MANIFESTASI SUATU TENAGA BARU: PERANAN KERAJAAN DALAM MEMBANGUNKAN KEMUDAHAN BEKALAN ELEKTRIK

Abstract

An interesting development in the history of the Federated Malay States (FMS) was the production and supply of electricity power. It was widely considered as a new source of energy to meet the electrical needs of the economic sectors and the general public. The supply of electrical utility in the Federation commenced at the end of the 19th century, but its significant growth only really began with the involvement of the government and, to some extent, private companies. This article discusses the development of electric supply facility in the FMS until 1941 to evaluate the extent to which the government had played influential roles in that regard. By perusing a number of primary sources such as the Colonial Office Records (C.Os. 273, 576 and 716, particularly), state government files and annual reports, there are substantial evidences to suggest that both entities – private companies and the government – did play vital roles in providing electric supply. Private agencies attempted and managed to build power plants to facilitate mining activities in certain areas. The government, on the other hand, also had major electric manufactories constructed. The government quickly gained commanding voice in the industry with the formulation of electricity legislatures and, importantly, the establishment of the Electrical Department. This department enabled a more comprehensive electricity supply, unlike private agencies which were only able to cover limited areas. These developments clearly show the more prominent roles of the government in matters relating to the supply of electricity in the FMS.