Pedra Branca, Singapore ceded by the Government of the State of Johore or in any other way disposed of". The Acting State Secretary of Johor replied on 21 September that "the Johore Government does not claim ownership of Pedra Branca". This correspondence indicated that as of 1953 Johor understood it did not have sovereignty over Pedra Branca, which had therefore vested in the United Kingdom. The Colony of Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959, and left the British Empire to join the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, Singapore became a fully independent republic. In 1959, in an
British Equestrian Federation British Equestrian Federation The British Equestrian Federation is the national governing body of equestrian sport in Great Britain and represents the country at the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). The BEF is an umbrella organisation for equestrian sport in Great Britain, representing 4.2 million equestrian sportspeople. Together with the British Horseracing Authority and the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the BEF forms the British Horse Industry Confederation. Each BEF chairman stands for a period of three years, with a maximum of two terms. The current chairman is Keith Taylor, with previous chairmen including Badminton Horse Trials organiser Hugh Thomas. The BEF