Sabahan Indigenes Could Have Become Slaves Too

As Malaya celebrates its 52nd anniversary of independence, the North Borneo Herald would like to mention an unsung hero of modern Malaya (or Peninsular Malaysia as it is popularly known today).

The person was none other than James Wheeler Woodford Birch, better known as J.W.W Birch. He was the first British Resident of the state of Perak, appointed on the 4th of November 1874. Many of those whose only acquaintance with Malaysian history are from school textbooks might wonder how could Birch be considered a hero!

After all, Malaysian textbooks teaches us that Birch was a representative of the British colonialists, and that he did not respect local customs. So, he was killed. That's what the school books teaches us.

But many are unaware that Birch was against slavery. During that period, the Malays of Perak were practising slavery. The Orang Asli (indigenes of Malaya) would be captured and sold as slaves. The pretty ones would end up as harem for the rich and powerful.

Birch was strongly against this. Please bear in mind that Britain had enacted the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.

Birch was against the slave trade that was rife in Perak. He stopped it. Datuk Maharaja Lela, a powerful local who was involved in the slave trade was very unhappy and killed Birch. The Datuk claimed that Birch was killed because the latter did not respect local customs! What a way to get people to respect local customs!

Birch should be hailed as a hero who ended slavery in Malaya. If it was not for him, we would never know when slavery would have ended in Malaya. As for the indigenous peoples of Sabah, don't forget that if it were not for the British North Borneo Chartered Company coming to Sabah, they too could have endured what the Orang Asli endured in Perak before Birch came!