MALAYSIA INDEPENDENCE DAY, 31st August 2011, Declaration of Independence, British Rule- Colony

MALAYSIA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY

31^st August 2011
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MALAYSIA'S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,

 

MALAYA BECAME INDEPENDENT 

ON 31 AUGUST 1957

BRITISH COLONIALISM IN MALAYSIA

In the late 18th century the British East India Company traded with, and partly controlled India. At that time they began looking for a base in Malaysia. 


In 1786 the British under Francis Light occupied Penang and founded Georgetown. In 1800 they took Province Wellesley.


In 1819 Sir Stamford Raffles founded a British trading post at Singapore.


By the treaty of London, 1824, the British and Dutch divided the region between them. The Dutch surrendered Melaka to the British. The Dutch were given control of Sumatra and all the area below the Malay Peninsula.

The British signed treaties of protection with Malay rulers from 1874 to 1930. In 1896 some of these states were grouped together as the Federated Malay States. Malaya was occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. 

All the Malay states, together with the Straits Settlements except for Singapore, were incorporated into a new federation in 1948.

This was the basis on which Malaya achieved independence in 1957. In 1963 Malaya joined with Singapore (which seceded in 1965), North Borneo, and Sarawak to form Malaysia.

TIMELINE

1786	Penang ceded to East India Company by Sultan of Kedah
1819	Singapore Island is leased to the East India Company
1824	Malacca transferred to British control. Singapore leased in perpetuity
1826	The three become known as the Straights Settlements
1867	The Straights Settlements become a British Crown Colony
1870s	First trials of rubber trees
1896	Federated Malay States formed from Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang
1904	The Unfederated States of Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and Perilis accept British advisors
1914	Johor accepts British advisors
1941	Japan invades Malaya
1942	Malaya and Singapore are occupied by the Japanese
1948 - 1960	Communist insurgents cause 'Emergency' to be declared
1957	Federation of Malaya achieves independence
1959	Singapore achieves independence
1963	Malaysia formed
1965	Singapore withdraws from Malaysia. Becomes a city state.

Antique map of Malaysia

Source: here and here

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