Crime in the Federated Malay States
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3000300206 |
| Date | 01 April 1930 |
| Published date | 01 April 1930 |
| Author | C. Hannigan |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Crime in
the
Federated Malay States
By C.
HANNIGAN,
Commissioner of Police, Federated Malay States
THE Federated Malay States, comprising the States of
Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Pahang, have an
area of 27,506 square miles and an extraordinarily mixed
population of 1,324,890 (in 1921
but
now about 1,750000).
The
strength of the Police Force 1
is:
British Officers
II2;
Asiatic Officers,
45;
and Rank and File, 3,992.
The
Force
is distributed throughout the four States in 43 police districts,
comprising 191 police stations and police posts.
The
strength
of a post does not exceed 1subordinate police officer and
3 constables and the strength of a station varies from 1sub-
ordinate police officer and 4 constables to 7 officers, 39 sub-
ordinate police officersand 210 constables.
All the officers are expected to be able to read and write
Malay,
but
many of the officers have two, three or more
languages to their credit.
The
subordinate police officers
must be able to read and write Malay. All the Malay con-
stables, except a few of the older men, are literate, and Indian
recruits are required to pass in Malay before leaving the
depot.
The
detective branch, composed of Chinese,
Northern Indians, Southern Indians and Malays under
British Officers, has a strength of 224. Every district head-
quarter station is provided with one or more police clerks and
interpreters, mostly Chinese, and all are good linguists.
In
the towns the bulk of the population is composed of
Hokkien,
Teo
Chew and Cantonese Chinese. Cantonese and
Hakkas do the mining in the country. Estate labour is fur-
nished mainly from Southern India,
but
Chinese, Javanese and
Malays are also employed in the rubber industry. Most of
1See also Policing the Federated
Malay
States, in The Police
Journal,
vol. ii., p. 406.
213
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