477
34
10. The duties of Mr. Hancock as Inspector of Prisons are, for the present, under the Gazette notice of the 31st December, confined to the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. But I am by no means satisfied with the prison arrangements in some of the Unfederated Malay States, and I think that all the Malay States will have much to gain from regular inspection of their prisons by Mr. Hancock. I propose, therefore, to extend his sphere of duties to the Unfederated Malay States as well as to the Federated Malay States as soon as I can obtain the concurrence of the Rulers, and I intend to approach them on the subject in the near future. I feel sure that in this matter I shall have your full support.
SIR
Enclosure in No. 13.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor.
High Commissioner's Office, Singapore, 29th December, 1931. His Excellency the High Commissioner directs me to request you to draw the attention of His Highness the Sultan of
[Johore]
Kedah
[Kelantan]
Trengganu] Perlis [Brunei]
to the fact that, as a measure of economy in the Federated.Malay States, it has been decided that the appointments of Principal Medical Officer, Federated Malay States, and Director of Public Works Department, Federated Malay States, shall be retrenched; and that, pursuant to the recommendations made by the Rice Committee, it has been decided to constitute as from the 1st January, 1932, a Department of Drainage and Irrigation, to assist in the extension of rice cultivation in the Malay Peninsula. Accordingly, in view of the decentralization policy for the Federated Malay States announced by the High Commissioner at the Sri Menanti Durbar on the 18th August, 1931, the following action will be taken.
1. Dr. C. J. Wilson will be gazetted as Director of Medical and Health Services, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Health and Medicine to the Malay States, the post of Principal Medical Officer, Federated Malay States being abolished as soon as the necessary legislation has been passed by the Federal Council. Dr. Wilson's duties in respect of the Malay States will in future, as announced by the High Commissioner at the Sri Menanti Durbar, be as follows:-
(i) He will be responsible for the control of the Malayan Medical Service, and effect transfers of doctors and surgeons throughout the Colony and the Malay States after due consultation with the Administrations concerned.
(ii) He will pay periodic visits to each State and inspect the hospitals and other medical insti- tutions. The result of avery such inspection will be submitted by him in the form of a report to the State Government. He will have no power to issue orders, but only to give advice. (iii) He will give advice on any matter referred to him by the Senior Medical Officer of any State or by a State Government, and will keep State Governments informed of any interest- ing medical or health developments in any other State or in the Colony,
(iv) He will be responsible for the compilation and issue of instructions on purely professional or technical (as distinct from administrative) matters to all officers of the Malayan Medical Service, so that medical methods may be uniform in all territories.
(7) He will be responsible to the High Commissioner and through the High Commissioner to all Governments concerned for the proper administration of joint institutions such as the Central Mental Hospital at Tanjong Rambutan and the Leper Settlement at Sungei Buloh. (vi) He will be responsible in cases of epidemics which affect neighbouring States for the co-
ordination of the necessary preventive measures in such States.
You should draw the attention of His Highness to the fact that so far as the Unfederated Malay States are concerned, these duties are to all intents and purposes the same as those which Dr. Hoops performed when Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits Settlements, and stress the fact that under the new scheme the functions of the Director-Adviser will be entirely advisory and that no political interference is involved.
2. From the 1st January, 1932, the post of Director of Public Works, Federated Malay States will be abolished, and as from that date Mr. G. Sturrock will be gazetted as Director of Public Works, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Public Works to the
35
Malay States. The status and duties of Mr. Sturrock in his capacity of Director-Adviser will be as follows:-
(i) He will be responsible for the control of the Malayan Civil Engineering Service, and effect transfers of Engineers throughout the Colony and the Malay States after due consultation with the Administrations concerned.
(ii) He will pay periodio visits to each State and inspect the work of the State Public Works Department. The results of every such inspection will be submitted by him in the form of a report to the State Government. He will have no power to issue orders but only to give advice.
(iii) He will give advice on any matter referred to him by the State Engineer of any State or by any State Government, and will keep each State Government informed of any important engineering developments in any other State or Settlement.
(iv) He will be responsible for the compilation and issue of instructions on purely professional (as distinct from administrative) matters to all officers of the Malayan Civil Engineering Service, so that engineering practice may be uniform throughout Malaya.
(v) He will be responsible to His Excellency the High Commissioner and through him to all the owner-Governments, for the proper running of joint institutions such as the Federated Malay States Government factory.
3. As foreshadowed at the Sri Menanti Durbar, a Department of Drainage and Irrigation has been constituted with effect from 1st January, 1932, and as from that date Mr. F. G. Finch will be gazetted as Director of Drainage. and Irrigation, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Drainage and Irrigation to the Malay States. His status and duties, with respect to the Federated and Unfederated Malay States, will conform, mutatis mutandis, to those already set out in this letter with regard to Dr. Wilson or Mr. Sturrock.
4. I attach for your information, and for communication to His Highness, a copy of the circular instructions* which have been issued concerning the scope of the duties of Advisers in the Unfederated Malay States.
5. Unless and until other arrangements are made with the concurrence of the Rulers, the Unfederated Malay States will only be charged for the transport and night allowance of Dr. Wilson, Mr. Sturrock, and Mr. Finch, when they visit an Unfederated State. This is in accordance with the practice which has hitherto obtained; but the High Commissioner does not consider it just that the whole of the cost of the salaries and pensions of these officers should be borne by the Colony and the Federated Malay States and no part of it fall upon the Unfederated Malay States. Suggestions are now under consideration for revising the charges to be made upon the Unfederated Malay States in connexion with the services of such officers, and a further communication will
be addressed to you on this subject in due course for the consideration of His Highness.
I am, &c.,
E. E. F. PRETTY,
Acting Secretary to the High Commissioner
for the Malay States.
The Honourable the General Adviser, Johore. The Honourable the British Adviser, Kedah, Kelantan, Trengganu, and Perlis. The British Resident, Brunei.
0. 92300/32 [No. 9].
No. 14.
MALAY STATES.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.
(Sent 3
p.m.,
10th February, 1932.) TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 15.]
No. 25. YOUR Confidential despatch 24th Decembert and previous despatches regarding new policy. I must again refer to my telegram of 9th December, and emphasize that understanding reached after your discussions at the Colonial Office was that there were to be no commitments of any kind regarding decentralization or wider federation. You were authorized to consult public opinion in Malaya, and if it appeared that it was favourable the Secretary of State undertook to consider your
‡ No. 8.
*Not available for the moment: this will follow shortly.
† No. 12.
FOBLIC
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
PECORD OFFICE
Reference
C.O.882/12
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC~:
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,