British Malaya power of the Colonial Office in London and was declared a crown colony. The declaration gave it considerable independence and power within the British Empire. In 1946, after the Second World War, the colony was dissolved. Malacca and Penang were absorbed into the Malayan Union, while Singapore was separated from the Union and made into a new crown colony on its own. The Malayan Union was later replaced with the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and in 1963, together with North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore, formed an enlarged federation called Malaysia. Prior to the late 19th century, the British East
Constitution of the State of Penang Constitution of the State of Penang The Constitution of Penang, introduced in 1957, is the fundamental law of the Malaysian state of Penang. The constitution, which came into effect just before the independence of the Malayan Federation (now Malaysia) from the British Empire, concerns the formation and proceedings of the state government. It also establishes the Governor (Malay: "Yang di-Pertua Negeri") as the head of state who acts in the discretion of the Chief Minister, the head of government. The Constitution of Penang was drafted following the accession of the then British colony of Penang into the Federation of Malaya.