CO882-10

493

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

882 /10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

They met on January 22, 1923, and recorded their views in a minute which is given in the enclosure to this despatch.

9. Speaking in the Federal Council on the 23rd January, 1923, I made the following announcement of policy in respect of the State Councils, referring at the same time to the increased representation upon the Federal Council :-

In my annual address at the last Federal Council, I expressed the hope that it might be possible to increase the functions and powers of the State Councils. During the session of the Council, the Chief Secretary to Govern. ment and I discussed the matter with Their Highnesses the Rulers and the British Residents, and it was decided that the Residents should confer and submit concrete proposals for approval. It will, I hope, be possible to arrange that the Estimates for next year relating to certain services, the District Offices and the Sanitary Boards, for instance, shall be passed by the State Councils. In several other ways, it should be possible to lay upon the State Councils the burden and responsibility of work now performed by the Federal Government. With this increase in the functions and powers of the State Councils, it is for Their Highnesses, who have full power in the matter, to consider whether it may be desirable to increase the membership of the State Councils.

}

The question of increasing the representation upon the Federal Council has received the most careful consideration, and it has been decided to strengthen it by the addition of a Malay member and another Chinese member. It must be remembered that the Federal Council is an institution which is very young in years it was created by an agreement dated the 20th October, 1909, and it is little more than 13 years old. Having regard to the unique constitution of the Federation, and to its youth, it is of vital importance that no step should be taken to alter the representation upon the Federal Council until it is certain beyond all reasonable doubt that the change is in the true interests of the Malays.",

10. In this most important matter of obtaining the proper relations and proportions between the State Councils and the Federal Council, it is necessary proceed with the greatest caution, after the careful study of all the various facts of the case and aspects of the problem; and this must be my excuse for addressing Your Grace in such detail upon the subject.

I have, &c.,

Enclosure 1 in No. 4,

L. N. GUILLEMARD.

Extract from a Memorandum by the Chief Secretary to Government, dated 10th September, 1922.

I wish in this paper to discuss only the proposal to increase the powers of the State Councils.

I would like to have the views of the Residents on the following suggestions:-

(A) All applications for concessions of any kind to go to the State Council, i.e., paper, matches, china-clay, wood-distillation.

(B) All applications for agricultural and mining concessions in excess of the Resident's power to go to the State Council.

(D) Certain headings of expenditure to be removed from the considera- tion of the Federal Council, and to be handed over to the State Councils. For instance :---

Heading No. 2.

The Sultans, Major Chiefs and Native Officers." (N.B.

This heading varies in the different States. The expression "Native Officers is rather misleading, because of the connection of ideas with native officers in Indian regiments; and it is sometimes objected sa being derogatory. "The Sultan and Chiefs" would seem to meet the case.)

Heading No. 3. Heading No. 7. Heading No. 22. Heading No. 23.

Heading No. 24.

"The Resident." "District Officers."

Sanitary Boards.”

Mosquito Destruction Boards" (subject to some proviso

regarding the Malaria Advisory Board). "Vehicles."

Of course, there must be safeguards in respect of all these suggestions. For instance, in respect of "A" and “B” the Resident would ask for the Chief Secretary's consent to his putting certain definite proposals before the State Councils. If the State Council approved, or disapproved, its decision would be final (subject to appeal to the Secretary of State). If the State Council wished to make any variation, the Resident would use his discretion whether the variation was of sufficient importance to render it necessary for him to refer back to the Chief Secretary. If the variation was immaterial, he would agree, and the decision would stand.

Similarly, in respect of "C" there would be some limit. But no provision would be made in the Estimates. We in the Federal Council would bear in mind that the State Councils had certain powers within certain limits.

In respect of "D" I would like to be able to tell the State Councils early in each year that, in respect of the forthcoming year, there will be available for expenditure a lump sum under each heading, and that the lump sum will be (i) the same as that in the current year, or (ii) x per cent. less than it or (iii) y per cent. more than it; and that it is left to the discretion of the State Council how the money is to be spent. Obviously, the amount available, that is to say (i), (ii) or (iii) would depend upon the forecast of the revenue for the forthcoming year.

I think that the Residents might very well put their Public Works budgets before the State Council. That is a matter which depends very much upon what view the Residents (who have so far expressed no opinion) take in regard to paragraph 6 of Appendix D of the General Orders relating to the Director of Public Works. I would welcome any scheme under which the Budget of a Federal Department had to be submitted to a State Council before its introduction into the Federal Budget. But we must be careful how we do this. Four separate State Councils, expressing four separate opinions, will not help towards smooth working in the Federal Council. If any Resident will put forward a scheme, it will receive the most careful consideration.

{

Finally, I would ask the Residents whether they themselves cannot make the State Councils more interesting and more live" by bringing before them matters of public interest for general discussion. For instance :-

(A) Education.—(i) where new schools ought to be built or enlarged in the following year.

All the Residents at my request recently reported upon this question. I do not think that one of them consulted the State Council.

(ii) whether anything is lacking in the teaching given, and what we ought to aim at.

(iii) Koran teaching.

The State Councils must be encouraged to express their opinion upon matters connected with education. I am certain that the individual members are keenly interested. The trouble arises from their not being consulted.

(B) Hygiene.-Mosquito Destruction, Venereal Disease, Infant Welfare, are all subjects which interest the members of the State Council, and they ought to be consulted. The Sultan of Perak is keenly interested in Sanitation; and I am sure that the State Councils can do a great deal to help in improving the Public Health of the country.

(C) Bringing forward the Malay.-This has many aspects, from the education of the Malay to take his place in the Civil Service down to his taking the place in the clerical and subordinate services that has been usurped by the Jaffna Tamil.

(D) General Development Schemes.e.g., new drainage or irrigation areas, new agricultural products (roselle, kapok, &c.), &o., &c., &c.

Share This Page