THE ORIGIN OF AN IRRIGATION IN MALAYA: A Review of Developments Prior to the Establishment of the Dr

1
THE ORIGIN OF AN IRRIGATION IN MALAYA A Review
of Developments Prior to the Establishment of the
Drainage and Irrigation Departmentby D.E Short
and James C. Jackson
2
Introduction

• Remarkable development in rice production
• Introduction of Mahsuri, Malinja Padi ria
  (high-yielding varieties)
• Effort from government - suitably controlled
  water supplies for double-cropping -IRRIGATION.
• Substantial investment have been made to modify
  existing irrigation works.e.g
• Muda Irrigation Project in Kedah RM 204
  million.
• Kemubu Irrigation Project in Kelantan.
• That has witnessed the risen of rice acreage
  affected.
• 1949- less than a 3rd of area planted with wet
  rice in Malaya lay within government- maintained
  Irrigation Areas and late 1959 season, about half
  of the total rice acreage was affected 1966- this
  had risen to over two-third and with the
  completion of the Muda and Kemubu projects the
  proportion will rise for higher.

3

• Several short discussion are available on
  particular irrigation schemes, little has been
  written on the history of government involvement
  in the provision of irrigation facilities
• This paper seeks therefore to review the
  emergence of an official colonial policy towards
  water control which culminated in 1931 in the
  creation of the all-important Drainage and
  Irrigation Department

4

• PRE-MODERN IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY
• Rice cultivation in the region- considerable
  antiquity, pre-modern indigenous irrigation
  systems relied solely on small, temporary
  structure designed principally to divert water
  into padi fields.
• Terracing - highly evolved methods of water
  storage and distribution characteristic of the
  true irrigation culture of other part of South,
  south-East and East Asia.
• Early method of water control was brushwood dam
  and bamboo waterwheels.

5

• 19th , many parts of the peninsula remained an
  uninhabited jungle- covered wilderness, whilst
  elsewhere shifting cultivation was often the
  dominant form of agriculture.
• Few areas -coastal and river tracts- already
  peopled by Malays - internecine conflict and
  Tai imperialism discourage the establishment of
  a secure and settled agricultural population
• Low population densities served to impede the
  emergence of more intensive farming techniques.

6

• Politico-commercial from Malay structure
  inhibited the development of more elaborate
  irrigation works.(rise farming was not a
  profitable investment to the Malay raja class)
• farmers - little inclination to invest voluntary
  in irrigation works of a permanent nature.

7

• HISTORY
• The northwestern plain were only part of a
  peninsula, an attempt had been made to develop
  water control works on a large scale in
  pre-colonial times.
• Early 19th century, Kedah, with direction from
  Sultan, was in the process of using forced labour
  to construct a canal between the Merbok and Muda
  rivers at the time Siamese invasion ( 1821 ).
• Later, one of Malay aristocratic entrepreneurs
  Wan Mohamad Saman - Sultan granted him a
  concession to mark a 20 mile long drainage canal
  through the swamp South of Alor Setar at his own
  expense.

8

• COLONIAL BEGINNINGS LOCAL INITIATIVE EARLY
  GOVERNMENT INTEREST
• A report on the Rice Supply of the Colony and
  Native States commissioned by the Straits
  Settlements Government in 1891 show the interest
  of colonial in water control in Malaya.
• All district officials were requested to submit
  report contain
• a) nature of existing
• b) potential rice lands
• c) suggestion-how new land might be brought into
  
• cultivation

9

• British administrator, W-H-Treacher (1891)
  regards to funds for rural development and water
  control facilities.
• 1896, preparatory work on scheme for irrigation
  in Kuala Selangor District was completed, the 1st
  large scale development of new irrigated land in
  Malaya
• But a few problem rise - Competition between
  private government interest and Protected Malay
  States happened
• Water control and other sectors of economy not
  one-sided
• BETTER TO TIN BUY RICE THAN TO
  GROWTH IT

10

• THE 1st APPROACH Krian , 1889 1906
• Krian may be regarded as the first of many large
  scale irrigation schemes in Malaya.
• Slight gradients and heavy alluvial soils
  suitable for padi cultivation. It was originally
  covered with variegated swamp and forest.
• Malays from further north and immigrant for
  Kalimantan begun to pioneer this swampy
  wilderness for rice cultivation.

11

• major inducement loan 7 per areas allowing
  settlers to maintain themselves in the difficult
  pioneering phase.
• Improve drainage,communications and waiving
  initial land assesment for both padi and sugar
  planter.

12

• Noel Denison District Magistrate of Krian
  (1877)

show considerable enthusiasm for settling and
developing the country
ideas of improving the area for rice farming,
encouraging the entry or settlers using mukim
work to drain further areas and providing control
gates water could be ponded to paddy field
made an early attempt to improve an abortive
irrigation from the lower Kurau to Kerian
13

• In June 1889, G.W Welman ,Acting Collector and
  Magistrate, first suggested the need for
  systematic water control in Krian.
• There are in Krian three large navigable rivers,
  discharging within 20 miles many millions of
  gallons of water into the sea, and it will be
  strange indeed if the government, acting upon the
  advice of its professional man, cannot device
  some scheme for diverting a portion of this for
  irrigation purpose.
• The main phase of construction of the Krian
  Irrigation Scheme lasted from 1899 to 1906.
• Early estimates were grossly exceeded- total cost
  1.6 million (over 5x)

14

• Krian Irrrigation scheme was completed early in
  1906 and formally declared open in AUGUST of that
  year
• Krian accounted for nearly half the total
  wet-rice acreage in the Federated Malay States
• Resulted in an increase of 30 to 40 per cent in
  the padi crop of the district.

15

• The Irrigation Areas Enactment of 1899 gave the
  Resident the right to declare any lands within
  the area affected by an irrigation works wholly
  or in part carried out or sanctioned by the
  Government to be an irrigation area
• The enacment also intended to discourage the
  alienation of land in such areas for purposes
  likely to conflict with the aims of irrigation
  and in Krian this meant sugar cultivation
• Most of the land would have converted easily to
  padi cultivation.

16
THE NORTHERN PADI PLAINS (1909-1931)
17

• The most important political development after
  the construction of Krian Irrigation scheme led
  to great rice growing regions of
• Kedah
• Perlis
• Kelantan
• Terengganu and Johor not noted for rice, little
  significance in the history of water management
  techniques and processes.
• 1909 1932, some formal progress was made
  towards the development of irrigation and
  drainage in northern states.
• Kedah and limited extent in Perlis was
  substantial material progress achieved
• Before 1905 1913, first task to link up
  canals by entrepreneurs.
• Priority was given to expand the area of drained
  padi lands northern gelam swamps and southern
  districts by Wan Mat Saman.

18

• THE FEDERATED MALAY STATE AFTER KRIAN, 1906-1931
• Development still depends on the ability of
  administrator to recognise the possibilities and
  secure funds for irrigation and drainage.
• Krian as an example
• 53 increase in population- non-malay
  immigrants entering the penisula requirement to
  rice increase.

19

• After 1922,swamp area in Perak, Selangor, Pahang
  are suggested to develop for padi cultivation
  (eg Perak Tengah (Trans-Perak) scheme and
  Tanjung Karang swamp)
• 1921,Government urged to undertake the design and
  construction of small-scale works to replace some
  of traditional structures.
• 1930,Rice Cultivation Committee is urged by High
  Commissioner to intensify and extend padi
  production.

20

• 1931,early report is presented after visiting
  major padi districts.
• Important question involved is provision of
  better control in relation to water supply.
• Crux of the problem lack of adequate government
  organization for the preparation and execution of
  large scale scheme.
• On 1st of Jan 1932 Federal and Straits
  Settlements Drainage and Irrigation Department
  was established beginning a constructive to a
  new era of irrigation in Malaya after half a
  century of indecision.

21
End..thank you.