The
Malayan Union came into being in 1946. It was established by
British Malaya and comprised the
Federated Malay States (
Perak,
Selangor,
Negeri Sembilan,
Pahang), the
Unfederated Malay States (
Kedah,
Perlis,
Kelantan,
Terengganu,
Johor) and the
Straits Settlements of
Penang and
Malacca. In a series of agreements between the British and the
Malayan Union, the
Malayan Union was superseded by the
Federation 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 minister
Tunku Abdul Rahman, who remained in office until 1970. ==See also==