Crown Colony of Malacca

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Crown Colony of Malacca (Malay: Jajahan Mahkota Melaka) was a British Crown colony from 1946 to 1957. Its capital was Malacca Town. It was located in present‑day Malaysia and shared its borders with other Malayan regions. The common languages were English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil and other languages.

Monarchy and government: The colony had two monarchs during its existence—George VI (1946–1952) and Elizabeth II (1952–1957). A Residents-Councillor, Maurice John Hayward, acted in 1956–1957. The currency used was the Malayan dollar.

History in brief: Malacca, along with Penang, had been part of the Straits Settlements until 1946. It was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. After World War II, the Straits Settlements were dissolved, and Malacca became a Crown colony within the Federation of Malaya (Singapore became a separate Crown colony). Malacca’s status changed as Malaya moved toward independence.

Independence and after: Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957, and Malacca joined the Federation of Malaya, which later became Malaysia when it expanded to include Sabah, Sarawak and other territories.