BRITISH MALAYA

Evening Star, Issue 17924, 21 March 1922, Page 8

BRITISH MALAYA

(By Frederick Stubbs, E.11.G.5.) [All Eights Reserved.] British Malaya extends from Singapore, Meg 15mm N. of tlio Equator to the sixth degree N., where it meets the south of Slam. The peninsula consistsi at a narrow tongue of land, 464 miles long and 216 miles broad, and is tho most. southern extremity, of the continent o. Asia. It is vcrv mountainous, rising to 7 186 ft. and except where it has been cleared for mining or cultivation is covewxl with dense tropical forest. Aoout twothirds of the county is still lit climate is, of course, hot, hut not oppressively so, for the peninsula has tho. La on three sides, and there is generally a breeze, blowing from either the seaoi the mountains. It is diftiu.lt foi a visitor to understand the political geography of Malaya—it comprises so many States under different Governments, though all under tho supremacy of Britain. . l-l"«-the States of Perak, Selanger, Negri bembilan, and Pahang form the federated Malay States, having iederated themwlves under British protection in IbQI, but all these retain their own ruling princes or sultans. Singapore, Malacca, and the landings form the Grown Colony of the Straits Settlements, and arc actually British territory; Ishoro. kodah, Kclantan, Treu-anu, and Perhs are• simplj called Malay States, and are «» «™ ' though nndcr tho suzerai-inty ot lintani. Then finally, there is a British Governor and Administration over the whole _ Tho principal cities, all of ■ ;vhich 1 visited, are Singapore pop. Perninc- (155.000), Malacca 158.C00 , Ki - Ksnpa7(BlW Ipoh (37,000); Ta.ping (22,000). The principal seaports are Singapore (17,000,000 tons), Penang 76 200.000 tons), and Port Swettennam 2 000,000 tons). Tho country produces tin, rubber, wolfram, copper, sugar, ncc, tepioca, areca nuts, etc. The revenue of the Straits Settlements and the .b.M-b. combined is about £I3,COO,CCO. I am afraid the above facta and figures will appear rather dry reading to most pcnplo but there are others who will be glad to have a brief account of the constitution of this little-known portion of tho Empire. THE STRUGGLE EOR MASTERY.

The Portuguese wero the first Europeans to' found settlements in the Peninsula. Thev were followed hy the Dutch, and last "of all. in the nineteenth century, came tho British, who ha-vo come, we hope, to stay. There was a struggle for 200 years between England and Holland for the mastery of these States, and it was not until the beginning of last century that the withdrawal of England from Java and Sumatra and the cession ofJUalacca by Holland laid down the principle of British supremacy in tho Peninsula and Dutch supremacy in the Archipelago. Tho keynote of Dutch policy was monopoly and exclusion; that of Britain free trade and immigration, and both have succeeded. _ It was owing to the strenuous and patriotic exertions of Sir Stamford ftaflles that wo possess Malaya at all. The British Government of ttio clay would have surrendered everything. Prom the British point of view it seems a great pity that we ever gave up Java and Sumatra at all, for these aro both magnificent countries (the latter still awaiting development), rich in natural resources. The former now supports a population of about 40,000,000. On the other hand, it is generally admitted that tho Dutch govern these possessions well. Tho present importance of the States lies in the fact that they furnish the world with more than two-thirds of its total supply of tin. RESULTS 01? BRITISH RULE. British ride has given justice and security ; abolished slavery, piracy, smallpox, and cholera: provided free education, built hospitals, constructed over 2,500 miles of excellent metalled roads and 800 miles of railway and has enormously enriched tho country by opening up mines and planting rubber and cocoanuts. The Sultan of Perak, who Hnd.lv entertained me-Vi his palace at Kuala Kangsar, spoke in the highest terms of the benefits derived by bis country from the British Government, which advises his Administration. The States contributed 1,000 officers to tho army and navy during the recent war, besides one superb Dreadnought (the Malaya), thirty to forty aeroplanes, and £2,000,000 war loan. This was a fine illustration of loyalty, and a further striking testimony to the security, justice, and order which British government confers is offered by tho way tho Chinese flock into the country. THE MALAYAN PEOPLE. Mislike me not for my Tho shadowed livery of tho burnished 1 sun.

The Malaya aro coffee-colored, with abundant black hair, brown eyes, nose rather flat and wide, square chin, good teeth. They aro of medium stature, and all ■wear a sarong—a long cloth, usually with cheek pattern—below tho ■waist, and are either naked above or wear a cotton jacket. Tho velveteen or cloth cap on the head shows they aro Mohammedans. Tho feet are bare, and' they practise circumcision. They are excellent swimmers. They aro by no means obsequious, and like to be treated by the British aa equals. Some of tho younger men are inclined to swagger, but aire polite enough when treated with civility, Young children wear no clothing, are hardly ever chastised, and eat and Bleep when they please. Tire boys liavo to learn the Koran; it is unnecessary in the case ( of girls, as is any kind of booklearning. The Malayans' only sports appear to be cock-fighting and gambling. Since the thirteenth century they have been Mohammedans, but not very strict. Every man carries a kris— i.e., a large vicious-looking knife—which he uses for a variety of purposes, eometirnes on the man who offends him; but he does not like it to be handled by a stranger. He thinks ( a white man's dress and gome of his_ customs, such as dancing, very indelicate. Ilia own women are supposed to hold jio conversation with men before marriage, and aro pretty strictly guarded •afterwards. They marry at from seventeen to twenty. After puberty the Malay girl must cover her face if she loaves the house, and must go out very little. Most Malaya live on the kind, either as owners or cultivators, but many are employed ns motor car drivers, clerks, police, any light employment. Heavy or hard work they will not do. Practically all the manual labor of the country is done by Chinese or Indians—mostly by the former, who form 60 per cent, of tho population, and Who by their industry—and vices—furnish 74 per cent, of the revenue They are miners, market gardonors, artisans, shopkeepers, contractors, financiers. The Malay, on the other hand, can live with very little labor, and prefers to ait and watch others work. I sometimes feel a little that wiay myself! It may surprise some of my readers to learn mat there aro few tropical countries of any commercial importance in which the work is not being done by imported labor. If you try to get the work done by natdvo labor by moans of increased .wagea, the native simply reduces his output of labor, for his needs are few and easily met. Ho plants a little rice and a (few fruit trees, does a little fishing—and ;wbat more does ho need? Up to tho point where he wishes to gratify some acquired taste in food or clothing, tho native of Ijlie tropics finds himself furnished by Nature with all he needs at a very small expenditure of energy—and this usually jiiis wife's! THE MALAY HOME. A .'Malay houso is similar to that of the Philippines and of Burma. It is built; of bamboo,'with roughly-made supports;. and entrance is gained by means of a short ladder. The roof is thatched with the leaves o£ the Nipa palm, a species of palm grown solely for this purpose. This roof lasts for four of five years. There is « rough floor, where washing and cooking are done, with apertures between the boards or canes through which tho water drops to the ground beneath. In a poor man's house there is a cooking and dining S-oom containing a few cooking utensils, 'and hardly any other- furniture, laid a bedroom*"tho latter having a door, according to Mohammedan ideas of female seclusion. The Malays ato not a city ' jwftPte» JftfP* pivifetiPA beinffi adapted; to

a country rather than a city life. _ The Karnpong ,or village, is their unit of society, and contains from 2,000 to 1,000 inhabitants; and in each Karnpong there is a Pnghulu, or headman, whose office is hereditary, and who is the political and social head of the community—a sort of perpetual mayor. Then thoro is the imam, who conducts religious ceremonies and teaches tire Koran. In some places, in Malacca (e.g.), 'which I visited, every boy is required to go to school, and thero is' a Malay college where teachers are trained. 'Being Mohammedans, ; the Malayan men are privileged (?) to have four wives, but I believe most of them—like some Australians—find it sufficiently difficult to support and manage one. MALAYAN SUPERSTITIONS. Like all primitive peoples, the Malayans are superstitious. They believe in witchcraft; make wax figures to represent an enemy, and then stick pins into it in tho holier 1 thai their enemy will get sick in that part of the body." A Kapal Hantu, or lioat of .Spirits, about sft long and fully ringed, is built and launched with great ceremony, and believed to carry away all sickness from the village. They also have great faith in charms. Sir Frank Swetlenham says that during a cholera epidemic he found there had been a good many deaths, but remarked the absence of the usual panic. On inquiry he found that a medicine man had appeared, and f'ld a cholera specific at a dollar. Sir Frank asked to see it. All held out (heir hands, and showed a small piece of string tied round the wrist. "Is that all?"" "Yes, that is all." "Where is the medicine man?" "He has left the district." "How many people bought .the specific?" "About 500."' " Well, j the man has robbed you." "Why?" "Because the thing he sold you is useless—only a bit of string." "We told him so, but he promised that if anyone who bought a charm was attacked bv cholera and died ho would refund the dollar!"