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One had her husband living and the other had a child, her husband having just been murdered at Jellabu. Peace having been restored, it was stated that Unku Haji intended to claim back these women as his debtors. I spoke to both of them, and they told me that, whilst living in Unku Haji's house, he never gave them either food or clothes, but that they were compelled to prostitution to support themselves.
Bond-debtors are handed about from one Rajah to another without a thought of consulting them. If one runs away and is caught, it is at great risk of being put to death, whilst probably no one would move a finger to save him, his master excusing himself on the plea that it is necessary to frighten others from running away also.
At present there are here about 75 Salangore people, men, women, and children, refugees from that district, and owners of plantations there, all of them indebted to the Toh Bandar of Langat, who refuses to allow them to leave Langat until they have satisfied his claims, whilst they have no money to pay their debts, and are increasing them every month by borrowing more,
One of these Salangore people, a woman named Metia, came to me and told me that the Toh Bandar had arranged to move to Salangore with all his debtors. She said she owed him 56 dollars, and that for that debt she, her three children, her father and mother were all bound to him,
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She was a woman of about 35 years old, and seemed utterly miserable. The Toh Bandar, she said, was fairly good to them, but he hardly ever gave them food, clothes, or money (I did not ask how she got them, because I had been told it was done in the usual way); but his wife, she said, it was impossible to bear. Herself and her children, whilst made to do any work they could do, were abused and beaten, and were made to sleep in the Bandar's house to prevent their running away during the night.
She appeared to have been a debtor all her life, and told me much of the cruel way in which she had been treated.
Metia said she had asked every one she knew in Langat to pay her debt, but no one would do so. Here, she said, she could just exist, but in Salangore it would be impossible, and she begged me with tears to pay her debt, and let her, her parents and children, be my servants, to cut wood and carry water, clear jungle or make paddy-fields, to all of which, she said, she was accustomed.
These Raja-creditors would tell you smilingly that they knew by Mahometan law the creditors can take and sell all their debtor's property for an overdue debt, and that then the debtor is free; but they never act on that principle.
Many men and women, however, daily incur debts, knowing well what lies before them in case of non-payment.
Malays, by their laws, are allowed to buy and sell slaves, and if, having for years lost sight of a slave, the owner finds him or her, he takes the slave with his wife and family, if he has one, as his lawful property.
Twenty years ago, one of the Sultan of Salangore's wives had a Battak slave, a female, whom she had bought for 40 dollars. A man ran away with the slave to Sungie Ujong, and there she got into the hands of the Datu Bandar of Sungie Ujong, who says he bought her. The Sultan's wife hearing the woman was in Sungie Ujong with the Bandar, sent a messenger with 40 dollars to redeem her. The Bandar, however, had taken a fancy to the woman, and said “Yes, she is in my house take her," which, of course, was, speaking to one man, as good as saying he would keep her. The Bandar kept her and made ber his concubine, and she had a daughter by him. This daughter is now grown up, and is married to the legitimate successor to the Toh Bandarabip of Sungie Ujong, and she has three children by him.
When in December last the Toh Bandar fled to Langat with his family, the original slave, her daughter, and her three grand-children were all claimed by the Sultan's wife, and they acknowledged the claim, and even went to her house. I urged the Sultan to forego his right, which he at once did, though those to whom the case had been referred were of opinion that the claim of the creditor was a just one.
There is one other phase of debtor-bondage, and that a common one, were the father or mother places one or more of their own children as security with the creditor for a debt; thus in reality selling their own flesh and blood into often a life-long bondage. If these children die in the creditor's hands, the parents supply their places by others, or the Rajsh, should he wish it, can at any time after the debt is due take the whole family into his house.
Only the other day, a man here, for a debt of 40 dollars, placed his daughter in a Raja's hands and ran away. Probably he will never return; meanwhile, the girl wust obey her master in all things like the veriest slave. Such a state of things as this in only brought about by the custom which allows it.
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Another common practice in the States, more especially in Perak, is to capture, as you might wild beasts, the unoffending Jacoon women, and make them and their children slaves through generations.
In April I was in Ulu Salangore, and the head men there complained that a chief from Slim had a fortnight before caught 14 Jacoons and one Malay in Ulu Salangore, had chained them, and driven them off to Slim. Arrived there, the Malay was liberated, and he returned.
Letters were written to Slim and Perak, but though we ascertained the party had reached Slim, they did not remain there, and they have not yet been discovered.
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I have already stated that the Raja looks to the number of his followers as the of his power, and other Rajas will respect and fear him accordingly. Thus he tries to get men into his service in this way, and is rather inclined to refuse payment should the debtor be so fortunate as to raise the requisite amount of his debt.
Almost the only chance the debtor has of raising this amount is by successful gambling. Of course, it hardly ever happens that he is successful, but, like all gamblers, he always thinks he will be, and thus gambling becomes a mania with him, which he will gratify at all costs, caring little by what means he gets money for play so long as he does obtain it. These are the general facts relating to the position of the slave debtor, and these things which I have described, seemingly so difficult of belief, are done almost daily, looked upon by those who do them as a right divine; by the victims as a fate from which there is no reprieve.
To compel his followers to obey him implicitly, the Raja treats them with a severity which sometimes makes death the punishment of the slightest offence to him. These followers he thus holds to do whatever he bids them, even to the commission of the gravest crimes.
They, again, having to provide themselves with food and clothes, and yet having to work for him, are led to prey on the defenceless population, from whom, in the name of their Raja master, they extort whatever there is to get, and on whom they sometimes visit those cruelties which they have themselves already experienced.
This system of debtor-bondage influences then the whole population, not slightly but deeply, in ways it is hardly possible to credit, except when seen in a constant inter- course with all classes of Malay society.
The question at issue seems to be how to deprive the Raja of this great power-an unscrupulous instrument in unscrupulous hands-how to free the debtors from their bondage, the women from lives of forced prostitution, the unoffending population from the robberies and murderous freaks of Rajas and their bondsmen,
The evil is not. nearly so great in Salangore; for one reason, the Malay population in Salangore is only five per cent. of that in Perak, and in that five per cent, there are but few Rajas who can afford to keep followers, whilst it is not likely that such cases of cruel murder as I have instanced would again be attempted; and, above all, the Sultan would, I believe, be ready to listen to any proposal for improving the condition of debtors in Salangore.
In Perak it is different; the debtor-bondage is one of the chief customs one of the "pillars of the State"-an abuse jealousy guarded by the Perak Rajas and Chiefs, and especially by those who make the worst uses of it.
I have often discussed this question of debt-slavery with the Malays themselves, but they say they see no way under the rule of their Rajas to put down this curse of their country, with all the evils that follow in ita train.
I have, &c. (Signed) FRANK A. SWETTENHAM,
Her Britannic Majesty's Asistant Resident, Salangore.
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The Hon. the Secretary for Native States, Singapore, Straits Settlements.
(After compliments.)
Enclosure 10. in No. 48. [See decompanying Sketch.]
Enclosure 11. in No. 48.
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Sultan Ismail to Governor Sir W. JervoIS.
My friend said to me that my friend was very anxious to help me and my country.
I shall be most glad to receive any help which will be in accordance with the engage- ments entered into by former Sultans in old times with the English Company, and acknowledged by Her Majesty Queen Victoria in England, and which will perpetuate those engagements.
G 2
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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TICO.
882
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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