ENGROSSING PERLIS PALACE INTRIGUES
A rare 1949 ‘Straits Times’ magazine sets ALAN TEH LEAM SENG along the path to learn more about the trials and tribulations faced by past Perlis rulers who, despite everything, always reserved the very best for their beloved rakyat
WORKING from home while helping to flatten the Covid-19 infection curve does have its benefits. Among the many is the luxury of dispensing with commute time to the office and its related destinations. Much to my better half’s delight, the surprisingly numerous hours saved are put to efficient use by tackling long procrastinated chores.
During the latest attempt to give the study room some semblance of order, the Straits Times Pictures 1949 appears from among a pile of reference material that was last put to good use several months back. The pictorial, filled to the brim with eyecatching pictures of joyful Malayans celebrating their new found freedom after the horrendous Japanese Occupation, proves too tempting to resist.
Putting off the task at hand, albeit temporarily, I soak in the well-taken images with relish while revelling in the hope that Malaysians today will soon be able to mirror such gaiety once the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end.
GRAND CELEBRATION
Among the pictures that prove most captivating are those that record the installation of Perlis ruler Raja Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail on March 12, 1949. On that joyous day, the public, dressed in their best baju Melayu and colourful kebaya complete with intricately woven se len dang, thronged the streets of Arau to join in the festivities.
People craned their necks and watched in awe as the procession of 15 magnificent elephants and their resplendently attired mahouts, seated in glittering howdahs, snaked slowly through the royal town bearing, among others, the gold-sheathed state sword and the ivory-hilted, diamond-studded state keris, both insignias of the Raja’s office and absolute authority.
Present at Istana Arau’s Balai Rong Seri was an assembly of invited dignitaries, including British high commissioner Sir Henry Lowell Goldsworthy Gurney, Malay state sultans, chieftains and senior civil service officials whose presence bore witness to the installation of the first Perlis Raja since World War 2 ended.
Throughout the traditionsteeped and historic ceremony, the thought must have crossed many minds at the banquet hall regarding Raja Syed Putra’s long and challenging journey to the throne.
Born to Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail and Wan Teh binti Wan Endut in Arau on Nov 25, 1920, Raja Syed Putra received his early education at Arau Malay School before progressing to Penang Free School, the oldest English-medium school in Southeast Asia.
PALACE POLITICS
The then Perlis ruler Raja Syed Alwi ibni Almarhum Syed Saffi Jamalullail was childless. With succession to the Perlis throne requiring an heir presumptive to be selected by State Council members, it was left to the fourth Raja of Perlis’ three half-brothers — Syed Mahmud, Syed Hussein and Syed Hamzah — to vie for the all-important Bakal Raja post.
As the eldest, Raja Syed Putra’s paternal grandfather, Syed Mahmud, was given that honour until his passing in 1919. After that, the post was left vacant with Syed Hamzah wielding substantial influence as state council vicepresident.
Up until 1933, Syed Hamzah harboured the hope of being elected as Bakal Raja and persistently pursued his cause with Raja Syed Alwi who, unfortunately, had other plans in mind. Rendered exhausted by Syed Hamzah’s unrelenting endeavour, the ruler decided to remove him as state council vice-president in January 1934.
Raja Syed Alwi’s action was, however, met with resistance from the British. Federated Malay States High Commissioner Sir Andrew Caldecott’s insistence that Syed Hamzah remain in his post, but yet deeming him unsuitable to be Bakal Raja, threw the door wide open for Raja Syed Putra’s father, Syed Hassan, to be appointed heir presumptive on Dec 6, 1934.
The British’s lopsided view of Syed Hamzah as one who was extravagant and vain ran contrary to the understanding of local historians. Perlis British Adviser O.E. Venables and other European officials bore skewed opinions as they were rather wary of Syed Hamzah’s popularity among the people and feared not being able to make him see things their way should he become Raja one day.
GIVING THE PEOPLE A HELPING HAND
Despite the glaring snub, Syed Hamzah chose to remain as state council vice-president, knowing very well that the second highest position in the state, after only that of the Raja, gave him the means to continue serving the Perlis rakyat.
Through his able assistant Raden Ateng, the progressive Syed Hamzah initiated many people-centric projects to eradicate poverty.
Various chemicals like citronella oil, soda ash and gum arabic were purchased from Grafton Laboratories Singapore and Imperial Chemical Industries (Malaya) Ltd Penang to produce affordable soap to improve public hygiene.
Quantities of Norit tablets were also acquired from these companies to cure diarrhoea and food poisoning that often plagued the state.
Although padi farming dominated Perlis, efforts to introduce other cash crops were initiated to diversify income sources. Purchase of the then newly published book, An Outline of
Malayan Agriculture, from the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Agriculture Department in Serdang, Selangor, was a step in the right direction as, not long after, orders for numerous Robusta and Excelsa coffee seeds were made.
At the same time, the Penang Premier Press was commissioned to print packaging labels for tasty fish crackers produced in Sanglang and Kuala Perlis fishing villages, as well as proteinpacked tempeh made soon after Lamtoro trees, grown from seeds purchased from Planters’ Stores and Agency Kuala Lumpur, began producing bountiful harvests.
BECOMING BAKAL RAJA
The political situation in Perlis reverted to square one when the Bakal Raja position once again fell vacant after Syed Hassan passed away after nearly a month-long illness on Oct 18, 1935. After that, it took another three years before the decision was made to elect Syed Putra to replace his father as heir apparent to the Perlis throne.
Despite Syed Hamzah’s vehement opposition on the grounds that his grand-nephew was too far removed from the succession line under Islamic inheritance laws, Syed Putra’s ascension saw light of day with timely British intervention and support.
At just the tender age of 18, Syed Putra left Penang Free School to begin life as the new Bakal Raja. After serving at the Kangar Lower Court for four months, he was sent to the Kuala Lumpur Land Office to gain further experience on local laws and penal codes in 1939.
A year later, the Perlis heir apparent saw service as a Kuala Lumpur Criminal Court magistrate. In 1941, Syed Putra married Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail from Kelantan and the couple remained in Kuala Lumpur until the outbreak of World War 2.
Glancing through the collection of historical references pertaining to Malaysia’s northern most state, it becomes evident that, unlike Syed Hamzah, Syed Putra had little opportunity to prove his worth in the eyes of the Perlis public. The latter’s generosity and benevolence only became public knowledge years later.
Perlis fell swiftly to the Japanese Imperial Forces soon after World War 2 reached Malayan shores in the early days of December 1941. Raja Syed Alwi and his entourage retreated south to the perceived safety of Kuala Kangsar, Perak, as soon as news broke of the impending enemy arrival, leaving state affairs under the full control of Syed Hamzah.
SYED HAMZAH BECOMES RAJA
The establishment of the Japanese administration eventually brought to light a number of high-ranking officers who had clandestinely served as spies while working as shopkeepers, photographers and merchants during the years leading up to the war.
Many of them had been observing Syed Hamzah for some time and preferred him over Syed Putra, whom they did not know much about, as the next ruler, especially after Raja Syed Alwi returned to Perlis in a frail state on Dec 28, 1941.
With Syed Putra remaining within the safe confines of Klang, following the advice of Selangor Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah, unfettered Syed Hamzah worked swiftly to persuade the ailing Raja Syed Alwi to appoint him as Bakal Raja in Syed Putra’s stead.
When news broke of Syed Hamzah’s triumph in May 1942, Syed Putra made haste in returning to Perlis with his family. He was met on arrival at the Arau Railway Station by Raja Syed Alwi, who delivered the devastating news that his return was a lost cause. Left with no other alternative, Syed Putra put up residence at a nearby hut and supported his family with a $90 monthly allowance generously provided by the ruler.
This financial assistance evaporated after Raja Syed Alwi passed away in Arau on Feb 1, 1943. A day later, Syed Hamzah was formally proclaimed the fifth Perlis Raja after obtaining the consent of Kedah and Perlis Japanese Military Governor Major General Sukigawa Seiji.
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR SYED PUTRA
Left without any income source, Syed Putra began importing spices, dried chillies and salt from Thailand and exported them to the rest of Malaya where there was ready demand. As business flourished, Syed Putra made sure his success benefited the people, who were facing untold hardships during those challenging times.
Widespread public support and admiration for Syed Putra soon caught the attention of the Japanese, who feared a popular revolt was in the making. As rumours of an impending arrest by the Kempeitai Secret Police began to spread, Syed Putra and his family hastily left Perlis, travelled north to Satun, Thailand, before making their way to Tengku Budriah’s home state on March 29, 1945.
Resigning himself to fate, Syed Putra began living life as a simple merchant farmer in Kota Baru until news broke in early August 1945 that the war had ended with the Japanese surrendering unconditionally after two atomic bombs devastated Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The British returned to Malaya in early September 1945 and the newly established British Military Administration, under Lord Louis Mountbatten, refused to recognise Syed Hamzah as the rightful Perlis Raja.
With tables turned and all options for amicable remedy exhausted, Syed Hamzah abdicated a fortnight later.
He first went to Satun, Thailand, and Penang before finally settling in Alor Star, where he passed away unceremoniously on Feb 20, 1958.
With the path to the Perlis throne cleared, Syed Putra and his family were escorted back to Perlis.
Jubilant crowds erupted into thunderous cheers and applause when the royal entourage alighted from the train in Arau. The joyous atmosphere was definitely a stark contrast from the sombre mood that pervaded the railway station just two years earlier.
A FAIR AND JUST RULER FOR ALL
On Dec 4, 1945, Deputy Chief Civil Affairs Officer H.C. Willan arrived from Kuala Lumpur to deliver glad tidings that the British officially recognised Syed Putra as the sixth Perlis Raja.
Raja Syed Putra went on to be a fair and just ruler not only for Perlis, but also for the rest of the country after he was elected third Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya, and later, Malaysia in 1960.
Following in his father’s footsteps, current Perlis ruler Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail served as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 2001 to 2006.
While putting the materials back on to the shelf where they belong, several photographs in a book highlighted Raja Syed Putra’s early endeavours that set Perlis along the steady course of prosperity.
A case in point was an education fund, launched soon after the 1949 installation, to build the first English-medium school in the state.
Aptly called Derma English School, this famous landmark in Kangar today came into fruition thanks to the monarch’s admirable capability to galvanise his subjects to work together in ensuring an enduring prosperity for the state well into the future.