The Place of Immigrants in the formation of the “Malay” Framework in British Malaya

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the interaction between the British government and local society in the process of selecting of native headmen in Selangor, British Malaya from 1874 till World War II.The British incorporated native headmen as a part of the administrative system with the title of Penghulu. Previous works about Penghulus in historical analysis were mainly focused on their administrative functions. However, their social backgrounds should be more taken into account, as their backgrounds could reflect characteristics of the local society. State administration documents such as Selangor Secretariat Files prove that various parties took part in the process of selection of Penghulus.The case of Selangor shows the important role played by immigrants. Although Penghulus are supposed to be attached to the local society, it was not the case in Selangor because a large number of immigrants were within Malay population in that state. Immigrants formed communities by bangsa, their origin. The communities often made applications towards the government for authorising their own headmen. The British regarded Penghulus as headmen among ‘natives’ including immigrants. Thus, Penghulus in the late 19th century were in some cases representatives of immigrant communities from Sumatra, Java and neighboring states such as Pahang and Negri Sembilan.In addition, the case of Penghulus in Selangor vaises questions about the concept of ‘bangsa Melayu.’ In the 20th century, Penghulus had changed their character from native headmen to local Malay officers. Along the process, the official framework of the ‘Malays’ superseded each bangsa and Penghulus were to be locally born Malays. The attitude of the government towards authorizing immigrant headmen had changed to be negative and this perception had been shared by the local society. Meanwhile, village headmen, authorized under Penghulu since 1910's, took the role as representatives of their own bangsa, immigrant communities continued to be bangsa-conscious even after they settled down. The government put the framework of bangsa under the framework of ‘Malay’ by putting village headmen under Penghulus.Penghulu ships offered opportunities for Malay immigrant communities to make their claim to the colonial administration. The framework of bangsa had also been utilized by non-Malay immigrant communities such as Javanese and Banjarese to participate in selecting ‘Malay’ officers. The framework of ‘Malay’ had taken its shape along with the settlement of immigrants as the result of interactions. Penghulus in Selangor reflect the process of adaptation of the local society to adapt to the colonial framework. These interaction would set a new perspective on the historical process of the formation of the framework of ‘Malay’ in British Malaya.