Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

5i8 THE SOCIAL ORDER iart ii
After the death of a Jinang or a Juru-krah, the
Batin would appoint the eldest son of the deceased to
succeed to his office. If, on the other hand, the
Batin should find the eldest son of the late dignitary
unfit for the appointment, he would nominate another
of the same family, and only when there was no proper
person in the family itself to fill the office would he
then appoint some one outside it.^
Lawsr'
Jakun.—Though the Jakun were generally good,
and little inclined to evil ways, they showed, notwith-
standing, from time to time (though seldom) that
they were in natiira /apsa, like the rest of mankind,
from whence the necessity of establishing laws
amongst them ;
though
we can say, to their praise,
that their laws rather prevented disorder than
punished it. Their laws were not everywhere
uniform ;
each
tribe had its customs and regulations,
those here stated being those more generally received.
They were not written down ;
but might be expressed
in some such way as follows :—
Murder and Assault?
If a person kill another without just cause, he
shall be put to death.
If a person beat another, he shall be beaten in
the same way ; if he wound him, he shall be wounded
in the same way.
If a person insult another, he shall pay a fine. *!
1 /. /. A. vol. ii. p. 268. - Ibid. p. 267. ^ Ibid. p. 269.