Malay press and Malay politics: The Hertogh Riots in Singapore

Asia Europe Journal

Volumn 3, Issue 4, 2005, Pages 561-575

  Hussin, Nordin ^a  

^a UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA   (Malaysia)

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 31044444008     PISSN: 16102932     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10308-005-0028-0     Document Type: Article

References (39)

1. There are a number of books written relating to the history of Malay politics. Some of the most useful are: William Roff, The Origins of Malay Nationalis, Yale University Press, 1967,
2. Gordon Means, Malaysian Politics, London, 1976;
3. J.M. Gullick, Malaysia, Boston, 1967;
4. R.S. Milne, Government and Politics in Malaysia, Boston, 1967;
5. Wang Gungwu (ed.) Malaysia A Survey, London, 1964;
6. Mohammed Nordin Sophiee, From Malayan Union to Singapore Separation; Ramlah Adam, Dato Onn, DBP, 1994.
7. Political Intelligence Report from Commissioner General Office, in PRO, CO537/4868. See also Political Intelligence Report from Commissioner Office, in PRO, CO537/6087; PRO, CO537/7341; PRO, CO537/7342; PRO, CO537/ 7343; PRO, CO537/7346. See, also, Monthly police report from January 1949 to December 1950, in PRO, CO537/4752; PRO, CO537/4781; PRO, CO717/ 198/52849/1950 and PRO, CO717/201/52849/62/1950.
8. A good description relating to the Hertogh case may be found in file PRO, CO537/7245. For further reference, see, PRO, CO537/6949; PRO, CO537/ 7302; PRO, FO371/84677; PRO, FO371/91209; PRO, FO371/93114; PRO, FO371/ 93116; PRO, FO371/93115; PRO, FO371/93117; PRO, FO371/91208; PRO, FO371/ 101276; PRO, CO1022/429; PRO, CO953/10/1; PRO, CO953/10/2; PRO, CO/953/ 10/3; PRO, CO953/10/6; See also Tom Eames Huges, Tangled Worlds, The Story of Maria Hertogh, Institute of South East Asian Studies Local History and Memories No. 1 (Singapore 1982).
9. PRO, CO537/7245.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. List of members of the Nadra Action Committee, in PRO, CO537/7245. See also papers concerning certain members of the Nadra Action Committee in the same file.
17. PRO, CO537/7245. See also, CO537/7320.
18. PRO, CO537/7320.
19. Ibid.
20. Taha Kalu was an ex-inspector in the Singapore police force. He was also the Deputy President of the MNP. His experience may be the reason that later in the riot Superintendent Johnson followed his advice about dispersing the riot. Taha Kalu, Karim Ghani, Dr. Burhanuddin and the other members of the Nadra Action Committee were later arrested. Although the arrest of Karim Ghani, Dr. Burhanuddin, Taha Kalu and three other Nadra Action Committee produced little reaction, a committee of Moslems was appointed to consider ways of obtaining their release. They were released finally by the government which feared that if they were prosecuted another Moslem riot might occur. See, PRO, CO537/7302. See, also, PRO, CO537/7245.
21. Papers concerning certain members of the Nadra Action Committee, in PRO, CO537/7245. See, also, PRO, CO537/7302.
22. The role of newspapers and the rate of literacy among the Malays may be found in William R. Roff, The Origins of Malay Nationalism, p. 167. "In 1931 it was estimated that almost one third of the adult male Malaysian population of Malaya was literate in Malaya, and the proportion must have risen considerably during the ensuing decades as vernacular education facilities expanded.... Often, an old guru of the local school, or perhaps the local penghulu, reading one or other of these papers, and a little crowd of elderly people less literate that he eagerly listening, questioning, and commenting around him".
23. The references to The Straits Times, The Sunday Times, The Singapore Standard, Utusan Melayu, and Melayu Raya were taken from newspaper cuttings, in PRO, CO537/7243. The newspaper library at Colindale also has a good collections of newspapers from Malaya(sia). The National archive of Malaysia too has a good collection of these newspaper.
24. Copy of memorandum from A.E.G. Blades to Colonial Secretary dated 7 December, 1950, in PRO, CO537/7245. See also memorandum from the parliamentary Undersecretary of State for his meeting with the Prime Minister on Monday 10 September 1951, in PRO, CO537/7247.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Melayu Raya, 15th November to 3rd December 1950.
28. Melayu Raya, 4th December 1950.
29. Melayu Raya, 6th December 1950.
30. Melayu Raya, 7th December 1950.
31. Melayu Raya, 8th and 9th December 1950.
32. The Battle of Badr, when the prophet Mohammed led his followers under the banner of Islam against Arab infidels and first drew his sword to assert that he was apostle of Allah has been used to justify religious warfare since that time. See, PRO, CO537/7243. See, also, A.J. Stockwell, British Policy and Malay politics during the Malayan Union experiment 1942-1948 (Kuala Lumpur, 1979), pp. 146-48.
33. PRO, CO537/3751. See also Anthony Stockwell, British Policy and Malay Politics during the Malayan Union Experiment 1942-1948, JMBRAS, Kuala Lumpur, 1979, p. 64-84.
34. PRO, CO537/3751.
35. Ibid.
36. Morris's statement to the Commission of the Riot Inquiry.
37. Newspaper cutting, in PRO, CO537/7246; Yorkshire Post, 1 January 1951, a) failure to be forewarned at the rising emotions of the Moslems in the nine days after Maria Hertogh was restored to her Dutch mother; b) the failure of the police to disperse the riots outside the court and later the complete collapse of police morale without the possibility of this being suspected by senior officers; c) recruiting and training of the police force, the inadequacies of which were evident before the riots as was shown by official statements about its corruption; d) the weakness of the civil administration; a) the delay of the government in calling in the army, whose offers of assistance during the afternoon were twice refused.
38. See also The Times, 8 August 1951.
39. Wiltshire's long letter to Onraet dated 19 February 1952 in Onraet's personal letters and records in the collection of the British Association of Malaysia deposited at the Royal Commonwealth Society Library.