The Early History of the Police Force in Perak

Following the sad news of the passing of Sultan Ali Al-Mukammal Inayat Shah, the 24th Sultan of Perak, in 1871, chaos spread throughout Perak due to a succession dispute among the royals.

This was further compounded by various problems and tensions arising from incidents triggered by the growing number of immigrants in Perak. To address the ongoing issues, the Minister of Larut, namely

Ngah Ibrahim

established a Police Force consisting of 40 Malay members. Although the first police force in Perak was established, they were still unable to control the situation and the tensions sparked by members of Chinese secret societies. Captain Tristram Speedy later assisted

Ngah Ibrahim

to form a more robust Police Force at the end of 1873. As a result, 110 Punjabi and Pathan police officers were brought in from India, equipped with firearms known as Krupp Guns.

The strength of the Police Force was bolstered to a total of 160 members after

J.W.W Birch was appointed as the first British Resident of Perak

and Captain Tristram Speedy was appointed as Assistant Resident.

The police force was composed of Malays and Chinese. This police force was stationed near Taiping, and this British intervention faced strong opposition from the local Malay population in Perak. Paul Swinburne was appointed as the first Commissioner of the Perak Police Force in December 1876.

Tristram Speedy

Police officers recruited by Captain Tristram Speedy were absorbed into this force, with the addition of several Malay police officers from the Straits Settlements. This force was known as the Perak Armed Police. From then on, efforts to create a systematic force began when new police station complexes were built in Tanjung Piandang, Kuala Larut, and Durian Sebatang. New uniforms for the police force were also obtained from England.

The balance of police efficiency under the leadership of Paul Swinburne was continued by Captain R.S.F. Walker in 1882. Captain Walker formed a Mounted Police unit under the leadership of Inspector James Ma Keon. A systematic investigation procedure was developed by Walker, and the Perak Police Force has continued to grow to this day. However, the involvement of Captain Tristram Speedy and subsequent British counterparts could not change the negative perception held by the Malay community towards the Police Force.

Finally, when His Highness Raja Alang Iskandar was appointed as the first Malay Assistant Commissioner on August 1, 1905, it was able to change the Malay community's perception of the police force at that time. His Highness Raja Alang Iskandar was a spirited prince with a pleasant demeanor. Through his efforts and perseverance, the negative perception of the Malays towards the Police was dispelled, and he was able to attract increased participation from the Malays themselves in the police force.