MALAY LAND TENURE. 115 



a blight/'' is a significant saying in Perak and sufficiently 

 denotes the effect of royal progresses from the villager's point 

 of view. The practice of the Malay peasant, which must be 

 well known to British officials who have worked in Malay 

 districts, of bringing some simple offering, such as a fowl 

 or two, or a basket of fruit or vegetables, when he presents 

 himself before his superior with some request or application, 

 has its origin in this custom. Such a present is expected in a 

 State under native Government, and a man has small chance 

 of a favourable hearing who comes empty-handed. It is satis- 

 factory to observe the gradual disappearance of the practice 

 of offering such presents, however trifling, for it is a testimony 

 of the general acceptance by the people of the fact that, far 

 from being expected or exacted, they are not even accepted 

 under British administration. 



Before quitting the subject of forced service, it may be use- 

 ful to notice that Sir Stamford Raffles maintained the right 

 of the renters of Government estates to require the cultivators 

 to perform certain duties, but he stipulated that in such case 

 they should be paid. The following paragraph occurs in his 

 minute of June I4th 3 1813 : — 



" It will necessarily form a part of the arrangement to be 

 cc concluded, that the renters shall engage to keep the roads and 

 " bridges in repair (with the exception of the great military 

 " road) and also to furnish labourers, carriages, etc., when 

 " required for the public service : but I propose that, on these 

 " occasions, the persons so furnished be regularly paid for, at 

 " the rate to be established in the leases of each district. This 

 " arrangement is, indeed, absolutely necessary if it were only 

 i( to place in the hands of Government the means of checking 

 "the employment of people, on the various pretexts of official 

 " establishment, on the public service. At present there exists 

 " no check ; and as the people so furnished by the Regents, 

 " under the existing system, ought to be paid by a proportion of 

 "land, it follows either that they are not paid for their labour, 

 " or that the Regent is obliged to give up to them a portion of 

 u that land, from which he would derive a revenue, and for which, 

 " it is naturally to be expected, he will make a proportionate 

 '" exaction elsewhere. As the whole lands will now be rented 



