Raja Chulan: The First Malay Appointed to the British Administration

Raja Chulan, the subject of this article, was the first Malay to be appointed as a high-ranking official in the British administration, specifically the Malayan Civil Service (MCS).

He was also a key figure in shaping modern Malaysia and a leader deeply concerned with the welfare of the people, especially the Malay community. He was DYAM Raja Sir Chulan ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah.

DYAM Raja Sir Chulan ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah was born in Tanjong Brambang on July 1, 1869. He received his English education at Raffles Institution in Singapore and the High School in Melaka alongside his elder brother, Raja Ngah Mansur.

He began his career in the civil service and was stationed at the Perak Secretary's Office in 1886. Several years later, he visited his father, Sultan Abdullah, who had been exiled to the Seychelles.

Sultan Abdullah was exiled after being found guilty of conspiring in the assassination of J.W.W. Birch. Raja Chulan later became an official in Larut in 1890. Other positions he held included Acting Collector of Land Revenue in Kuala Kangsar and Assistant District Officer in Selama.

Raja Chulan married Raja Puteh Kalsom, the daughter of Sultan Idris I, in 1900. In 1902, he accompanied Sultan Idris to England to attend the coronation of King Edward.

Upon returning to Perak, he was appointed as a District Officer (D.O.). According to historian Prof. Khoo Kay Khim, Raja Chulan was the first Malay to become an MCS officer and District Officer in the British administration. He later became a member of the Perak State Council in 1907 and eventually retired from the civil service in 1911.

Raja Chulan was known for being vocal about Malay rights during his service and after his retirement from the Federal Council of the Federated Malay States and the Perak State Council. He was also the first Malay to become a member of the FMS Federal Council.

While serving as a council member, he urged the British to improve the living standards of the Malays and to prioritize and facilitate the appointment of Malays to government positions at that time.

During the Federal Council meeting in 1931, he emphasized that the government could reduce expenditures by hiring Malays for government positions instead of continuing to recruit European officials.

Raja Chulan added that Malays would spend their earnings within the country, unlike Europeans who would spend more outside of Malaya. He understood that at the time, not many Malays were qualified for government roles, but after 50 years of British rule, he was certain there would be enough trained Malays to work in technical departments such as the Public Works Department, the Post Office, and the Railways.

In the same meeting, Raja Chulan also proposed that the British administration take steps to further encourage Malays to study in the fields of medicine and dentistry.

He hoped that the Malays could establish educational scholarships to support this goal and requested that the government provide job placements for these Malay doctors and dental officers after they completed their studies.

Raja Chulan was also vocal on other issues throughout the British administration in the Malay States. He disagreed with the government's decision at the time to impose import taxes on petrol and kerosene because it would burden the common people.

British High Commissioner Sir Cecil Clementi once stated that no Malay in modern times had performed his duties for the country and its people as well as Raja Sir Chulan.

He was bestowed the title of Raja Di-Hilir Perak by the late Sultan Iskandar on December 1, 1920, after the British lifted restrictions on the Perak royal succession for the descendants of the exiled Sultan Abdullah.

He was also the first non-ruling Malay royal to be awarded the KBE by King George V in 1930. Together with the Sultan of Perak, the late Sultan Iskandar, the Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Yamtuan Antah, and Datuk Abdullah Haji Dahan, he was responsible for the establishment of the first Malay Regiment in 1933.

In the 1931 federal meeting prior to that, Raja Chulan explained that the formation of a Malay regiment could stimulate a spirit of patriotism among the Malays.

He passed away on April 10, 1933, and was laid to rest at the Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum, Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar.