Strategi Imperialisme British dalam Dasar Desentralisasi Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu, 1927–1934 The British Imperialism Strategy in Federated Malay States’ Decentralisation Policy, 1927–1934
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Abstract
Abstract. This article re-examines the argument for the decentralisation policy in restoring the Malay Rulers’ power at the State Councils in the Federated Malay States (FMS). It focuses on the early phase of the policy implementation, i.e. after the Federal Council reconstitution in 1927 until its full execution in 1934. In that period, the policy developed under the administration of Laurence Guillemard and Cecil Clementi as British High Commissioner for the Malay States. This fact is prove of the influence of the empire’s union policy in London, an implicit imperial strategy, in centralising the Malay States administration under the British High Commissioner. Although the Malay Rulers’ position was returned in the State Council, their power was limited to financial administration of selected federal services. This raises the question of the imperial’s intention in executing the decentralisation policy in FMS. The analysis of the FMS and Colonial Office documents shows that the execution of the decentralisation policy was a strategy by the British to form the Malayan Union under its control. The attempt was to combine the administration of the FMS colonial administration with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States under the British High Commissioner.
Artikel ini menilai semula hujah pelaksanaan dasar desentralisasi British sebagai suatu usaha untuk mengembalikan kuasa Raja-Raja Melayu dalam Majlis Mesyuarat Negeri (MMN) di Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu (NNMB). Tumpuan diberikan pada fasa awal pelaksanaan dasar ini iaitu setelah Majlis Mesyuarat Persekutuan (MMP) distruktur semula pada tahun 1927 sehingga pelaksanaannya pada tahun 1934. Dalam tempoh tersebut, dasar desentralisasi NNMB telah melalui proses pembentukan ketika pentadbiran Laurence Guillemard dan Cecil Clementi selaku Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British di Tanah Melayu. Proses ini membuktikan pengaruh dasar kesatuan empayar dari London sewaktu wujudnya strategi imperial yang tersirat untuk memusatkan pentadbiran Tanah Melayu kepada Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British. Walaupun kedudukan Raja-Raja Melayu dikembalikan dalam MMN, bidang kuasanya hanya terbatas dalam pentadbiran kewangan bagi jabatan perkhidmatan persekutuan yang ditetapkan. Hal ini demikian kerana MMP masih lagi mempunyai kuasa kawalan pentadbiran kewangan pada peringkat persekutuan. Justeru, apakah matlamat British yang sebenar dalam melaksanakan dasar desentralisasi di NNMB? Hasil kajian terhadap dokumen pentadbiran kolonial NNMB dan Pejabat Tanah Jajahan mendapati bahawa pelaksanaan dasar desentralisasi di NNMB merupakan strategi imperialisme British untuk membentuk Kesatuan Tanah Melayu di bawah kawalannya. Pentadbiran kolonial NNMB cuba digabungkan dengan Negeri-Negeri Selat serta Negeri-Negeri Melayu Tidak Bersekutu dan diletakkan di tangan Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British.
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