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 Triathlon Federation British Triathlon Federation The British Triathlon Federation (BTF), formerly known as the British Triathlon Association (BTA), is the national governing body for the sports of triathlon, duathlon and multisport in Great Britain. It is a federation of the three Home Nation membership associations (Triathlon England, Triathlon Scotland and Welsh Triathlon). Triathlon in Northern Ireland is organised under Ulster Triathlon, part of the all-Ireland governing body Triathlon Ireland. However North Irish athletes may compete for Great Britain as long as they have a valid British passport and are a member of one of the three home nations associations. The British Triathlon