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and　good　administration　generally　secured；　but　had　any　reigning　prince
attempted　to　carry　out　these　recommendations　he　would　have　been
overborne　by　the　Rajahs；　whose　revenues　depended　on　the　very　practices
which　the　Resident　denounced；　and　by　the　piratical　bands　whose　source
of　livelihood　was　the　weakness　and　mal…administration　of　the　rulers。
The　Pangkor　Treaty　contained　the　words　that　the　Resident's　advice
〃_must　be　acted　upon_；〃　and　consequently　the　Residents　have　taken　the
direction　of　public　affairs；　organizing　armed　forces；　imposing　taxes；
taking　into　their　own　hands　the　collection　of　the　revenues；　receiving
all　complaints；　executing　justice；　punishing　evil…doers；　apprehending
criminals；　and　repressing　armed　gangs　of　robbers。　These　officers　are；
in　fact；　far　more　the　agents　of　the　Governor　of　the　Straits　Settlements
than　the　advisers　of　the　native　princes；　and　though　paid　out　of　native
revenues　are　the　virtual　rulers　of　the　country　in　all　matters；　except
those　which　relate　to　Malay　religion　and　custom。　As　stated　by　Lord
Carnarvon；　〃Their　special　objects　should　be　the　maintenance　of　peace
and　law；　the　initiation　of　a　sound　system　of　taxation；　with　the
consequent　development　of　the　general　resources　of　the　country；　and　the
supervision　of　the　collection　of　the　revenue　so　as　to　insure　the
receipt　of　funds　necessary　to　carry　out　the　principal　engagements　of
the　Government；　and　to　pay　for　the　cost　of　British　officers　and
whatever　establishments　may　be　found　necessary　to　support　them。〃　Lord
Carnarvon　in　the　same　dispatch　states：　〃Neither　annexation　nor　the
government　of　the　country　by　British　officers　in　the　name　of　the　Sultan
＇a　measure　very　little　removed　from　annexation＇　could　be　allowed；〃　and
elsewhere　he　says：　〃It　should　be　our　present　policy　to　find　and　train
up　some　chief　or　chiefs　of　sufficient　capacity　and　enlightenment　to
appreciate　the　advantages　of　a　civilized　government；　and　to　render　some
effectual　assistance　in　the　government　of　the　country。〃

The　treaty　of　Pangkor　provides　〃that　the　Resident's　advice　must　be
asked　and　acted　upon　（in　Perak）　on　all　questions　other　than　those
relating　to　Malay　religion　and　custom；　and　that　the　collection　and
control　of　all　revenue　and　the　general　administration　of　the　country
must　be　regulated　under　the　advice　of　these　Residents。〃　It　was　on　the
same　terms　that　Residents　were　appointed　at　Selangor　and　Sungei　Ujong。



APPENDIX　B

Slavery　in　the　Malay　States。

Langat；　30th　June；　1875。

SirWhen　on　board　the　Colonial　steamer　Pluto　last　week；　accompanying
His　Excellency　the　Governor　in　a　tour　to　some　of　the　native　States；　His
Excellency　made　inquiry　of　me　with　regard　to　the　present　state　of
debt…slavery　in　the　Peninsula。

This　was　a　subject　so　large　and　important　as　hardly　to　admit　of
thorough　explanation　in　a　conversation；　I　therefore　asked　His
Excellency's　leave　to　report　upon　it。

I　now　beg　to　give　you　a　detailed　account　of　the　circumstances　of
debt…slavery　as　known　to　me　personally。

In　treating　the　question　under　its　present　conditionI　mean　under
Malay　ruleit　is　necessary　to　consider　the　all…but　slavery　of　the
debtors　and　the　difficulty　of　making　any　arrangement　between　debtor　and
creditor　which　while　it　frees　the　one　will　satisfy　the　other；　and　still
be　in　keeping　with　the　〃adat　Malayu；〃　as　interpreted　in　these　States。

The　relative　positions　of　debtor　and　creditor　in　the　Western　States；
more　especially　in　Perak；　involve　evils　which　are；　I　believe；　quite
unknown　to　Europeans；　even　those　living　so　near　as　Singapore。

The　evils　to　which　I　refer　have　hitherto　been　regarded　as　unavoidable；
and　a　part　of　the　ordinary　relations　between　Rajahs　and　subjects。

I　may　premise　by　saying　that　though　the　system　of　〃debt…slavery；〃　as
it　has　been　called；　exists　to　some　extent　in　all　the　States；　it　is　only
seen　in　its　worst　light　where　a　Rajah　or　chief　is　the　creditor　and　a
subject　the　debtor。

Few　subjects　in　a　Malay　country　are　well　off。　The　principal　reason　of
this　is；　that　as　soon　as　a　man　or　woman　is　known　to　be　in　possession　of
money；　he　or　she　would　be　robbed　by　the　Rajah；　or　the　money　would　be
borrowed　with　no　intention　of　future　payment；　whether　the　subject
wished　to　lend　or　not。

Thus；　when　a　Ryot　（or　subject）　is　in　want　of　money；　he　goes　to　his
Rajah　or　chief　to　lend　it　him；　because　he　alone　can　do　so。　Either　money
or　goods　are　then　lent；　and　a　certain　time　stipulated　for　payment。　If
at　the　expiration　of　that　time　the　money　is　not　paid；　it　is　usual　to
await　some　time　longer；　say　two　or　three；　or　even　six　months。

Should　payment　not　then　be　made；　the　debtor；　if　a　single　man；　is　taken
into　the　creditor's　house；　he　becomes　one　of　his　followers；　and　is
bound　to　execute　any　order　or　do　any　work　the　Rajah　as　creditor　may
demand；　until　the　debt　is　paid；　however　long　a　time　that　may　be。

During　this　time　the　Rajah　usually　provides　the　debtor　with　food　and
clothing；　but　if　the　creditor　gives　him　money；　that　money　is　added　to
the　debt。

Often；　however；　the　Rajah　gives　nothing；　and　the　debtor　has　to　find
food　and　clothing　as　he　can。

Should　the　debtor　marryand　the　Rajah　will　in　all　probability　find　him
a　wifethen　the　debtor's　wife；　his　children；　his　grandchildren；　all
become　equally　bound　with　himself　to　the　payment　of　this　debt。

Should　the　debtor　be　originally　married；　then　not　only　he；　but　his　wife
and　children；　are　taken　into　the　Rajah's　house；　and　are　his　to　order
until　the　debt　is　paid。

Should　the　debtor　be　a　woman；　unmarried；　or　a　widow；　the　same　course　is
taken；　and　whoever　marries　her　becomes　jointly　responsible　for　the
debt；　and　this　goes　on　through　generationsthe　children　and
grandchildren　of　the　debtor　being　held　in　the　same　bondage　by　the
children　and　grandchildren　of　the　creditor。

Should　at　any　time　the　debtor　succeed　in　raising　the　amount　of　the　debt
and　proffer　it　to　the　creditor；　then　it　would　be　customary　to　accept
it。　If；　however；　a　large　family　were　in　bondage　for　the　debt；　one　whose
numbers　seemed　to　the　Rajah　to　add　to　his　dignity；　then　he　would
probably　refuse　to　accept　payment；　not　absolutely；　but　would　say
〃wait；〃　and　the　waiting　might　last　for　years。

Debtors　once　absorbed　into　the　Rajah's　household　are　looked　upon　as　his
property；　just　as　his　bullocks　or　his　goats；　and　those　who　alone　would
have　the　power　to　interfere　look　on　and　say　nothing；　because　they　do
the　same　themselves。

In　different　States　this　debtor…bondage　is　carried　to　greater　or　less
extremities；　but　in　Perak　the　cruelties　exercised　toward　debtors　are
even　exclaimed　against　by　Malays　in　other　States。

Many　chiefs　in　Perak　have　a　following　principally　composed　of　young　men
and　girls；　for　the　most　part　debtors。

The　men　are　treated　as　I　have　already　describedeither　food　and
clothes　are　found　for　them　or　not；　they　are　usually　foundfor　the
Rajah's　power　and　his　pride　consists　in　the　number　of　arms…bearing
followers　he　has　at　his　beck　and　call；　men；　too；　are　useful　to　him　in
many　other　ways。　　Those　who　have　grown　old　in　their　bondage；　whether
men　or　women；　either　for　very　shame　the　Rajah　provides　for；　or　he
compels　their　children　to　support　them。

The　men　either　（1）　follow　because　they　like　it　（a　very　small　percentage
indeed）；　or　（2）　they　are　debtors；　or　the　children　of　debtors；　or　（3）
they　are　real　slaves　from　Sumatra　or　Abyssinia；　or　the　children　of
slaves。

The　girls　are　treated　differently；　they　are　（1）　either　slaves　or　the
daughters　of　slaves；　or　（2）　debtors；　the　daughters　or　granddaughters　of
debtors；　or　（3）　the　Rajah　has　simply　taken　them　from　their　houses　into
his　own　house　because　he　wanted　them；　or　（4）　they　follow　him　for
pleasure。

In　Perak　some　of　the　chiefs　do　not　provide　their　girls　with　food　or
clothing；　but　they　tell　them　to　get　these　necessaries　of　life　as　best
they　can；　i。e。；　by　prostitutionfor　the　labor　of　the　debtor　being　the
property　of　the　creditor；　prostitution　is　in　this　case　a　necessity　and
not　a　choice。

Each　Rajah　in　his　own　district　claims　the　privilege　of　fining；　either
for　a　capital　offence　or　for　a　trifling　misdeed。　Should；　then；　a　man　be
fined　and　not　pay　the　fine；　he　and　his　family；　if　he　has　one；　are　at
once　taken　into　this　debt…bondage；　not　to　work　out　the　fine；　but　to
toil　away　their　lives　amid　blows　and　upbraidingsthe　daughters　driven
to　prostitution；　the　sons　to　thieving；　and　even　greater　crimes。

This　is　no　exaggerated　statement；　but　the　plain　truth。

When　the　Rajah　gives　nothing；　neither　food　nor　clothes；　or　when　he　is　a
passionate　man；　and　threatens　to　kill　one　or　other　of　his　followers　for
some　trivial　offence；　or　for　no　offence　at　all；　it　often　happens　that
one　will　seek　refuge　in　flight。　If　caught；　though；　it　may　be　said　to　be
the　received　custom　to　inflict　only　some　slight　punishment；　yet　that
would　not　deter　a　Rajah　from　punishing　such　an　offence　even　with　death
should　it　seem　good　to　him。

Bond…debtors　are　handed　about　from　one　Rajah　to　another　without　a
thought　of　consulting　them。　If　one　runs　away　and　is　caught；　it　is　at
great　risk　of　being　put　to　death；　while　probably　no　one　would　move　a
finger　to　save　him；　his　master　excusing　himself　on　the　plea　that　it　is
necessary　to　frighten　others　from　running