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. The British Advisers have 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 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 1345 (corresponding partly with 1927) the revenue was $614,665 and expenditure $630,768, as compared with $594,098 and $563,004 in the previous year. With the transference of suzerainty a debt of $495,394 was taken over by the F.M.S. The debt now stands at $100,000.
Kangar, the Government Headquarters, is a busy little town of about 2,000 inhabitants. The shop-keepers besides selling sundry goods also export padi-the staple product of the country-as well as ducks and fowls forthe Penang market. The chief imports are cottons for native clothing, kerosene, tobacco and sundry odds and ends used by the Malay country people. H.H. the Raja lives at Arau, 6 miles from Kangar, on the Main Trunk Railway from Singapore to Bangkok. 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, kerosene and petroleum. The general duty of 5 per cent. on exports has been abolished and replaced by duties on rice, tin-ore, rubber, jungle produce and other specifie products. In 1345 (Mahommedan reckoning), 5,551 piculs 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 ex- ported 3,745 piculs in 1345.
DIRECTORY
MEMBERS OF STATE COUNCIL
H.H. The Raja, Tuan Syed Alwi, C.B.E.,
president
Syed Hamzah, vice-president
Syed Idrus
The British Adviser
Haji Muhammad Nor
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Adviser-P. S. Williams, M.C.S.
Commissioner of Lands-Syed Idrus Judges-Haji Ahmad, Syed Hussin and
Syed Mustapha
Collector of Customs-Muhammad Arshad Treasurer-Wan Ahmad
Chief of Police-Che Matt
Chief Kathi-Haji Muhammad Nor