Perjanjian Anglo-Siam 1909: Pengukuhan Imperialisme British dan Liabiliti kepada Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu, 1909-1920 (Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909: The Consolidation of British Imperialism and the liability to the Federated Malay States, 1909-1920)

Abstract

Artikel ini menilai impak Perjanjian Anglo-Siam 1909 terhadap campur tangan British terhadap Negeri-Negeri Melayu Utara (NNMU) dan impaknya terhadap liabiliti kewangan Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu (NNMB). Kedudukan NNMU yang mempunyai autonomi kerajaan negeri sering dijadikan hujah bahawa NNMU merupakah negeri yang merdeka. Walau bagaimanapun, campur tangan British melalui pelantikan ejen dan penasihatnya dalam Majlis Mesyuarat Negeri menimbulkan persoalan apakah bidang kuasa British di NNMU? Selain itu, Artikel 4 Perjanjian Anglo-Siam melibatkan secara langsung NNMB bagi pengukuhan pengaruh British di selatan Siam dan NNMU melalui Perjanjian Kereta Api NNMB-Siam 1909. Kerajaan British menjadikan NNMB sebagai penanggung imbal balik kepada Siam yang bersetuju dengan Perjanjian Anglo-Siam 1909. Penglibatan NNMB ini menimbulkan persoalan bagaimanakah Perjanjian Kereta Api NNMB-Siam 1909 memberi manfaat kepada kepentingan British?Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah penyelidikan sejarah dengan mengumpukan sumber primer dari Pejabat Tanah Jajahan, kerajaan NNMB dan Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British. Hasil kajian mendapati, kedua-dua perjanjian ini merupakan strategi imperial British membendung kemaraan kuasa asing di selatan Siam. Pasca Perjanjian Anglo-Siam juga menyaksikan British mempunyai kuasa kawalan pentadbiran terhadap NNMU dengan mengekalkan kedudukan sultan sebagai pemerintah berdaulat. Pengukuhan imperialisme tersebut membuka ruang kepada British untuk membangunkan jaringan komunikasi di Tanah Melayu. Manfaat yang diperolehi British ialah penguasaan sumber ekonomi di selatan Siam dan NNMU; mengaut keuntungan daripada faedah pinjaman oleh kerajaan NNMB; menghubungkan jaringan wayarles imperial dengan stesen telegraf di Tanah Melayu.

Kata kunci: Ekonomi politik; komunikasi imperial; kereta api; kolonialisme; sejarah global

Abstract 

This article examines the effect of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 on the British intervention in the Northern Malay States (NMS) and its impact on the Federated Malay States’ (FMS) financial liability. The position of NMS, which possessed the state government autonomy, is often used as an argument that NMS are the independent states. However, the British intervention through the appointment of agent and advisors raises questions: What is the British jurisdiction in the NMS? Besides, Article 4 of Anglo-Siamese Treaty directly involved the FMS to strengthen the British influence in Southern Siam and the NMS by implementing the 1909 FMS-Siamese Railway Treaty. The British Government made the FMS indebtedness to the Siamese Government for the concurrence of such Treaty. The involvement of the FMS in such an arrangement raises a question, how the FMS-Siamese Railway Agreement benefited the British interests? The study used historical methodology by collecting primary sources from Colonial Office, FMS Government and the British High Commissioner's Office. The study found that the British used both agreements as imperial strategies to restrain the foreign power's advancement in the southern of Siam. After the ratification of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, the British possessed administrative authority of the NMS by retaining the sultan position as the sovereign ruler. The consolidation of such imperialism provided the British with an opportunity to develop Malaya's imperial communication networks. The British gained benefits in controlling the economic resources in southern Siam and the NMS; profiting from the FMS government's loan interest; connecting the imperial wireless communication with the Malayan telegraph stations.

Keywords: Political economic; imperial communication; railway; colonialism; global history