58 REMBAU HISTORY, ETC. 
mother is placed under no restraint. She never leaves her 
own, or her mother’s, house. She is not even brought 
formally before the Undang in his Palai. On the refer- 
rence of the Lembaga, it is the Undang who proceeds in state 
to the house of the Lembaga, inspecting on his way the place 
where the mother lives. The child remains under the 
mother’s care, but is reared at the charges of the Undang to 
whose. house an occasional visit of a day’ or so is normally 
paid as the child grows up. The personal rights of the mother 
suffer no invasion, while she secures for her child the 
Immediate protection of the head of the state. 
The interference of the Undang in purely tribal matters, 
except on reference of the tribal chief, is abnormal and 
resented. His consent is necessary to the choice of a tribal 
chief, who on appointment must make obeisance and he alone 
can pronounce sentence of official death on the Lembaga :’” 
but he deals with the tribe only through the chief. A fine 
inflicted in his Balaz is recoverable by the Lembaga, who 13 
responsible for its collection. 
The transference of a tribe to the Undang (suku tergan- 
tong pada Undang) alone brought the Undang into direct 
relations with the members ofa tribe. But the history of 
that institution ® only proves his total unfitness for the work 
which it entailed upon him. 
It might be argued that by a judicious use of the orang 
bésar (vide chapter ii, $ 3), the Undang could stultify: the 
tribal chiefs. Such a view ignores the fact that, except when 
he was detailed as an officer of the court of the Undang to 
witness the due performance of a rite or penalty imposed by 
the Undang as sentence, the initiative lay with the orang 
Bésar—not with the Undang. Until the Bésar moved and 
made his specific reference, the grievance of the elder, or 
the oppression of the Lembaga never reached the ears of the 
ee Again, in his capacity of court officer to the 
() Menyalang. 
(2) v. Saying XXXVII. App. I. 
(3) v. chap. II §1. sukw tergantong. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
