Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 4/The Vernacular Press in the Straits
THE VERNACULAR PRESS IN THE STRAITS.
BY
E. W. BIRCH.
(Read at a Meeting of the Society, held on the 30th Jan., 1880.)
No mention has as yet been made in the Society's journal of the recent appearance of a Vernacular Press in this Colony, and a brief notice of its rise and progress may have some interest.
2. Towards the end of the year 1876 an association, entitled the "Jawi Peranakkan" (Straits born), established a Malay printing office and began the publication of a weekly newspaper under that name.
3. Later on a Tamil Paper—the "Tangai Snahen"—was issued by the same publishers: it is a fortnightly periodical, has been in existence for some two years, and has now reached a circulation of about 150 copies.
4. About the same time efforts were made by others to produce both Malay and Tamil newspapers; a Tamil Paper having been brought out prior to the publication of the "Tangai Snahen," and two Malay Papers subsequently to that of the "Jawi Peranakkan," but these have, after a short run, died out, and the "Jawi Peranakkan" and the "Tangai Snahen" are, at the present moment, the sole representatives in Singapore of the two languages.
The names of the two Malay Papers referred to as having existed for a short period in Singapore were the "Peridaran Shamsu Walkamer" ("The Revolution of the Sun and the Moon"), and the "Bintang Barat" ("Western Star").
5. These Papers had for some time a sister in Penang—the "Jawi Standard"—but it fared the same fate, and is no longer issued.
Strange to say, though the Tamil population in Penang is larger than that in Singapore, no Tamil Paper has as yet appeared.
6. The project has often been discussed of starting a Chinese newspaper, but it has never got any further. The Chinese of Singapore would not appear to have had sufficient interest in the matter, or perhaps sufficient knowledge of the Chinese language to induce the projectors to carry out their scheme.
7. The "Jawi Peranakkan" claims to be the first Malay newspaper ever published. It has now a circulation of some 250 copies, and appears to fulfill the useful function of a "highest reader in all the vernacular schools.
The price charged for it is 30 cents per copy, or $5 per annum: it appears every Monday, and is ably and punctually edited, having, with only one exception, been issued consistently on the day on which it professes to come out.
8. For the first year the proprietors adhered to the favourite manuscript writing and lithograph, but Malay type having been obtained from England, the paper has, for the last two years, been printed, and the style is clear and easy.
9. Its object is to give to its readers the latest news, both local and foreign, thought likely to prove interesting and it is amusing to mark how closely it follows the English Press in placing all procurable war news before the public.
10. In matters political it would seem to express opinions of its own, endeavouring at the same time to form those of its readers.
11. Towards Government its tone is not hostile, nor even critical; indeed in only one instance was anything like a burst of feeling given vent to: it was in the case of the recent "Holidays Ordinance," when not unnatural indignation was expressed at no holiday being alloted to the great Mahomedan festivals of "Ramzan Eed" or "Haji Eed.”
12. The paper is surprisingly free from all personalities, excepting in letters having reference to Mahomedan customs of religion and law (Âdat); not infrequently, however, passages occur with those ironical allusions well known to Malays as "Sĕndîran."
13. From a literary point of view it will doubtless tend to settle the language and to give an uniformity to the various dialects of Malay, an object which the original projectors claim to have had in view. Its influence can scarcely fail to be considerable on the written language.
11. The "Jawi Peranakkan's" agents are numerous, and hold their agencies in London, Penang, Malacca, Klang, Kwala Kangsa, Johor, Děli, Padang, Batavia, and Sarawak.
15. In order to give an idea of the actual character of the Paper, and the manner in which it is edited here, a short resumé follows of the contents of a late number of the "Jawi Peranakkan," bearing date the 12th of January, 1880.
16. It is a small paper arranged in columns very much in the style of English newspapers. It commences by quoting the present state of the market, devotes a column or so to advertisements, by which, however, it is said not to make more than $60 per annum, and proceeds to give in full a Government Circular (English and Malay) detailing the management of the Malay College at Telok Blanga, and exhorting Malay Rajas and others to make more use of the College.
17. Of the next para., a translation is appended, which reads as follows:-
"The Hěkayat Abdullah has been re-printed by the members of the Asiatic Society, and is exceedingly clearly done; whoever now wishes to buy it can obtain it from the officer in charge of the library at the Museum adjoining the Raffles' Institution."
18. The paper then touches on the recent death of the Datoh Klâna of Sungei Ujong while on his return from a pilgrimage to Mecca. It appears that the Datoh, having accomplished his pilgrimage and having lost four of his followers, was returning to Jeddah when he was overtaken by death at a resting place near the latter town.
19. A reference at some length is next made to the Moar disturbances and to the action of an honourable gentleman in respect of them. The writer points out the contrast between this gentleman's activity on behalf of Tunku Alam, and the Tunku's sluggishness in respect of his own right: rebuking him in the tone of a philosopher, and hinting that he should make himself more acquainted with the outside world and its doings.
20. Next comes the correspondence column, which contains a letter from a correspondent in Malacca narrating the running amuck (Mengâmok) of a Malay on board the Japan, and the consequent wounding of sixteen persons. The majority of letters addressed to the Editor are written with the intention of giving pieces of local news not likely to be otherwise communicated, of exposing some disreputable character, of relating some wonderful adventure or phenomenon, and of eliciting information upon various subjects often abstrusely grammatical.
21. The principal notices from the Government Gazette are then copied, as also are extracts from other papers referring to events in neighbouring countries: the first of these is taken from the Rangoon Times; it relates the discovery of sapphire mines in Siam, and discusses the probability of the Marquis of Lorne being made Viceroy of India.
22. From the Straits Times some passages are quoted respecting the arrival of the French Flagships in Singapore, and the courtesy of the Admiral in allowing the Band to play on the Esplanade.
23. Three columns are given up to a series of paragraphs giving news from Java and the adjoining Malay States, and it is worthy of notice that so large a number of places contribute news from this part of Malaya. Such names are found as Semarang, Sêrubaya, Bogor, Periâman, Menâdo, Bantan, Cherbân, Ambûn, Karâwang, and Pâlau Banda.
24. Then come extracts from the London and China Express. About England there are paragraphs with Court and Parliamentary news, and a passing reference is made to the disturbances in Ireland.
From France, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Egypt, the United States, Chili, and Peru various items of news are given.
25. The Indian telegrams are next copied from the Straits Times, relating to the war in Afghanistan, and the paper is brought to a close with the latest telegrams of the week, referring, in this instance, to the Bolivian Republic, to Ireland, and to Russia.
26. In the majority of cases journalistic terms are expressed by their English names written in Malay characters, or by their Malay equivalents, this being effected by a slight process of paraphrasing, but in some cases the Arabic equivalents of these technical phrases of journalism are employed such as
| Editor | Mualif | موالف |
| Subscriber | Mutaliah | مطالعه |
| Notice | Ahlân | اعلان |
27. There is another useful little work which is attributable to the "Jawi Peranakkan" Company, and it will not be out of place to notice it here: it is a Mahomedan and English Comparative Calendar, which shows at a glance the corresponding date in the Mahomedan table of reckoning to that used in our Calendar. This Table, sold at ten cents a copy, has, it is stated, a very large circulation.