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The Selangor Succession Dispute, 1933–38
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 April 2011
Extract
Under the various treaties and quasi-treaties between Britain and the Malay States, matters affecting ‘Malay custom and religion’ were under the jurisdiction of the Rulers and their chiefs. The succession to a Malay throne was a matter of Malay custom but, since the establishment of British rule, it came to be controlled and regulated by the colonial power. At times this control had been exercised in a manner distasteful to the Malay ruling houses, but no Malay Ruler had come out in open opposition to a British choice of a successor to his throne until the Selangor Succession Dispute. To the great surprise of the colonial government, the old Sultan openly resisted its attempt to impose on Selangor a Raja Muda (Heir Apparent) who was unacceptable to him and to a section of his family. This paper proposes to discuss the Selangor Succession Dispute which raged for five years in Malaya and London with important repercussions on British policy towards the Malay States.
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- Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1971
References
1 Clementi to Cunliffe-Lister 19 June 1933, in Colonial Office Records 717/100 (Hereafter cited as CO).
2 On the second occasion, Caldecott, then Resident of Selangor, showed the Raja Muda ‘the astounding volume of discreditable reports against him which at that time were represented by a bundle of minute papers nearly two feet high’. Caldecott to Maffey 17 May 1934, CO 717/105.
3 Cecil Clementi: b. 1875; educated St. Paul's School and Oxford; Far Eastern Cadet in Hong Kong 1902; served in India, China and British Guiana; Colonial Secretary, Ceylon, 1922; Governor Hong Kong, 1925–29; Governor/High Commissioner of Malaya, 1930–34; d. 1947.
4 Clementi to Cunliffe-Lister 4 May 1933, CO 717/94. Raja Uda bin Raja Mohammed: b. 1894; Malay Probationer 1910; Malay Assistant 1913; Malay Officer Grade 1 1920; MCS 1924; District Officer (DO) Kuala Selangor 1933; Collector of Land Revenue Kuala Lumpur 1938; Member of Federal Council and Selangor State Council; Lieutenant, Malayan Volunteer Infantry.
5 Theodore Samual Adams: b. 1885; educated King's School Canterbury and Oxford; MCS Cadet 1908; First Assistant Secretary 1920; DO Larut 1921–27; Acting Adviser, Lands, Kedah 1929–30; Acting Under Secretary FMS 1930–32; Resident of Selangor 1932–36; Chief Commissioner Northern Nigeria 1937–43; War Cabinet Office 1943–45; d. 1961.
6 Report on the Raja Muda of Selangor by Adams 15 May 1934, CO 717/105.
7 Andrew Caldecott: b. 1884; educated Oxford; MCS Cadet 1907; DO Jelebu 1911–12; Assistant Secretary FMS 1920–22; Malayan Commissioner British Empire Exhibition 1923–25; Acting Controller of Labour 1926; Acting Under Secretary, Straits Settlements 1927; Secretary for Postal Affairs 1928–29; Acting Resident of Negri Sembilan, Perak and Selangor 1928–31; Resident of Selangor 1931; Acting Chief Secretary 1931–33; Colonial Secretary 1933–34; Governor, Hong Kong 1935.
8 Caldecott to Cunliffe-Lister 17 May 1934, CO 717/105.
9 Translation of a Note on Interview between the Sultan and the Acting Resident undated encl. in Swettenham to Maffey 15 June 1935, CO 717/112.
10 Caldecott to Cunliffe-Lister 17 May 1934, CO 717/105.
11 Note on Interview between the Acting Resident and the Sultan of Selangor 12 June 1935, CO 717/117.
12 Note on the Succession to the Throne of Selangor by Adams 15 May 1934, CO 717/105.
13 Caldecott to Cunliffe-Lister 17 May 1934, ibid.
14 Comments on Memorial on behalf of the Tengku Panglima Besar by Adams undated encl. in Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 April 1936, CO 717/117.
15 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 20 October 1936, CO 717/118.
16 Shenton Whitelegge Thomas: b. 1879; educated St. John's Leatherhead and Cambridge; Colonial Service 1909; served in Africa; Governor, Nyasaland 1929; Governor Gold Coast 1932; Governor/High Commissioner Malaya 1934–42.
17 Translation of Adams' speech to the Meeting of Chiefs 28 November 1934, CO 717/112.
18 Minutes of Meeting of Chiefs to elect the Raja Muda 28 November 1934, CO 717/117.
19 Diary of High Commissioner's tour of the West Coast States 2–1/11 February 1935, CO 717/111.
20 Resident of Selangor to Federal Secretary 22 January 1937, CO 717/127.
22 Thomas to Thomas 7 April 1936, CO 717/117.
23 Swettenham to Maffey 15 June 1935, CO 717/112.
24 Frank Swettenham: b. 1851; educated St. Peter's, York; Straits Cadet 1870; Resident Selangor 1882; Resident Perak 1889; Resident General FMS 1896; Governor/High Commissioner of Malaya 1901–04; d. 1946.
25 Association of British Malaya to CO 12 April 1935, CO 717/112.
26 Minutes by Gent 29 April 1936, CO 717/117.
27 Comments on Memorial on behalf of the Tengku Panglima Besar by T. S. Adams, undated, encl. in Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 April 1936, CO 717/117. These were the rival factions in the Selangor civil war late in the 19th century.
28 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 April 1936, ibid.
29 Minutes by Gent 14 October 1936, CO 717/118.
30 Translation of a Note on Interview between Acting Resident and Sultan 1935 encl. in Swettenham to Maffey 15 June 1935, CO 717/112.
31 Thomas to MacDonald 4 November 1935, ibid.
32 Roland Braddell: b. 1880; Oxford; advocate and solicitor Singapore; member of Executive Council and Johore State Council 1932–40; Legal Adviser to UMNO 1946–48.
33 Possibly the idea of employing Roland Braddell came from the Sultan of Johore.
34 Memorial on behalf of the Tengku Panglima Besar concerning his claim to be appointed Raja Muda 1936, CO 717/117.
35 ibid.
36 Sultan to Thomas 12 May 1936, ibid.
37 Minutes by Bushe 1 May 1936, ibid.
38 Edward Gent: b. 1895; educated King's School Canterbury and Oxford; Assistant Principal CO 1920; Private Secretary to Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Colonies 1924; Principal CO 1926; Assistant Secretary CO 1939; Assistant Permanent Under-Secretary of State CO 1942–46; Governor/High Commissioner of Malaya 1946–48; d. 1948.
39 Minutes by Gent 29 April 1936, CO 717/117.
40 Minutes by Rankin 20 May 1936. Memo by T. S. Adams 17 June 1936, ibid.
41 Minutes by Rankin 10 August 1936, ibid.
42 Minutes by Gent 6 October 1936, CO 717/121.
43 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 20 October 1936, CO 717/118. See footnote 77
44 Swettenham to Ormsby-Gore 2 November 1936, ibid.
45 Minutes by Gent 12 October 1936, CO 717/121.
46 Sultan to Thomas 30 March 1937, CO 717/124.
47 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 12 April 1937, ibid.
48 Ormsby-Gore to Thomas 26 November 1936, CO 717/118.
49 Swettenham to Ormsby-Gore 2 November 1936, CO 717/118.
50 Ormsby-Gore to Thomas 26 November 1936, CO 717/118.
51 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, ibid.
52 Braddell to Gent 14 October 1936, ibid.
53 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 3 May 1937, CO 717/124.
54 Braddell to Penny undated Monday, CO 717/118/1936.
55 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 20 October 1936, ibid.
56 Minutes by Gent 12 November 1936, ibid.
57 Statement made by Ormsby-Gore to Sultan 23 November 1936, ibid.
58 For instance, the Sultan of Johore opposed the appointment of S. W. Jones as General Adviser of Johore. Consequently another officer was appointed to the General Advisership. Thomas to Cunliffe-Lister 20 April 1935, CO 717/112.
59 Minutes by Gent 28 October 1936, CO 717/118.
60 Sultan to Ormsby-Gore 23 November 1936, ibid.
61 Minutes by Ormsby-Gore 2 April 1937, CO 717/127.
62 S. W. Jones: b. 1888; educated Manchester and Middle Temple; MCS Cadet 1911; Ag. DO of Kuantan 1914; DO of Jelebu 1919; Acting Legal Adviser Johore 1928–31; Acting General Adviser 1932–33; Commissioner of Lands and Mines, Johore 1933–34; Under Secretary FMS 1935; Acting British Adviser Kedah 1936; Resident of Selangor 1937–39; Colonial Secretary 1940–42; died 1962.
63 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 March 1937, CO 717/124.
64 Warta Malaya 10 August 1936Google Scholar; Letter from Ishak bin Haji Mohammed to Warta Malaya 23 July 1936Google Scholar.
65 Cited in British Malaya April 1937, CO 717/124Google Scholar.
66 Cited in Malay Mail 16 March 1937Google Scholar.
67 Ormsby-Gore to Thomas 28 April 1937, CO 717/124.
68 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 29 April 1937, ibid.
69 Thomas to Sultan of Selangor 2 April 1937, ibid.
70 Douglas to Thomas 20 April 1937, ibid.
71 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 3 May 1937, ibid.
72 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 14 August 1937, ibid. Of the total sum, the Sultan gave the Tengku Klana $150,000 and the Raja Bendahara $100,000/-.
73 Memo by Resident of Selangor 12 April 1938, CO 717/130.
74 ibid.
75 Thomas to MacDonald 18 May 1938, CO 717/134.
76 Thomas to MacDonald 6 April 1939, CO 717/140.
77 The decentralization policy aimed to loosen the federal administration and devolve powers to the States, and to modernize the State Councils so that it could assume greater responsibilities. In this way, it hoped to encourage the Rulers to take a more active interest in the administrations of the States.
78 Minutes c Meeting of Perak State Council 22 October 1936.
79 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, CO 717/118.
80 Minutes by Gent 26 April 1937, CO 717/124. Report of the Straits Settlements Special Branch 1934, CO 273/616/36.
81 Minutes by Gent 26 April 1937, CO 717/124.
82 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 March 1937, ibid.
83 The main obstacle to the realization of a Malayan union was the sharp contrast in the positions of the Rulers of the FMS and the UMS. The Rulers and the State Councils of the UMS exercised executive powers and the states enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. Their counterparts in the FMS wielded no real authority and the identities of the states were nearly lost in the overcentralized federation. The Rulers of the UMS feared that by joining a Malayan union they would eventually be reduced to the same status as that of their counterparts in the FMS. By restoring powers to the states in the FMS, decentralisation sought to reduce the glaring contrast in the positions of the two groups of Malay States. In this way the government hoped to wear away the opposition of the UMS and draw them into a Malayan union. This policy was known as Malayanization during the pre-war days and was strongly opposed by the five UMS of Johore, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Trengganu.
84 For instance, Sultan Ibrahim refused to attend an All-Malaya Durbar in Singapore in 1934. Clementi referred the matter to the CO but failed to obtain sanction to discipline the Sultan.
85 This report was prepared by Sir Samuel Wilson who was sent by the CO to investigate the decentralization controversy in the FMS in the early 1930s. It recommended a scheme of decentralization for the FMS which was accepted by the CO.
86 Clementi to Cunliffe-Lister 4 January 1934, CO 717/102.
87 The fear of his own deposition was not altogether a groundless one. In 1931, for example, Clementi tried but failed to retire him on medical grounds.
88 The Sultan's intervention in the Selangor crisis is not explained in the official records. It was clearly not due to any succession dispute in Johore.
89 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, CO 717/118.
90 Guillemard to Amery 6 May 1925, CO 717/42.
91 Minutes by Risley 6 July 1925, CO 717/47.
92 Under the Malayan Union Scheme, the nine Malay States in the Peninsula were constituted into a British Colony. At the same time a common citizenship was introduced in Malaya which, for the first time, gave the Malays and the non-Malays equality of rights. Alarmed that under this constitution, they would be politically swamped by the non-Malays, the Malays organized a massive nationalist movement which forced the government to drop the Malayan Union Scheme and replace it with the Federation Agreement of 1948.
93 Thomas to Shuckburgh 16 March 1936, CO 717/119.
94 Minutes of Meeting at the CO 16 March 1931, CO 717/81.
95 Minutes by Gent 26 April 1937, CO 717/124.
96 Pahang was one of the Malay States under the Johore-Riau Empire until Ahmad became of Pahang late in the 19th century. Clifford to Passfield 11 July 1929, CO 717/67.
97 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, CO 717/118.
98 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 April 1936, CO 717/117.
99 K., Robinson, The Dilemmas of Trusteeship (London 1965) p. 62Google Scholar.
100 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, CO 717/118.
101 Minutes by Cowell 3 November 1936, ibid.
102 E., Sadka, The Protected Malay States, 1874–95 (University of Malaya Press, Singapore 1968) p. 175Google Scholar
103 Clifford to Amery 29 June 1928, CO 717/61.
104 Minutes by Caine 11 August 1928, ibid.
105 Minutes by Beckett 13 August 1928, ibid.
106 Minutes by Under Secretary FMS 8 February 1922, Selangor Secretariat File no. 640.
107 High Commissioner's Despatch no. 349 13 October 1927. Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 4 May 1937, CO 717/127.
108 In 1928 the Sultan of Perak received $120,000 a year, the Sultan of Selangor $108,000, the Sultan of Pahang $78,000 and the Ruler of Negri Sembilan $60,000 — encl. in Scott to Passfield 30 October 1929, CO 717/66.
109 Clementi to Cunliffe-Lister 10 December 1931, CO 717/86/32.
110 Minutes by Gent 28 October 1936, CO 717/118.
111 Thomas to Shuckburgh 13 April 1937, CO 273/633.
112 Sultan of Pahang to Ormsby-Gore 31 May 1937, CO 717/
113 Resident of Selangor to Federal Secretary 22 January 1937, CO 717/127.
114 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 14 August 1937, CO 717/124.
115 Minutes of Meeting of Selangor State Council 22 July 1937 Perak already had such a law as early as the 1880sGoogle Scholar.
116 Note by Gent 7 November 1936, CO 717/118.
117 Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 17 March 1937, CO 717/124.
118 Thomas to MacDonald 30 August 1939, CO 717/140.
119 Sultan's Instructions for communication to Ormsby-Gore 26 October 1936, CO 717/118.
120 Memo by Thomas 14 August 1937, CO 717/124. It is not clear whether a constitution was in fact drafted for Selangor.
121 In this case, the Ruler's brother, Syed Hamzah was regarded a rogue and it was considered disastrous if he should succeed to the throne. Thomas to Ormsby-Gore 1 May 1937, CO 717/125.
122 Ormsby-Gore to Thomas 12 October 1936, CO 717/121.