were joined under more central British control in the FMS, while five others came under British advisers separately.
A federation joins states under shared central rule while each state stays in place. Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang agreed to join in 1895. The Federated Malay States (FMS) began in 1896. A British Resident-General coordinated them. Shared money and administration made it easier to plan investment and services. They also moved more decisions away from each ruler.
Other states stayed outside the FMS. In the 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty, Siam, now Thailand, handed its rights over Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu to Britain. Johor took a British General Adviser in 1914. These five were the Unfederated Malay States.
Unfederated means outside the FMS. It does not mean free of British influence. British advisers came to these states at different times and under different agreements, so they did not all join one identical system.
- FMS, 1896
- Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang.
- 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty
- Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu pass to Britain.
- Johor, 1914
- Accepts a British General Adviser.
Worked example: Read the label carefully
Compare Perak and Johor in the 1910s.
- Perak is in the FMS, under central British arrangements.
- Johor is outside the FMS but has a British adviser from 1914.
- So both are under British influence, in different ways.
Watch out for this
An unfederated state kept its independence because it was not in the FMS.
Unfederated states had British advisers too. They were outside the FMS, not outside British influence.
Check your understanding
Which states formed the Federated Malay States?
- Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu.
- Penang, Singapore and Melaka.
- Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang.