Why local people resisted
When Western powers extended their control over the Malay States, Sarawak and Sabah in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the local people did not simply accept foreign rule. Rulers, chiefs and ordinary villagers fought back to protect what mattered most to them.
Key idea
Local resistance aimed to defend sovereignty (kedaulatan), custom (adat), religion, and the people's livelihoods against foreign interference.
Main aims of resistance
- To defend the sovereignty and independence of the state and its ruler.
- To protect Malay custom (adat) and the Islamic religion from interference.
- To oppose unfair taxes and new laws imposed by the West.
- To keep control of land, rivers and sources of income that chiefs traditionally held.
Forms of resistance
Resistance took two main forms. Armed resistance meant open fighting, such as Dato' Maharaja Lela in Perak, Dol Said in Naning, Rentap against James Brooke in Sarawak, and Mat Salleh against the British North Borneo Company in Sabah. Unarmed resistance was carried out without weapons — through refusing to pay taxes, sending petitions and using diplomacy, as later seen in Kelantan and Terengganu.
People from every level of society took part. Malay rulers and chiefs often led because they lost the most power and income, but farmers, traders and religious teachers joined too. Whether a state chose to fight or to bargain usually depended on how strong it was and how wise its leaders were. Both forms shared the same goal: to keep the state free and its way of life unchanged.
Remember
- Two forms: armed and unarmed resistance.
- Shared aim: defend sovereignty, custom, religion and livelihood.