The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council
The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council held its first meeting in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Hall, Kuala Lumpur in 1948. It was opened by the British High Commissioner Sir Edward Gent. Attendees included the British Minister of State for Colonial Affairs, Lord Listowel. The membership of the Council was structured to include:
- the British High Commissioner (as President);
- 3 ex-officio members (namely the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, and the Attorney General);
- 11 "State and Settlement Members" (the President of the Council of State of each Malay state, and a member elected by each of the Settlement Councils)
- 11 official members; and
- 34 appointed "unofficial" members.
The unofficial members were required to be either Federation citizens or British subjects.
In 1948 the ethnic composition of the Council was made up as follows:
- 28 Malay representatives, including all the Chief Ministers,
- 14 Chinese representatives,
- 6 Indian representatives, and
- 14 Europeans (the ex-officio and official members).
Dato' Onn Jaafar stressed at the first meeting that the citizens of the Federation of Malaya did not want the interference of external powers in the affairs of the Federation; the Chinese representative Dr Ong Chong Keng asserted that the Chinese people would be loyal to the Federation of Malaya. At this first Council meeting, several minor committees were formed:
- the Standing Committee on Finance;
- the Election Committee; and
- the Committee of Privileges.
The first session passed the Kuala Lumpur City Bill, the Transfer of Power Bill, and the Loan and Debt Bill.
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