CO885-(11-12) — Page 580

500

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

ப்பட

C.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

•

The Honourable the British Resident.

The Raja Bendahara (Raja Yusuf ibni Sultan Abdul Jalil al-Marhum Rathi'

Allah).

The Honourable Raja di-Hilir (Raja Sir Chulan ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abdullah,

K.B.E., C.M.G., J.P, M.F.C.).

The Orang Kaya Temenggong (Wan Abdul Jalil bin Wan Hussain, J.P.). The Orang Kaya Mentri (Wan Ahmad Rasdi bin Wan Muhammad Isa, J.P.). The Orang Kaya Kaya Panglima Kinta (Che Wan bin Muhammad Yusuf, J.P.). The Orang Kaya Kaya Stia Bijaya di-Raja (Muhammad Noordin bin Jeragan

Abdul Shukor).

The Orang Kaya Kaya Laksamana (Che Lope Bahandin bin Mohamed Noh). The Honourable the Legal Adviser, Federated Malay States.

The Secretary to Resident.

The State Engineer.

The State Medical and Health Officer.

J. E. Kempe, Esq., M.C.S., District Officer, Kuala Kangsar.

J. V. Cowgill, Esq., M.C., M.C.S., District Officer, Kinta.

Unofficial Members.

The Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel C. Rae, J.P., M.F.C.

The Honourable Mr. T. R. A. Windeatt, M.F.C.

Towkay Leong Sin Nam, M.C.H., J.P.

Towkay Chung Ah Ming, J.P.

Dr. K. T. Khong, M.C.H., J.P.

Sheikh Abdur Rahman bin Sheikh Abdul Kadir.

Louis Thivy, Esq., J.P.

There is in addition to this Council a Council of Chiefs and Ulamas which forms

a Lower Chamber and is appointed to deal with and advise His Highness the Sultan on matters concerning custom and religion.

The Council of State was formally opened on the 16th February, 1932, with full ceremony. On arrival at the Government Offices, His Highness the Sultan, who was received with a salute of 17 guns on arrival in Taiping from Kuala Kangsar, inspected a guard of honour consisting of a platoon of the Malayan Volunteer Infantry under the command of Lieutenant Raja Aman Shah, while the band of the 1/20th Burma Rifles, which was in attendance, played the Perak State Anthem. His Highness was received at the entrance of the building by the British Resident. After shaking hands with Members of the Council and with some of the numerous visitors who were present, the Sultan took his place at the head of the table in the Council Chamber. All members of Council commencing with the Raja Muda and the British Resident then came up one by one and made the affirmation in Malay or English.

When the affirmations had been made, His Highness the Sultan made a speech and expressed his pleasure in opening the reconstituted Council of State. He stated that the Council was like a newly planted tree and he hoped that it would bear good fruit. The Federal Council had been constituted as long ago as 1909 by Sir John Anderson, but in practice expectations were not realized and in course of time the powers of the State Council were diminished. Now its former powers were being restored.

On one occasion he remembered that Sir Laurence Guillemard at a Federal Council meeting had remarked to him on the weakness of the State Councils. But nothing came of his efforts to restore them to their former strength. Sultans, Rajas, Chiefs, and Raiat alike were glad to welcome Sir Hugh Clifford to this country as High Com- missioner, versed as he was in the language and customs of the Malays. But before he could effect any change in the position he fell ill and retired to England. What his intentions were, were revealed by his statement which had delighted him so much when it was made, that the Malay Peninsula was a Malay Country.

The matter of the reconstitution of the Council was, therefore, left to Sir Cecil Clementi to effect.

Appealing for the co-operation of members, His Highness said that the various communities in the State had played together, eaten together, and had worked together in other spheres, so he confidently expected that they would harmoniously co-operate in assisting with the administration of the State.

His Highness next referred to the benefits the State had enjoyed since Perak came under British Protection sixty years ago.

They had good roads, railways, and all the conveniences of modern life, but there was one thing which represented a slight aberration but not an intentional

31

trespass, and that was that it was sometimes overlooked that Perak was a Malay country and that there was a Ruler in the country.

In concluding his remarks, His Highness said that he hoped that they would bring their minds together in order to bring prosperity back to Perak.

The British Resident next read the following message which His Highness had telegraphed to His Excellency the High Commissioner :-

On the occasion of the first meeting of my new State Council, I send Your Excellency cordial greetings and wish to express my extreme gratification at knowing that wider powers and duties will now gradually devolve upon this Council and my sincere hope that the fruits of Your Excellency's policy may prove an ever increasing benefit to Perak.”

Colonel Rae then replied as follows in English on behalf of the newly apointed Unofficial Members of Council :--

my unofficial col-

"Your Highness: I should like, on behalf of myself and leagues, to say how much we appreciate the honour you have conferred on us by asking us to become members of your Council of State.

We also feel that to-day we are taking part in an historic occasion and one that marks, probably, one of the most important milestones of progress in the history of this fair State of Perak.

In addressing Your Highness in English, I must say that I feel a certain sense of humiliation when I reflect that you, Sir, and practically all the Malay members, could address this Council with equal fluency in either English or in the language of the State.

This feeling is, I know, shared by a number of my colleagues, but I can assure you, Sir, that, even if we are not capable of addressing you in the Malay language with sufficient accuracy and fluency to be understood by Your Highness, we are at least capable of thinking, and we trust, advising in terms of things. Malayan, and our whole inquiries will be directed towards forwarding the welfare of this great State of Perak.'

The Council then proceeded with its ordinary business.

Afterwards His Highness the Sultan and the members of Council were entertained to lunch at the Residency. During luncheon a reply to the telegram sent by His Highness was received from His Excellency the High Commissioner, and was read out by the Resident. A copy of the telegram is attached.

B. W. ELLES, British Resident, Perak.

Taiping, 11th March, 1932.

Copy of a Telegram from His Excellency the High Commissioner to His Highness the Sultan of Perak, dated the 16th February, 1932.

I CORDIALLY reciprocate Your Highness' message of greeting on the occasion of the first meeting of the reconstituted State Council and wish to assure Your Highness that it is my fervent prayer and confident belief that the new Council will materially advance the welfare and good government of Perak.

Enclosure 2 in No. 37.

STATE OF Selangor.

THE members of the reconstituted State Council of Selangor are as follows: President: His Highness the Sultan (Ala'idin Sulaiman Shah ibni Al-Marhum

Raja Muda Muss, G.C.M.G.).

The Honourable the British Resident (Mr. J. W. Simmons, M.C.S.).

The Honourable the Legal Adviser, Federated Malay States.

The Acting Secretary to Resident (Mr. N. Coulson, M.C.S.).

The Raja Muda of Selangor (The Honourable Raja Musa Udin ibni Sultan

Ala'idin Sulaiman Shah).

Raja Haji Abdullah bin Almerbum Raja Yahya, J.P.

Towkay Low Leong Gan, J.P.

Raja Uda bin Raja Muhammad, M.C.S.

The Chief Kathi, Selangor (Raja Haji Othman bin Almerhum Raja Yahya, J.P.).