Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

SAVAGE MALAYS OF JOHOR 517
The functions of the Batin resembled those
appertaining to the Malay Raja. The title of Jinang
was equivalent to that of the Malay Penghulu, and
that of Juru-krah was applied to the inferior executive
(police) officers. There was also a war chief called
Penglima.'
After the death of a Batin (or chief of the tribe)
the eldest of his sons would be presented by his
nearest relation to the whole collected tribe, and
would then be declared and publicly recognised as
the successor of his father in the Batinship. If the
people refused to declare him Batin, the second son
of the late Batin would be presented ; and
if this
second son and his other brothers were refused by
the people, a stranger to the family would be elected.-''
'
J.
I. A. vol. ii. p. 267.
-' Ibid. It is related by some persons
that the Jakun have great influence in
the respective Malay states where
they are living, and chiefly in the
election of Malay Penghulus in the
Mcnangkabau states. Newbold too
says the same, and confirms it by the
following fact :— " .\ few years ago the
late Penghulu of Sungei Ujong, Klana
Leber, died, leaving two nephews,
Kawal and Bhair. It is an ancient
custom, prevalent still in the interior
and, I believe, generally throughout
Malayan nations, that when a chief
dies his successor must be elected on
the spot, and before the interment of
the corpse (which is not unfrequently
deferred through the observance of this
usage to a considerable length of time),
otherwise the election does not hold
good.
"Now it happened that Kawal was
absent at the time of Penghulu Leber's
death. The three .Sukus and one of
the twelve Batins took advant.age of
Rhair's being on the spot, elected him,
and buried tlie body of the deceased
chief. Against this proceeding the
Kaja di Kaja and the remainder of
the elective body, the eleven Batins,
protested ; a war ensued, which terminated
in 1S28, pretty much as it
began. Kawal, however, by virtue of
the suff-rages of the eleven out of the
twelve Batins, and by the support of the
Raja di Raja, is generally considered
the legitimate chief. In Johol the
Batins have a similar influence in the
election of the Penghulu."
It appears certain that in lormer
times the Batins exercised such an
influence in the elections of the Malay
chief ; but we must say that they
have at the present time lost a great
part of it ; for in Johol, Rcmbau, and
several other places they are so few in
number that such a fact would be im-
possible, and the contempt which the
Malays have for them, ;is well as their
own natural disposition to tranquillity
and peace, scarcely permit us to
believe that such is the case now even
for .Sungei Ujong, where they are the
most numerous.
270.
—
J. I. A. vol. ii. p.
\'ide, however, M. Lister {loc. cit.)
on the constitution of N. Sembilan,
where this alleged influence of the
Batins is confirmed.