266 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



improvements when and where the defects and in- 

 justices of the system revealed themselves. In 

 the work both of administration and legislation the 

 Rajahs have always sought and enjoyed the advice 

 and co-operation of Malays. They have maintained 

 the principal ministries of State, and have continued 

 the tenure of those offices by the Malay nobles who 

 occupied them at the time of Sir James Brooke's 

 accession to power ; and, as these have died or 

 retired in the natural course, they have chosen 

 leading Malays of the aristocratic class to fill the 

 vacancies. Three of these Malay officers, namely, 

 the Datu Bandar, Datu Imaum,and the Datu Hakim, 

 have been members of the Supreme Council since its 

 institution in 1855. The first of these offices may 

 be best defined by likening it to that of a Lord 

 Mayor ; or better, perhaps, to that of the salaried 

 Burgomaster of a German city ; its occupant is 

 understood to be the leading citizen of the Malay 

 community of Kuching, the capital town of Sarawak. 

 The Datu Imaum is the religious head of the 

 Mohammedan community, and the Datu Hakim 

 the principal of the Malay judges. 



The Supreme Council consists of the three 

 Malay officers named above together with three or 

 four of the principal European officers, and the 

 Rajah, who presides over its deliberations. It 

 meets at least once a month to consider all matters 

 referred to it by lower tribunals. It embodies the 

 absolute authority of the Rajah ; from its decrees 

 there is no appeal. It decides questions of justice, 

 administration, and legislation ; and it continually 

 enriches and improves the law by creating pre- 

 cedents, which serve to guide the local courts, by 

 deliberately revising and repealing laws, and by 

 adding new laws to the Statute Book. It is the 

 sole legislative authority. The presence of the 

 Malay members at the meetings of the Council is 



