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13134/33 [No. 2].

SIE,

No. 64.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

MALAY STATES.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Confidential (2).)

(Received 18th September, 1933.)

[Answered by No. 65.]

Government House, Singapore, 24th August, 1933. I HAVE the honour to address you further in regard to my proposals for the re-classification of the posts in the Departments of Chinese Affairs in the Straits Settle- ments and the Malay States contained in my Confidential Straits Settlements and Malay States despatch of 14th April, 1932.* No decisions were reached because of your telegram of 1st July, 1932,† suggesting postponement until after the visit to Malaya of Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Wilson, Permanent Under-Secretary of State.

2. I have written another Confidential despatch of even date concerning the proposed pan-Malayan status of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and this despatch will be confined to my proposals for the re-classification of the posts in that Secretariat, as I desire in certain respects to vary my previous recommendations.

3. With the coming into force of the Aliens Ordinance on 1st January, 1933, all the work formerly done by the Protector of Chinese, Singapore, in connexion with shipping and with Chinese immigration and repatriation has been handed over to the The rest of his duties Immigration Officer who is the head of a new Department. have been distributed amongst other officers of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. During 1933 the Immigration Officer is being paid from the sum provided in the Colonial Estimates for the Protector of Chinese, Singapore, and it is accordingly desired that from 1st January, 1934, the post of Protector of Chinese, Singapore, in Class IB, should be abolished and in its stead a post of Immigration Officer in the same class created.

4. Partly for reasons of economy but more because it has been found that increased efficiency resulted, the Chinese Secretariat, Federated Malay States, in Kuala Lumpur, has been closed down. With one Secretary for Chinese Affairs it has proved simpler for him to have one office in Singapore and to centralise his office staff there. The post of Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Class IV, in Kuala Lumpur, has therefore disappeared, and in my despatch of 14th April, 1932, I proposed that this post should be abolished and a similar post created in Singapore Experience has shown that it is possible to do without this lattér post; it has not in fact been filled since early in June. I therefore now recommend its abolition; this is formally necessary as it appeared in the Colonial Estimates, 1933, and has been filled for part of the year.

5. The centralization of the work of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs in Singapore, the abolition of the post of Protector of Chinese, Singapore, and the aboli- tion of the second post of Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs in Class IV have added considerably to the responsibilities and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Class II. Though formerly this was purely a Straits Settlements post, it has been necessary for this officer to take over a good deal of Federated Malay States work and a certain amount of Unfederated Malay States work as well, and this will be increasingly the case. It is therefore necessary that this post should be in future a joint Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States post as that of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs is to be, and that, when the Secretary for Chinese Affairs becomes a Malayan officer, this post should be Malayan as well. I am of the opinion that it should be regraded as a post in Class TB of the Malayan Civil Service, and I accordingly recommend its being so regraded. A post which is paralle in scope and which is graded as Class IB is that of Deputy Controller of Labour Malaya.

6. In my despatch of 14th April, 1932, I recommend that the salary of the I make no Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Malaya, should be $1.350 per mensem. recommendation now in regard to the salary of that post as I am awaiting the Report of the Joint Posts Salaries Committee; one of its items of reference was the salary to be allotted to this post.

7. Under this revised scheme of reorganization, for which I now ask approval, the Malayan Civil Service staff of the Chinese Secretariat for Malaya would be:-

Secretary for Chinese Affairs.

Protector of Chinese, Selangor and Pahang.

Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs. Protector of Chinese, Perak.

Protector of Chinese, Penang.

Protector of Chinese, Negri Sembilan.

Assistant Protector of Chinese, Singapore.

Assistant Protector of Chinese, Malacca.

Second Assistant Protector of Chinese, Singapore.

Protector of Chinese, Johore.

Protector of Chinese, Kedah.

Assistant Protector of Chinese, Selangor and Pahang. Assistant Protector of Chinese, Perak. Assistant Protector of Chinese, Muar.

Three in Class IB.

One in Class II.

Five in Class III.

Four in Class IV.

The number of Class TV posts shown is reduced by one from the number set out in my despatch of 14th April, 1932, as the Chinese Protectorate, Taiping, was closed down in November, 1932, as a measure of economy. The post of Assistant Protector of Chinese, Muar, is at present unfilled and experience may show that it is possible to abolish it. On the other hand, the Secretary for Chinese Affairs may in the course of 1934 need another junior officer for local work in Singapore and

may be necessary

to re-create the post of Assistant Protector of Chinese, Penang (Class V), which was omitted from the Colonial Estimates, 1933, as it had not been filled for a considerable time and there was no prospect of its being filled in the current year.

7. Subject to your approval, provision is being made in the draft Estimates for 1934 on the lines recommended in this despatch.

13134/1/33 [No. 3].

No. 65.

I have, &c.,

C. CLEMENTI,

Governor.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

MALAY STATES.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

(Confidential.)

SIR,

Downing Street, 8th November, 1933. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential despatch of the 24th of August, 1933,* referring to proposals for the reorganization of the Depart- ments of Chinese Affairs in the Straits Settlements and the Malay States, and suggesting in particular that the Secretary for Chinese Affairs should have a pan-Malayan status. I am in agreement with your view that there are considerable advantages to be derived from giving the Secretary for Chinese Affairs pan-Malayan status on the lines of that of the Controller of Labour, but before reaching a final decision in the matter I consider it advisable for the Rulers of the Unfederated States to be informed of the proposal, and to be asked for their views upon it. I should have no objection if, in communicating with the Rulers, you informed them that I see advantage on the grounds of policy if Chinese problems can be dealt with on a pan-Malayan basis, and that I am prepared to give my approval to your recommendation if the Rulers agree. 2. I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential (2) despatch of the 24th of August, 1933,† submitting further proposals in connexion with the re- classification of the posts in the Departments of Chinese Affairs in the Straits Settle- ments and the Malay States, and to inform you that I approve the adoption of those recommendations

I have, &c.,

P. CUNLIFFE LIISTER.

* No. 62.

† No. 63.

13134/33 [No. 11: not printed.

* 13134/1/33 [No. 1]: not printed.

† No. 64.

PUBLIC

PECORD

OFFICE

༄། །༞། ༄། ༅།

Reference -

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