Complex sentence: Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, British Malaya comprised of three of the Straits Settlement-namely Malacca, Penang and Singapore-the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States.
Split into simpler sentences: Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, the colonies were not placed under a single unified administration. Instead, British Malaya was comprised of the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States.