Page 1006 - Proceedings Collega2023

Another form of revenue for the Malay Chiefs are fines. As illustrated, “I (Frank Swettenham) have been
told that the other day a Patani man amoked in Raja Allang’s house near Gunong Pondok the man lifted
up his trousers to avoid the mud. Allang called to him and said he must pay a fine of $100, ad he at the
same time took the man, his wife and two children, who were with him on their way to Larut, into his
house till the fine should be paid… I heard this first at Blanja, afterwards at Senggang, and now here.”
(Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037517 Journal for 23 October to 4 November 1875. Journal Entry 30 October
1875. Pages 17 & 18).
xxi ’Money for Siri, Betel, etc’. ‘No one’. ‘Where are they to get it?’ ‘I don’t know’. “Then’ I (Frank
Swettenham) said, ‘I think you had better not beat them, because they are using only means at their
disposal for clothing their nakedness’. (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037515. Journal for 7 August to 3
September 1875. Journal Entry 22 August 1875. Page 60.)
Another staple food of the Malays are salted fish. Salted fish is a food preservation method. “We had
nothing to eat except rice and salt fish as we could not get a single fowl on the way.” (Swettenham, Frank.
2006/0037517. Journal for 23 October to 4 November 1875. Journal Entry 28 October 1875. Pages 14
&15.)
xxii “Dris also joined us and some of Mr. Birch’s men entertained us to a Malay play.” (Swettenham, Frank.
2006/0037516. Journal for 3 September to 6 October 1875. Journal Entry 17 September 1875. Page 11.)
xxiii Cock-fighting is a Malay custom, it is a form of sport, entertainment, and revenue. “Syed Mashor came
back from cock-fighting just as I left him.” (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037516. Journal for 3 September
to 6 October 1875. Journal Entry 19 September 1875. Pages 20 &21.)
xxiv Sampan is a type pf Malay boat usually used for river transportation. “The launch is in need of firewood,
so I sent the sampan back to tell them to go into Lingy and get it, and then meet me at Pasir Panjang,
down the coast.” (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037515. Journal for 7 August to 3 September 1875. Journal
Entry 25 August 1875. Page 79.)
xxv “In the course of the enquiry I (Frank Swettenham) asked Sheikh Mat Alli to tell the Sultan and those
present whether it was according to Mahommedan law, or ‘adat Melayu,’ to in any case allow the creditor
to take the persons of the debtors, and he said distinctively it was not. In this case the debtors made a
voluntary agreement, only there had been certain difficulties in the carrying of it out. Toh Dagang seemed
aggrieved at the idea of no slave debtors, asking what was to be done when money had been advanced
and the debtors could not pay.” (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037515. Journal for 7 August to 3 September
1875. Journal Entry 12 August 1875.)
xxvi “At this point Draman, the guardian of the Sultan’s house, came in and said ‘I want to ask you
something. When the Sultan’s girls go out of the house at night to prostitute themselves, if I beat them,
shall I be doing wrong?’ I (Franks Swettenham) said ‘I will first question you who feeds them?’ ‘The Sultan
gives them rice’, he said. ‘Nothing else?’ ‘No’. ‘Who gives them clothes?’ ‘No one’.’Money for Siri, Betel,
etc’. ‘No one’. ‘Where are they to get it?’ ‘I don’t know’. “Then’ I (Frank Swettenham) said, ‘I think you
had better not beat them, because they are using only means at their disposal for clothing their
nakedness’. (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037515. Journal for 7 August to 3 September 1875. Journal Entry
22 August 1875. Pages 59&60.)
xxvii “There are now about 20 acres under cultivation and the paddy is unusually fine.” The paddy field is
located at the level country on the side of Bukit Jugra.” (Swettenham, Frank. 2006/0037515, Journal for 7
August to 3 September 1875. Journal Entry 12 August 1875. Pages 21 &22.)
xxviii “Not only does she set her hard work, and much of it but this always with abuse both to herself and
her children, and this like all Malays she feels a deadly insult. A slave has doubtless no right to feel
insulted, but Malays will keep the same undying hate for abuse as long as they are Malays. The veriest

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