Handbook of the federated Malay states - Sabrizain.org

Federated Malay States. 121
On the establishment of British Protection in 1888,
practically the whole of Pahang had been parcelled out by
the Sultan in large concessions, almost all of which conferred
exclusive mining as well as planting rights. The latter were
never utilized to any appreciable extent, and the result is
that no agricultural progress has to be recorded. Less than
56 square miles are under permanent cultivation in a State
14,000 square miles in area.
European planting enterprise, as it exists in Ceylon and
India, is unknown on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula.
In past years small areas of coffee were opened up by one or
two Europeans in Pahang, but were soon abandoned. At the
present time, the only European-owned plantation in this
State is at Kuala Pahang, where 2,000 acres of land are being
planted with coconuts.
In spite of the fact that but little is at present known of the
suitability or otherwise of land in Pahang for the cultivation
of products usually grown in the tropics, such as coffee, tea,
sugar, pepjDer, gambier, rice, etc., there is no reason to suppose
that the soil is not suitable for the cultivation of these and
other tropical products. The obstacles to planting enterprise
on a large scale in this State are at present numerous.
Labour is scarce and expensive ; transport facilities are few
and transport expenses are high ; means of communication
are defective and slow ; the country is practically unknown
to the outside world ; these are some of the drawbacks which
have hindered progress in the past.
In the appendices to this handbook, full information,
supplied by planters of experience, is given as to the method
and cost of opening estates in the Malay Peninsula, and on
kindred matters. It should, however, be noted that all this
refers only to the States of Perak, Selangor and Negri
Sembilan. In Pahang, conditions are different and adverse
and the estimates of expenditure supplied should be increased
before they can be held to apply to
circumstances.
this State under present
The chief products of native cultivation in Pahang
are rice, betel-nuts, coconuts, sugar-cane, maize, bananas
and fruit of many kinds. Little of these products, with the
exception of a small quantity of betel-nuts, is exported, and
the State is largely dependent on imported rice for its
annual food supply.
The natives only plant one crop of rice in twelve months,
although each crop comes to maturity in little over half that
time. It is the object of the Malay to obtain sufficient rice
;