Federated Malay States

Not to be confused with the later Federation of Malaya issues of 1957-63

The Federated Malay States was formed by the states of Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor in July 1896.

The individual states continued to issue their own stamps and each state's stamps were valid in any other state up to January 1899.  File:Malaya tiger ovpt.jpg|1900 3c overprint File:Malaya elephants ovpt.jpg|1900 $2 overprint File:Malaya $25 elephants.jpg|1900 $25 value File:Malaya 50c tiger.jpg|1906 50c tiger 
 * In 1900, Negri Sembilan tiger head keytypes were overprinted FEDERATED MALAY STATES. Perak stamps with that design plus the elephants dollar values were similarly oveprinted.
 * In that same year, The elephants dollar values were issued inscribed FEDERATED MALAY STATES on crown CC watermarked paper.
 * In 1901, the bicolor tiger design was released on crown CA watermarked paper.
 * In 1904-10, those designs were issued on multiple crown CA watermarked paper, as were the elephants dollar values.
 * In 1906-22, the tiger designs were issued in single colors except for the new 35c value.
 * In 1922-32, the watermark was changed to multiple crown CA.
 * In 1931-34, three high values were issued on colored paper.
 * In 1935, the separate states returned to using their own stamps.

Postage dues were issued in the name of the Malayan Postal Union that included the Straits Settlements. See: Malayan Postal Union.

Japanese occupation
(There's more than this) Japanese forces invaded Malaya in December 1941. Control of Malaya was completed the following year and provisional overprints were issued for the various states aside from Malaya in general.  File:Malaya occup 2c.jpg|1943 2c from the first pictorial series File:Malaya occ 1c.jpg|1c second pictorial File:Malaya occ 70c.jpg|70c second pictorial File:Johore occup $1.5 surch.jpg|1944 $1½ on $2 surcharge 
 * In 1943, pictorials with colored frames were issued.
 * In 1943, a postal savings publicity issue was released.
 * Later in 1943, pictorials with outlined frames were issued.
 * In 1944, a Fall of Singapore issue was released showing a farmer plowing.

Postage due

 * In 1942, Federated Malay States postage dues were overprinted with a framed overprint.
 * Also in 1942, Some postage dues were overprinted DAI NIPPON / 2602 / MALAYA.
 * In 1943, a vertical 5-character overprint was applied on old postage dues.

