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
Federation of British Industries Robert Sinclair (1949–1951), Sir Archibald Forbes (1951–1953), Sir Harry Pilkington (1953–1955), Sir Graham Hayman (1955–1957), Sir Hugh Beaver (1957–1959), Sir William McFadzean (1959–1961), Sir Cyril Harrison (1961–1963), and Sir Peter Runge (1963–1965). Directors (later retitled director-general) included Sir Roland Nugent from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1932, Sir Guy Locock from 1932 to 1945, and Sir Norman Kipping from 1946 to 1965. Federation of British Industries The Federation of British Industries (FBI) was an employers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916 as the United British Industries' Association, but renamed later that