THE EARLY BRITISH ADMINISTRATORS IN THE MALAY STATES, 1874-1909

Abstract

British intervention in the Malay States began in Perak with the signing of the Pangkor Agreement of 1874 which provided for the appointment of an official Resident whom the British could rely upon for advice. J.W.W. Birch became the first Resident of Perak. Later in the same year, British authority was extended to Selangor and Sungai Ujung, and in 1888 to Pahang. British intervention led to rapid economic growth in the four Malay States, the pace of which was accelerated through Colonial Office support for investments following the formation of the Federation in 1896. However there were conflicts between officials at different levels of the command chain in regards to approval for capital investments in the Malay States. The policies of the administrators differed, as was clearly evident in the agriculture and mining sectors. It is therefore pertinent to understand what led to such contradictions in the decision making process and whether the officials’ backgrounds could have influenced their attitudes towards the administrative, economic and social policies that were enforced in the Malay states. This article will explore such conflicts and analyse their underlying causes, and thereby will help explain how colonial administration and administrators shaped the course of British imperial history.