The Federation of Malaya came into existence on 1 Feb., 1948, as a result of consultations between representatives of the British Government, the rulers of the Malay states and the United Malays’ National Organization. It succeeded the Malayan Union which was set up on 1 April, 1946, but to the constitutional arrangements of which the Malays objected. The Federation consists of the same territories as the former union, namely the 9 States of the Malay peninsula and the 2 British Settlements of Penang and Malacca; Singapore, the third of the former Straits Settlements, is now a separate colony.