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The Crown Colony of North Borneo was a British
Crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council ...
on the island of
Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...
established in 1946 shortly after the dissolution of the British Military Administration. The
Crown Colony of Labuan The Crown Colony of Labuan was a Crown colony on the northwestern shore of the island of Borneo established in 1848 after the acquisition of the island of Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei in 1846. Apart from the main island, Labuan consists ...
joined the new Crown Colony during its formation. It was succeeded as the state of
Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
through the formation of the Federation of
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
on 16 September 1963.


Cession of remaining islands

On 16 October 1947, seven of the British-controlled islands in north-eastern Borneo named Turtle Islands, together with the
Mangsee Islands The Mangsee Islands are a group of two small islands in the far south west portion of the Philippines. The group comprises North Mangsee Island and South Mangsee Island. Together they form a barangay within the Balabac, a municipality of the pr ...
, were ceded to the Philippine government under a past treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the United States. The islands now form a part of the Southwestern Tagalog Region (MIMAROPA) and
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ar, منطقة بانجسامورو ذاتية الحكم فى مسلمى مينداناو , native_name = , settlement_type = Autonomous region , anthem = Bangsamoro Hymn , image_skyline ...
(BARMM).


Administration

The Governor of the Crown Colony of North Borneo ( Malay: Tuan Yang Terutama Gabenor Koloni Mahkota British Borneo Utara) was the position created by the British Government upon the cession of
North Borneo (I persevere and I achieve) , national_anthem = , capital = Kudat (1881–1884);Sandakan (1884–1945);Jesselton (1946) , common_languages = English, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Sabah Malay, Chinese etc. , ...
from the North Borneo Chartered Company. The appointment was made by
King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
, and later
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
until the self-government of North Borneo on 31 August 1963 and the forming of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. After the formation of Malaysia, the title was changed to 'Tuan Yang Terutama
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah The Governor of Sabah (Yang di-Pertua Negeri) is the ceremonial head of state of the Malaysian state of Sabah. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is styled Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT; "His Excellency"). The current officeholder is Juhar Mahiruddin, who wa ...
', which also means 'His Excellency The Governor of Sabah', or 'His Excellency The Head of State of Sabah' and the appointment was later made by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The o ...
or King of Malaysia. Executive and Legislative councils were established in October 1950, replacing the provisional Advisory Council which had existed since July 1946. The Executive Council, which advised the governor on matters of policy, consisted of three ex-officio members (the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Attorney-General), two appointed official members, and four appointed unofficial members. The Legislative Council consisted of the Governor as president, the three ex-officio members, nine appointed official members, and ten appointed unofficial members. The governor customarily appointed unofficial members from lists of names put forward by a representative bodies. Overall, the development of democratic institutions was much slower in North Borneo than it was in neighbouring Sarawak.Government of North Borneo. ''Annual Report North Borneo, 1958'' (London: H.M.S.O.), 174-179. https://archive.org/details/b31415891 For local administration, the colony was divided into four residencies overseen by a resident, which were sub-divided into districts overseen by district officers. The district officer for the island of Labuan reported directly to the Chief Secretary. The districts were sub-divided into sub-districts overseen by assistant district officers. Most district officers were expatriates, while the majority of assistant district officers were locally recruited. Within each district, village headmen were responsible for minor administrative tasks. Headmen reported to chiefs, who in turn reported to the district officer. The chiefs presided over native courts which dealt with breaches of native custom and Islamic law. District officers could also act in a magisterial capacity and had jurisdiction over civil actions, breaches of the laws of the Colony, and offences against the Penal Code. In 1951, the Rural Development Ordinance provided for the establishment of local authorities in rural areas. The first such authority was set up in Kota Belud district on 1 January 1952 under the direction of the district and assistant district officers. Members of the local authority were entirely appointed, representing both the native population and the Chinese population of Kota Belud. This pattern was repeated throughout the territory as other rural authorities were established. An ordinance regarding urban government came into force on 1 July 1954. It allowed the creation of township authorities, town boards, and municipal councils. Jesselton and Sandakan became town board areas, and in 1955 Tawau and Labuan joined them. Members of local councils were entirely appointed by the governor, though unofficial members were required to be in the majority.


References


Further reading


British North Borneo Becomes Crown Colony


Sabah State Archives – Chief Minister's Department


External links


Colonial administration records (migrated archive): North Borneo (Sabah/Malaysia)
at
The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
(Pg. 61) {{Portal bar, British Empire, Malaysia History of North Borneo British rule in Malaysian history North Borneo, Crown Colony of History of Borneo History of Sabah
North Borneo (I persevere and I achieve) , national_anthem = , capital = Kudat (1881–1884);Sandakan (1884–1945);Jesselton (1946) , common_languages = English, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Sabah Malay, Chinese etc. , ...
Politics of Sabah States and territories established in 1946 States and territories disestablished in 1963 1946 establishments in Southeast Asia 1963 disestablishments in Asia 1946 establishments in the British Empire 1963 disestablishments in the British Empire 1940s establishments in Malaya 1960s disestablishments in Malaysia