Saiburi Samuk

[GWR]

This is the name the Thai authorities eventually gave to the Malayan State of Kedah; after the Japanese encouraged them to occupy it. Herewith some perspective. The other site offerings are also well-worth reading too:-
http://www.mykedah.com/e_10heritage/e103_3_p5.htm
http://www.mykedah.com/e_10heritage/e103_3_p6.htm

[Wisarut]

Khun GWR,

erven though some of those in http://www.mykedah.com is quite good but some mispellign of Thai names EXIST. :D

Furthermore, the network seems to be easily SATURATED ... Icannot accessinto those links sometiems so you better copy and paste those messages here though. :o

[GWR]

The fact that it's a public library site might have something to do with it.

With regards to spelling, I'd like to know if you agree with the name 'Saiburi Samuk'. One informant seemed rather non-plussed at that name; and had obviously never heard of it. And I guess that might be a spelling issue:-

http://www.mykedah.com/e_10heritage/e103_3_p5.htm

QUOTE:-
The Second World War and the Japanese Invasion of Kedah

By Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd. Isa Othman
(Translation by Haji Hashim bin Samin)




About one and a half month after Sultan Badlishah's ascendancy to the throne, the governance of Kedah was relegated to the Siamese. We need to look at the background of the situation to understand this development. In July 1943, the Prime Minister of Japan, Hideki Tojo, while on a visit to Bangkok, declared that two northern Malay States, and the two Shan states of Moung Pan and Kentung would be given to Siam to fulfill the condition for co-operation agreed upon by the two countries in December 1941. The real motive for this action was that the Japanese wanted to reduce their area of control so that they could make full use of their army for the war in Burma. The tide of war which was not on the side of the Japanese made it prudent for them not to be involved in the problem of governing too wide a conquered area. The relegation of the two northern Malay states to Siamese control was also meant to force Siam into an armed alliance with Japan even though this move was strongly opposed by Japanese politicians who considered this development as inconsistent with Japanese colonial policy.

On the diplomatic side, this move was also meant to foster stronger relationship between the two nations as well as to indicate Japan's gratefulness of Siamese support all along. For Phibun Songram, this was a diplomatic triumph, because the surrendered territories within Laos and Cambodia, were most strategic to Siam even if the Malay territories were not. The surrender of the said territories was considered a return of territories taken over by the British from the Chakri Dynasty. It also showed the success of Phibun's government in extending its territories and its effort to strengthen the Irendeta Siam movement. On the other hand, to a local observer, it was an indication of Japan's inability to control the whole of the Malay Peninsula. This was further strengthened by an incident whereby a B-29 made an unopposed bombing run on Kedah territory. Two allied submarines were also frequently seen in the waters around Kuala Kedah.

On 20 August 1943, an agreement on the surrender of territories was signed in Bangkok, between the Prime Minister of Thailand, Field Marshal Phibun Songram and the Ambassador of Japan to Thailand, Teiji Tonbukami. Some the conditions found in the agreement were:

1. Japan recognized the re-unification of Kelantan, Trengganu, Kedah, and the islands belonging to those states as Siamese territories.
2. Japan recognized the states of Kentung and Mongpan in Shan territory as Siamese.
3. Japan would relinquish the administration of the said territories within 60 days after the signing of the agreement.
4. The borders of the said territories were as when the agreement was signed.
5. Matters pertaining to the implementation of the agreement will be decided upon through negotiations between the two nations.
6. The agreement will take effect the moment it was signed.

On October 18 1943, the northern Malay States were officially relinquished to Siam who in turn made Alor Setar the centre for its administration. The Siamese were obviously delighted with this development.

Although the relinquishment gladdened the Siamese, the truth was that Japanese control within the northern Malay states remained. Japanese liaison office continued to function in Alor Setar, Kota Bharu and Kuala Trengganu. Its existence was with the aim of managing Japanese assets, which had once belonged to the enemy and to control the economic resources of the said states. According to the agreement, the Japanese would continue to run rail services in Kedah and Perlis while the Siamese would only handle the train service in Kelantan. The Japanese would also retain control of cable, post and telephone services.

The type of administrative service offered by the Siamese was strongly influenced by the fortunes of war, which had now placed the Japanese in an unfavourable position. The Siamese believed that their presence in the northern Malay states was a temporary one and believed that the British would soon return and reassume control of those states. Underground movements in Siam were gaining strength and inevitably Phibun's government fell on 24 July 1944. The Siamese had acted to save the nation from harsh reprisal from the Allies.

A guideline of Siamese administrative service in the northern Malay states was announced on 15 September 1943. It could be summed up as follows:

1. The administration of the four states would be placed under Siamese Army control.
2. The administrative service in the four states would be carried out by civil servants.
3. The Chief Administrator would directly assume the duties of a supervisor. The administrator of each state would assume their duties with the advice of the local Army Commander.
4. Each administrator would be free to assume any type of administration they deemed suitable with the local situation and population.
5. The administrative Advisor would assist the Chief Administrator in running the civil service while the Chief of Police would also assist him on matters of state security.

The Siamese Prime Minister's office and handled by the Siamese Militery High the administration of the northern Malay states came under the supervision of commissioner (Khaluang Thahan Besar). The first Military High commissioner was Major-General Chierlah Kamol Sribhaasairadhikavan Josikasarthien. A police officer was also appointed to advise him on Police matters. A Military Commissioner (Khalung Thaharn Pracharn Rath) was also appointed for each State. The Siamese Chief Administrator for for Kedah was only a lowly Police Major. He was Major Promat Chong Charoen and his assistant was Nai Chart Bonyart Pan. The Siamese had promised to administer Kedah based on the Japanese administrative model although this was later changed. Kedah was then known as Saiburi Samuk and the post of Chief Administrator which was also known as the State Secretary, was changed to General Secretary. The change to Siamese government did not mean that the Japanese had ended its interference in the affairs of the states as could be seen in its control of industries and transport for its military and police personnel. Japanese Military Police based in Alor Setar and Sungai Petani had wide powers and could arrest anyone without referring to the Siamese authorities. In terms of administration, the Japanese were also given wide powers having been given defensive areas under their command. There were earlier suggestions that the Japanese retained their authorities in Kulim and Bandar Baharu districts. This reflected the dissatisfaction of the Japanese Army over the whole deal as they had fought bloody battles to conquer Kedah from the British. However, as they were trained to remain loyal to higher authorities, they did not forcibly show their feelings.

By comparison, the relationship between the elite classes of both Siam and Kedah was not as difficult as they were with the Japanese. This was because of the close relationship that existed between the two states for a long time. This relationship had continued to exist even after Kedah became a British protectorate in 1909. Sultan Badlishah, for example, had his education in Bangkok and was even awarded a Siamese scholarship before being recalled home in 1926. Tunku Abd. Rahman Putera once studied in Bangkok, when he stayed with his brother, tunku Yusuf, then serving in the Thai Army. Such a relationship was sufficient for the Siamese to give full trust to Kedah's elite class in the implementation of its policies. Tunku Abd. Rahman, for example, when serving as the Superintendent of Education while under Siamese administration, had once suggested that Malay High Schools used both the Siamese and the Malay language as its medium of education. He also suggested that Japanese Language would no longer be taught in schools. It was also during the Siamese administrative period that Tunku Abd. Rahman resigned his position citing both personal reasons and reasons for the State's future. However, many asked him to reconsider as he had shown himself as being capable of developing the State. It was also Siam's policy to retain the position of Sultan Abd. Hamid and that of his descendents who were both well-known and prestigious, in the government. The State secretary commented that actually the Tunku was well enough to continue working for the State. His action was caused by a feeling of being under-utilized as he was a man of high aspirations. He also wanted to show that that he was a man of high self esteem. The State Secretary too felt that Tunku Abd. Rahman was a man with a great future and the government needed personalities like him.
UNQUOTE

[GWR]

http://www.mykedah.com/e_10heritage/e103_3_p6.htm

QUOTE:-
The Second World War and the Japanese Invasion of Kedah

By Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd. Isa Othman
(Translation by Haji Hashim bin Samin)




In December 1943, the Siamese authorities made some changes in the administration by re-using British pre-War model. According to the plan, the role of the army in the administration was deleted. By so doing, the Sultan was once again made the Head of State, ruling with the aid of a Siamese advisor. The Siamese authorities also returned the administration of the State to the Montri Sabha Council, formerly known as the State Council.

The following were members of the Montri Sabha Saibur:
Sultan Badlishah President
Tunku Yaakob Deputy President
Hj. Md. Shariff Osman Secretary
En. Kassim Che Ismail Writer
En. Ismail Merican Vappoo Merican Nordin ?

The Montri Sabha Council was run just like the State Council of the British era as it was a body with both legislative and administrative powers. However, all its resolutions must first be approved by the Siamese High Commissioner. The Commissioner held all powers pertaining to security.

Members of the Council were appointed on a four-year period, after which, if his services were required his tenure could be extended.

The difference the Council had with the one under the British was that the Advisor (Tuan Khaluang) was not a member of the Council. This showed that the Siamese gave a greater freedom for Kedah to manage itself.

By comparison, the Siamese did not place a tight control over the administration as did the Japanese. The posts of heads of departments were given to Kedah officials. In fact the Bucho system was disregarded and the department system, which was in use during the pre-war years, was reinstated. The highest ranking and the most influential Kedah civil servant was the State Secretary. En. Mohd. Shariff Bin Osman who enjoyed their confidence and was asked to hold the post. He was considered the most powerful man after the Sultan because all his ideas and advice, were always accepted by the Siamese Army Commissioner.

The number of Siamese officials in Kedah was small and they were more concentrated in the army, foreign relations and the police. This policy was of course, decided by the turning tide of war as at the end of 1943, the Japanese had begun to suffer losses, especially in the Pacific. The Siamese believed that the Allies would win the war and the British would return to Kedah. With this realization, the Siamese needed to be gentler and offered autonomous power to the states concerned. They did not maintain a tight discipline even among their own officials. Thai officials from the rank of Governor downwards were free to involve themselves in various businesses to increase their income. This was the outcome of the lack of supervision by the Federal government as such a relationship was restricted to big state affairs only. This meant that most administrative problems were solved by local officials in Alor Setar. The Siamese officials only concentrated on supervision since all daily affairs were taken cared of by local officials. Even though co-operation existed at the administrative level, anti-Siamese feeling persisted especially among ordinary people. American intelligence reported that this had come about because Siamese administrators at their federal level were keen to promote their own brand of nationalism.

The hand over of the states to the Siamese government went smoothly but there were two problems faced by both colonial nations, which had caused some strains in their relationship. The first was financial problem and the other was the existence of laws, which directly affect the rights of the Malays.

The first problem involved the refusal of the Japanese to allow the Siamese government to circulate monies amounting to a million Bhats a month. The Japanese gave them the reason that such an action would worsen problems of inflation. Another problem was the Japanese refusal to settle their balance of postal monies as agreed upon in article 4 of the Postal Agreement between Siam and Japan. The second problem was laws, which touched Malay sensitivity. The first was the law, which forbade polygamy among Malay people poll tax for people between the age of 20 to 45 years. If a person failed to learn to read and write in the Siamese language after a given time, he would be fined a total of five Bhats. The resultant anti-Siamese feeling among the Malays of Kelantan of Kedah took an especially serious turn before the end of the War. Siamese policy of non-interference in Malay religion and custom practiced even when Kedah was their protectorate in 1909, had clearly changed. This change had come about after the 1933 revolution, which brought a more nationalistic Siamese government into power. In fact it was the desire of Siamese Premier Phibun Songram (1930 - 1944) to mould his people into a culture that would produce a nationalistic Thai people. This included the change to Thai culture of those people under their rule. Malays were expected to wear Thai looking costumes, write all letters and formal correspondence in the Thai language.Any advertisement, which did not use Thai language and writing, would be heavily taxed. For this purpose a Siamese Royal Decree or Thai Rathaniyon was published. According to an American intelligence report in 1944, the situation had badly affected the Malays.

However, according to some sources, the assimilation of Siamese culture was not forced upon the Malays in the north. A declaration by the Highest command Office in Bangkok on January 1, 1944 recognized the Sultan as the Head of State as well as the special position of Islam and Malay customs. In fact the Malay states were recognized as de facto state within the nation. This shows the wisdom of the Malay elites. However the use of the Siamese Language was still given priority especially in correspondences and communications between the Siamese government and the northern Malay states. Thai language was taught in schools and officers who were fluent in speaking, skilled in writing and reading in the Thai language were given preference for promotion.

Kedah citizen of Thai descent were given special rights. This made them especially proud to the point of challenging local authorities. An incident occurred in Sik when some local Thais tried to cause a riot but was quickly snuffed out by the firm action of the District Officer.

In general, we could come to the conclusion that Japanese administration in Kedah was a military one and therefore was most likely to the use of brutal force. This was followed by Siamese administration, which lasted 25 months.

The change over to Siamese administration was done in name only. Continuous army domination of the administration was important to the Japanese objective of exploiting the local economy; something that they had planned since the very beginning.