Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 1468

PERLIS

This is the smallest of the Malay States, the area being about 316 square miles. It is situated to the north of Kedah, and its conditions are practically identical with those of Kedah. The British Advisers have followed the policy which marks British control in the Federated Malay States, and the active co-operation of the Raja and his Council has led to a great improvement in the internal administration since the assumption of British suzerainty in 1909. The Federated Malay States have completed the extension of their railway system through Perlis to link up with the Siamese railway system. Rail communication with Bangkok has been maintained since the 1st July, 1918.

The population at the census of 1921 comprised 40,087 persons, of whom 34,165 were Malays, 3,602 Chinese and about 1,300 Siamese. The revenue in the first year of British Protection was $102,522. For the Mohammedan year 1349 (29th May, 1930, to 18th May, 1931) the revenue $349,189 and expenditure $471,009, as compared with $487,436 and $573,738 in the previous year. With the transference of suzerainty a debt of $495,394 was taken over by the F.M.S. The debt has since been repaid.

Kangar, the Government Headquarters, is a busy little town of about 2,000 inhabitants. The shop-keepers besides selling sundry goods also export padi--the staple product of the country-as well as ducks and fowls for the Penang market. The chief imports are cottons for native clothing, kerosene, tobacco and sundry odds and ends used by the Malay country people. H.H. the Raja lives at Arau, 6 miles from Kangar, on the Main Trunk Railway from Singapore to Bangkok. In 1910 the State Council abolished the general duty of 3 per cent. on imported goods and now the only goods taxed on import are spirits, beer, wine, tobacco, kerosene, petroleum, matches and cartridges. The general duty of 5 per cent. on exports has been abolished and replaced by duties on rice, tin-ore, rubber, jungle produce and other specific products. In 1349 (Mahommedan reckoning), 7,187 pikuls of tin-ore were exported. Many of the lime-stone hills of Perlis contain caves rich in guano deposits. The chief native cultivation is padi. Rubber is represented by a few native plantations. [Note: 1 dollar=2s. 4d. 1 pikul-1333 lbs.]

DIRECTORY

MEMBERS OF STATE COUNCIL

H.H. The Raja, Tuan Syed Alwi, C.B.E.,

president

Syed Hamzah, vice-president The British Adviser

Syed Idrus

Haji Muhammad Nor

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Adviser-M. C. Hay, M.C.S.

Commissioner of Lands-Syed Idrus

Judges-Haji Ahmad, Syed Hussin and

Syed Hassan

Collector of Customs-Syed Hassan Treasurer-Haji Ismail Chief of Police-Che Matt

Chief Kathi-Haji Muhammad Nor

HATELIE, D. W. FOWLER, Mining Engineer --Kangar, Perlis. Cable Ad: Hatelie, Kangar, Perlis; Codes: Bentley's complete phrase and McNeill's (1908.)