Occupation of Malay Immigrants

Source 1: A description of the Javanese immigrants working in the 19th century Colonial Singapore.

The Javanese are one of the larger Indonesian ethnic groups that migrated to Singapore in various waves starting from the early 19th century. People of Javanese ancestry in Singapore are now regarded as part of the larger Malay/Muslim community.

The number of Javanese migrants increased in the latter part of the 19th century. In 1891, some 8,541 Javanese were recorded to be residing in Singapore. The Javanese were actively being recruited to work as contract labour for large-scale plantations and the mining industry in the region. The Javanese were seen as an alternative source of labour to the Chinese and Indians. The recruiters believed that the Javanese would assimilate better with the local Malays and would be good at clearing jungle foliage because they lived in rural areas.

Malaya (including Singapore) was the first territory to import Javanese labourers and therefore was where the largest number of Javanese immigrants was found. Between 1886 and 1890, around 21,000 Javanese signed work contracts with the Singapore Chinese Protectorate before being posted to work in various locations. These Javanese were recruited by agents who paid their travel expenses. In return, these Javanese labourers were contracted to work for an employer designated by the agent for a set period of time.

Reference:

Ho, S. (2013). Javanese Community. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-08-06_115832.html

Source 2: An extract of the Baweanese community working in Singapore during the 19th century.

The Baweanese are a significant community among the Malays of Singapore. They were originally from Pulau Bawean (Bawean Island) in East Java, and migrated to Singapore from the early 19th century. In the early days, many of them found jobs as drivers and horse trainers.

When the Baweanese came to Singapore during the mid-19th century, European estates were facing a labour shortage. The Europeans relied on the Javanese and Baweanese for labour, as other races in Singapore were not inclined to be employed by them.

In 1842, the Europeans employed many Baweanese for the construction of a racecourse in Singapore. Subsequently, many Baweanese found work as horse trainers at the old racecourse. The Baweanese were also largely employed as gharry drivers, having worked and become good with horses back home. When the age of motorcars swept across Singapore towards the end of the 19th century, the Baweanese switched to become drivers for tuans and mems (in reference to colonial masters and mistresses). Another sub-group of the Baweanese, the Daun, was employed by the authorities of the Singapore port which supplied fresh water to ships in the Singapore Harbour. The Baweanese also held jobs such as bullock-cart drivers and gardeners.

Reference:

Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman & Marsita Omar. (2007). The Baweanese (Boyanese). Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1069_2007-06-20.html

Source 3: A description of the Bugis immigrants in 19th century Colonial Singapore.

The Bugis were among the first groups of people to arrive in Singapore after the British established a trading settlement on the island in 1819. Many of the early Bugis settlers came as maritime traders and made significant contributions to the development of Singapore as a regional trading hub. People of Bugis ancestry who reside in Singapore today are regarded as part of the larger Malay/Muslim community.

The Bugis, especially those from the Wajo tribe, were considered the leading traders in the region. The Bugis trading vessels typically left Sulawesi for Singapore in October each year to take advantage of the strong east winds. The vessels would carry items such as cotton fabrics, gold dust, nutmegs, camphor, frankincense and tortoise shell.

The Bugis vessels would only sail back to Sulawesi from Singapore in December or January when the west winds had picked up. The Bugis traders would return to Sulawesi with goods such as opium, European and Indian cotton goods, iron and tobacco. In addition to material goods, the Bugis also traded in slaves from various parts of the Malay Archipelago such as the Lesser Sunda Islands, Buton, Mindanao, Sulu and northeast Borneo. Some Bugis merchants even subjected their fellow Bugis to the slave trade. Due to their dependence on maritime travel and trade, the Bugis were also involved in shipbuilding and repair.

Reference:

Ho, S. (2013). The Bugis. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-08-12_113516.html

Source 4: An extract of the Malays in Singapore under the British rule in the 19th century.

From the mid-nineteenth century to the period just after World War II, many Javanese migrated to Singapore, attracted both by urban wages offering a higher living standard and by freedom from the constraints of their native villages, where they often occupied the lower reaches of the economic and social order.

Singapore Malay community leaders estimated that some 50 to 60 percent of the community traced their origins to Java and an additional 15 to 20 percent to Bawean Island, in the Java Sea north of the city of Surabaya. The 1931 census recorded the occupations of 18 percent of the Malays as fishermen and 12 percent as farmers; the remaining 70 percent held jobs in the urban cash economy, either in public service or as gardeners, drivers, or small-scale artisans and retailers. The British colonialists had considered the Malays as simple farmers and fishermen with strong religious faith and a "racial" tendency toward loyalty and deference; they preferentially recruited the Malays to the police, the armed forces, and unskilled positions in the public service.

Reference:

Country Studies. US. (Year Unknown). The Malays. US Library of Congress. Retrieved from http://countrystudies.us/singapore/17.htm

Source 5: A photograph depicting Malay hawkers in the 19th century Singapore.

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