SSF1033 Malaysian Social History Booklet

LEARNING
UNIT
11

Political of The Left
@

Labour Movement

Politics of the Left

▪ Malay politics before the coming of Western
Colonialism was based on a system of ‘absolute
monarchy’.

▪ Only the Sultan/Raja’s family and the pembesar

(aristocrats) had political power.
▪ Ordinary people had to obey the rulers’ orders.

No opposition against the Sultan/Pembesar.

1. Working conditions
➢ The Malays – backward conditions and need to

be uplift in line with changing in Malaya.
➢ The Indian – facing poverty in estates with low

income, need for better living conditions etc.
➢ The Chinese – engulfed with the nationalism

movement in China but some (also the Indian

elites) regarded Malaya as their homeland and

demanded a fair share in Malaya.

2. Capitalism (European Colonialism)

➢ Chinese and Indian labour, brought major
changes in the Malayan economy.

➢ Tin and rubber industry became prominent in
Malaya – created the labour movement.

3. Better wages

➢ Huge number of Indian labour in rubber estates
became victims of their employers with low
wages and horrible living conditions.

➢ The Central Indian Association (CIAM) was
formed in 1937 to help Indian labour.

➢ The demand for rising wages and conducive
work conditions led to several strikes such as
shoemakers and tailor strike in 1933 and 1934
respectively (KL), the rubber factory strike in
Klang and coal mine strike in Batu Arang
(1937).

4. Labour strikes

➢ Labour strikes occur - in Malaya such as in
Ipoh, Seremban, Johor Bharu, Kluang etc.

➢ Between 1945 – 1948: 425 unions formed with
290,000 members.

➢ Emboldened by success - PUTERA-AMCJA
decided to launch a country-wide strike.

5. Constitution proposals

➢ A citizenship granting equal rights to all who made
Malaya their permanent home and the object of
their undivided loyalty

➢ Malay Rulers to have real sovereign power
responsible to the people through popularly
elected Councils

➢ Malay customs and religion to be fully controlled
by the Malay people through special councils

➢ Special provisions for the advancement of the
Malays politically, economically and
educationally

➢ Malay to be the official language

LEARNING
UNIT
12

Secret Socities

Secret Societies

• Secret societies have been a global
phenonmena for a long time.

• This is not a new phenomenon; it has a long
history.

• Hidden societies (SS) are a persistent pattern
of relationships that link participants in similar
secret activities, either directly or indirectly. B.
H. Erickson (B. H. Erickson) Non-members are
usually kept in the dark about secret societies'
rituals and activities. Some engage in criminal
activity such as drug/human trafficking,
smuggling, kidnapping, and prostitution.

Who Involved?

Only a few people have access to it.
Objectives and common interests; the formation
of personal relationships among members of the
organisation, as well as the employment of
secret rites or rituals to bind them together.
Some people have their own code of conduct,
which can be written or spoken.

How about Malaya/Malaysia?
✓ What did you learn at school regarding the Perak and Klang

Wars, both of which include Chinese Kongsi. Hai San and
Ghee Hin are two well-known Chinese Kongsi. These two
Kongsis battled for control of the Perak and Selangor tin
mines.Their feud became a flashpoint in Perak and
Selangor's civil war.They became involved in the battles
between the Malay princes in both states
✓ Then the British coming to settle the problem in Perak with
Pangkor Treaty.
✓ In Selangor, the problem settles with the defeat of Tengku
Mahadi and began the British intervention in Selangor

What is Kongsi?
The word gongsi is derived from a Chinese term.
Related to "clan hall," which basically translates to
"brotherhood”.The term benevolent organisation was used
to describe Chinese abroad organisations. It was usually a
clan and surname-based organisation dedicated at
supporting clan members, particularly Chinese migrants, in
adjusting to life in Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North
Borneo, and other Southeast Asian countries.

SS in Malaya

o The Chinese SS had its origins in China – in
opposition to the Imperial Dynasty, i.e. the Ch'ing
Dynasty – Honman being an example, linked to the
Heaven and Earth Society (Tiandihui) in Fujian.

o Ghee Hin is dominated by Cantonese, while Hai
San is dominated by Hakka + Hokkien, Teochew,
Foochow, and other dialects.

o When the Chinese immigrants arrived in Malaya,
they needed to preserve their own clan.Those who
wish to join the Chinese SS will be required to take
a blood oath.

o The Chinese SS used temples as a focal point for
their activities.

o The original objective of the Chinese SS in Malaya
(also in Southeast Asia) was tried to assist new
Chinese immigrants in their new countries. SS
would assist them in establishing a new life in
Malaya.

o SS also assisted members in obtaining basic
necessities such as food, clothing, and marriage.

o The majority of SS members were businesspeople
with vested interests in the Malayan economy, who
provided financial and other resources. As a result,
SS would assist the Chinese community in starting
a business by providing a loan. The Chinese were
also represented by the SS in dealings with local and
foreign authorities.

The Kongsi in Sarawak

❖ Hakka gold miners are the majority (the
Hakkas in Kalimantan and Sarawak originate
from the four Hakka district in Kwangtung
province). The miners' effective (economic and
social) adaptation to their new environment is
attributable to their frontier organisation, the
kongsi. The miners' political and social
structure was founded on the kongsi.

Origin of the Kongsi

❖ The first mining partnerships were founded
between 1743 and 1745. The Malay sultans on
the coast controlled these mines, which were
manned by 10 to 25 men. The local Sultans saw
the Chinese as a source of revenue, therefore
they monopolised and regulated the supply of
supplies, tools, foodstuffs, and opium to them.

❖ The Hakka safeguarded their own interests by
assisting one another. The miners were able to
circumvent the unfavourable terms of forced
trade imposed by the sultans. In 1770,
irregular and partial tribute was paid to the
Malay sultans.

Sarawak SS and The Brookes

➢ The migration of the Hakka people from
Sambas to Sarawak began. The Hakka have
established several Chinese Kongsi in
Sambas. The San Tiao Quo Kongsi arrived in
Sarawak as a result of a kongsi conflict. They
became prominent kongsi and eventually
known as the Twelve Kongsi after controlling
a gold mine in Bau. The kongsi invaded
Kuching in 1857 when James Brooke tried to
control them.

➢ J. Brooke replied by launching a counter-
offensive and attacked Bau.

How about SS in other communities?

➢ Secret Societies aren't just for the Chinese.
➢ Malays had two options: join the Chinese or

form their own SS.
➢ The Red (bendera merah) and White Flag

(bendera putih) were two early/well-known
Malay SS in Penang. The first Malay kongsi,
White Flag (WF), was founded in the 1830s.
The Red Flag (RF) was founded in 1859 to
oppose the WF. The Jawi Pekan/Peranakan
and Indian Muslims were forerunners of
these secret societies.

Other Secret Societies

✓ The SS is not limited to criminality or clan
society in Malaysia.

✓ Politics and nationalism are also on the rise.
✓ Several Malay and Chinese nationalist

movements organised themselves in a
clandestine manner.
✓ As a result, various left-wing organisations
with nationalist beliefs arose, including the
PKMM, CCP, CCO, AWAS, INSAF,
HIZBUL MUSLIMIN, and others.

International Secret Society

✓ The British brought not just capitalism to
Malaya, but also their culture.

✓ The SS was included in this.
✓ Penang's first lodge, Lodge Neptune, was

established in 1806.

The Malay SS today

✓ The Malay SS group has its own majlis
(council). The godfather/ayahanda is in
charge of this council. They were made up of
branch heads and samjis.

LEARNING
UNIT
13

Malaysia Student’s
Movement

Malaysian Student Movement

• The student movement was a new social force
that raised political, economic, and social
change awareness and fight. Every country
has nurtured student movements. Students
were urged to support local and international
issues after displaying their learning and the
state of people's lives.

• Malay students formed student organizations
as a result of foreign students and the reform
influence of Pan Islamic movements. Among
the earliest student movements – racial
groups that banded together to help one
another.

Indonesia’s Influence

• Indonesia had a significant impact on Malay
student movements in 1930s. Books and
magazines imported from Indonesia were
used as reading material by college students
at Sultan Idris Training College (SITC). As a
result, SITC students have internalized
Indonesian nationalist views.

Communal Outlook – Early Years

Among the early student movements -
racial groups that banded together to aid
one another.

Many associations were established
such as:

▪ Persuratan Penuntut Melayu Kuala

Lumpur (PPMKL) in 1946 - Help

Malay students in education
▪ Kesatuan Persuratan Penuntut

Melayu Selangor (KPPMS) in 1947 –

avoid Malay student dropouts and

assist weak students in education

▪ Gabungan Pelajar Melayu

Semenanjung (GPMS) in 1948 –

Help Malay students.

Post-Independence

The University of Malaya (1949)
marked the beginning of a new era in
student activism. Following independence,
there was a greater concentration on
campus and a greater attention on national
and international affairs.

Election (1969)

They expressed their opinions on
topics ranging from politics to economics
to social issues. They created their own
manifesto and went on a 13-seat road trip
(9 of the seats fall to opposition). They
asked voters to vote for candidates who
agreed with their platform. They also
denounced parties that used racial issues
to campaign vs democracy, social justice
and policy issues.

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