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
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.