David Watherston

Sir David Watherston (26 February 1907 – 16 January 1977) was a British colonial administrator who served as Chief Secretary, Federation of Malaya from 1952 to 1957, and played a major role in the creation of Malaysia.

Early life and education Watherston was born on 26 February 1907, the son of Charles Watherston. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford.

Career Watherston joined the Malayan civil service as a cadet in 1930, and then served in various posts. From 1940 to 1944, he was seconded to the Colonial Office, and then worked in the British Military Administration, Malaya. From 1946 to 1948, he served as Secretary of the Constitutional Working Committee which created the new Federation of Malaya to replace the Malayan Union. In 1948, he was Secretary for Defence and Internal Security of the Federation of Malaya when the Federation was faced with the Malayan Emergency, and was at the centre of the armed conflict against the Malayan Communist Party. In 1952, he was promoted to Chief Secretary, Federation of Malaya and administered the government on several occasions. He served in office until 1957 when Malaya was handed over to the independent elected government under its first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. In 1962, he returned briefly to the Far East as a member of the Cobbold Commission which created the foundations for an enlarged Federation of Malaysia to include the Borneo States of Sarawak and Sabah. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1956 New Year Honours. In 1958, he was made Hon Panglima Mangku Negara by Malaysia.