PERLIS
This is the smallest of the Malay States, the area being about 316 square miles. It is situated to the north of Kedah, and its conditions are practically identical with those of Kedah. Mr. Meadows Frost, the first British Adviser, followed the policy which marks British control in the Federated Malay States, and the active co-operation of the Raja and his Council has led to a great improvement in the internal administration since the assumption of British suzerainty in 1909. The Federated Malay States have recently completed the extension of their railway system through Perlis to link up with the Siamese railway system. Rail communication with Bangkok has been maintained
since the 1st July, 1918.
The population at the census of 1921 comprised 40,087 persons, of whom 34,165 were Malays and 3,602 Chinese. The revenue, which in the first year of British Protection was $102,522, has increased steadily year by year. For the Mohammedan year 1340 (corresponding partly with 1922) the revenue was $369,187 and expenditure $315,587, as compared with $341,420 and $337,331 in the previous year. With the transference of suzerainty a debt of $495,394 was taken over by the F.M.S. $450,000.
The debt now stands at
There is very little to be said of the trade of Perlis. In Kangar there is one street of shops, whose proprietors besides selling sundry goods also export padi-the staple product of the country-as well as ducks and fowls for the Penang market. The chief imports are cottons for native clothing, kerosene, tobacco and sundry odds and ends used by the Malay country people. In 1910 the State Council abolished the general duty of 3 per cent. on imported goods and now the only goods taxed on import are spirits, beer, wine, tobacco and kerosene. The general duty of 5 per cent. on exports has been abolished and replaced by duties on tin-ore, rubber, jungle produce and other specific products. In 1340 (Mahommedan reckoning), 458 tons of tin-ore were exported. Many of the lime-stone hills of Perlis contain caves rich in guano deposits. The chief native cultivation is padi. Rubber is represented by a few native plantations which exported 330 piculs in 1340.
DIRECTORY
MEMBERS OF STATE COUNCIL
H. H. Raja Syed Alwi, president
T. W. Clayton, adviser
Syed Hamzah
Datoh Wan Teh
Haji Mohamed Nor
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Adviser-T. W. Clayton (acting)
Commissioner of Lands-Syed Idrus
Judges-Haji Mohamed, Syed Husin, Syd
Mustapha
Commissioner of Customs
Arshad
Treasurer-Wan Ahmad
Mohamed
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