248 MALAY SLAVERY LAW. 
who would sometimes seek, if they could, to enforce the latter, 
are met by the plea that the practice denounced is lawful by 
Malay custom, and it is thus that debt-bondage, like opium 
smoking, gambling,* etc. is always defended. __ 
Slaves (hamba and kawan ) in Perak are of two classes :— 
(1) Slaves (‘abdi). 
(2) Debtors (orang ber-hutang ). 
A slave (‘abdi) is either :— (1) A captive taken in war; (2) 
an infidel captured by force (e.g., a Batak of Sumatra or Sakei 
of the Peninsula); (3) A man-slayer “,ung bawa darah mati), 
or other criminal who is unable to pay the price of blood, or 
other fine (diyat), and who surrenders (hulu) himself and 
family to the Raja as slaves ; (4) the offspring of a female slave 
(except when the owner acknowledges himself to be the father). 
Hulswr.—The Raja’s privilege of retaining as slaves all per- 
sons who have taken human life, and who throw themselves 
upon his protection, seems to be purely Malay. In other 
points the definition of the status of slave given above is in ac- 
cordance with Muhammadan law. 3 
Debt-bondage.—A debt-bondsman, although often called ham- 
ba (slave), is more correctly termed kawan (companion). He is 
a free man (mardahika) as opposed toa slave (‘abdi) though 
from his being obliged to serve his creditor in all kinds of 
menial employment, the two conditions are not always readily 
distinguishable. 
The Kuran, Sale’s translation, C. [.—This institution of debt- 
bondage is a native Malay custom, and is wholly opposed to 
Muhammadan law, which is most lenient to debtors. “ If,” 
says the Kuran, “ there be any ( debtor ) under a difficulty (of 
“paying his debt) let ( his creditor ) wait. till it be easy (for 
‘him to do it); but if ye remit it as alms it will be better for 
“you, if ye knew it. And fear the day wherein ye shall 
‘return unto God; then shall every soul be paid what it hath 
‘gained, and they shall not be treated unjustly.” 
Pecuniary limit of fine—Malay custom in Perak used to fix 
phew vei ee eee 
* At Kota Lama in Perak, an Arab Haji, who ventured once to denounce 
gambling as irreligious and wicked, was driven from the kampong and narrow- 
ly escaped with his life. 
