The impact of Residential System in Malaya

• J.W.W Birch was the first British resident appointed in Perak in 1874.
• Birch was murdered by Perak chiefs in 1875 at Pasir Salak.
• Birch was unsuccessful in Perak because:

  1. Not fluent in Malay.
  2. Lacked understanding about culture and customs of Malay people.
  3. Introduced reforms drastically and was uncompromising with the chiefs. (Eg; abolishment of debt slavery)
• JWW Birch introduced a new system of taxation where all revenue collected would be centralized and managed under the Resident's treasury.

  -> Raja Abdullah and malay chiefs lost their source of income from taxes.
• Birch introduced new system of law: Civil code and criminal law to replace traditional law system.
• Birch was murdered on 1st November 1875.
• People involved in Birch's murder was Raja Abdullah, Laksamana, Shahbandar, Ngah Ibrahim, Dato Maharaja Lela, Dato Sagor and Pandak Ingut.
• The British Governor of Straits Settlements, Governor Jervois, launched an attack of Perak.
• Dato Sagor was captured, Dato Maharaja Lela and Pandak Ingut surrendered and sentenced to death by hanging.
• Raja Abdullah, Laksamana, Shahbandar and Ngah Ibrahim were exiled to Sychelles island.
• JG Davidson replaced Birch as second resident in Perak but resigned in 1877.
• Sir Hugh Low worked in Labuan for nearly 30 years, was accustomed to Malay traditions, showed respect for Malay culture and took an understanding approach when introducing reforms.
• Hugh low set up the Perak state council which included Malay, British and Chinese members.

  State meetings included views and opinions from different ethnicities.
• Hugh low divided Perak into several districts and created a Judiciary Board where one Malay judge worked alongside a European judge.
• Low created the Resident's treasury to collect and manage Perak's taxes and revenue.
• Low was able to pay off Malaya's debt by growing it's economy.

  He built a transportation system at Kinta Valley and introduced more organized land laws which boosted tin mining activities.
• Low allowed distribution of rubber seeds to encourage agriculture.

  First rubber seeds were down in the Low's residence compound in Kuala Kangsar.
• Why intervene in Selangor?

  • Klang was the centre of economy.
  • Civil war between Raja Abdullah, Raja Mahadi and Tengku Kudin.
  • Chinese miners' wars.
  • Pirate attacks and raids through the Malacca straits
• In November 1873, 8 crew members of a British merchant ship were killed in a pirate attack. Thus, in October 1874, British forced Sultan Abdul Samad to accept JG Davidson as first British resident in Selangor.
• Negeri Sembilan was made up of Sungai Ujung, Rembau and Jelebu districts
• Why did the British intervene in Negeri Sembilan?

  1. Frequent clashes between Malay chiefs and merchants.
  2. Dispute arose between the chiefs. (Tengku Laksamana, Raja Laut and Datuk Bandar Kulup Tunggal)
• W.J.J Statham was appointed as the Assisted Residents of Sungai Ujung in April 1874. In 1880, Jelebu and Rembau took on a British advisor.

  In 1895, all three states and Seri Menanti was unified as one state known as Negeri Sembilan and accepted Martin Lister as the Resident
• Reasons for British intervention in Pahang:

  • Good geographical location
  • Rich in natural resources
• Pahang civil war involved a power struggle between Sultan Ahmad and his brother, Tengku Muda Wan Mansur
• Cecil Clementi, the Acting Straits Settlements Governor, did not want war and Sultan Ahmad agreed to pardon his brother to avoid British intervention
• Sultan Ahmad allowed Hugh Clifford to be appointed as the British representative on 9th October 1887
• In February 1888, Goh Hui, a British citizen of Chinese ancestry, was murdered near the Sultan's palace, leading to the sultan accepting JP Rodger as resident in October 1888