The Birth of the Duff Development Company in Kelantan

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
IUs lfig llllt'S.f 511/1t1ll Mllhamfllad I V"
Rfsja of Kt'/allfall.
- 1 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
The Birth of the Duff Development
Company in Kelantan
1900 - 191 2
A NOlt' prepan.'t/ from doel/mel/ls k indly made ami/obit·
by
H UNTER
A.
CRAWHlRIl.
Plantation Age ncies. Penang.
When Robert William Duff entered Ihe
serv ice of Ihe Pahang Government as
atling Superin tendent of Police in 1892.
no one can ha\'e anticipated his meteoric
rise to f;nlle in an entirely different sphere.
But within the space of fifteen }e:lrs his
name was familiar to high officials in
Singapore. Bangkok ,lIld London. and he
had won the confidence and euoperation
of the Raja of Kelantan. Sullan Muhamm:ld IV.
Duff proved to be an intrepid and
resourceful Police Officer during the early
days of the Brilish administration in
Pahang. and he was the only European.
apart from the Residency Surgeon. whom
H ugh Clififord chose to accompany him
on the gruelling expedition through the
remote inland areas of Trengganu and
Kelantan in ~'l arch ,lIld April 11S95. Duff
had alrcadv entered Ulu Kclantan in 1894.
and these 'two visits must have made an
indelible impression on his mind. '-l is
services were high ly praised by Hugh
Clifford in his offieal report of the expedition. and when the Pahang Police were
rc-organised in 1896 D uff was appointed
Chief Police Ofliccr of Pahang. and moved
the Police contingent headquarters from
Pekan to Kua la Lipis.
Uut while he devoted his energies 10
the improvement of his widely scattered
tontingenl. his thoughts must have been
occupied with visions of the broad Lebir
RiveT. a rich source of gold in ancient
days. and with plans for Ihe development
of a vast region of agricu ltu ral land . And
at some dute prior to 1890 he resigned
his appointment as Chief Police Officer
Pahang and returned to Kelantan.
His Highness Sultan Muhammad IV.
Raj:! of Kelantan, hOld succeeded his
uncle. Sultan Mansur in 1889. and fortunately for Duff. was a ruler with
exceptionally progressive and enterprising
ideas.
1 9~1v
On October IOth.~he Raja of
Kcianlan affixed his decorative Seal to
Agreement which granted to Rober!
William Dun' personally. in partnership
with His Highness, the right to develop
two very large areas in the North a nd
East of the State, based on the Lebi r
ri\·cr. This first agreement was fo r a.
period of forty years. but in 1903 the Duff
Development Company was fo rmed nnd
in 1905 a new Agreement was prepared
and approved. simi lar to that of 1900.
but incorporating more details, and pro\'iding for the payment of a percentage
Royalty to the Su ltan on gold, tin.
agricu ltural and jungle products which
were extracted from the land within Ihe
concession. This agreement was ratified
by His Majesty the King of Thailand. and
witnessed by W.A.Graham. who was then
Adviser to the Ke[an tan Government.
appointed by the King of Thailand.
,Ill
The Duff company engaged Mi ning
Engineers to prospect fo r mi nerals, a nd
(50.000. was spent on this work. Fou r
Dredges were installed on the Galas
river and recovered a considerable quan tity
- J Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
-· ~.u·~/
rLet/I'r f rolll /1 ./1 . thl' Raja of A.'t'/allton to R. II'. DuIJ 1900 A . I).
- 4 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
of gold, The company's headquarters
\\'as cstablished o n an altr:lcli\'e si tc.
O\e rJook ing the junction of the Lebir
and Galas rivers. and communications
with the outside world werc maintained
by river transport, In 1906 Rubber W;I S
plantcd extensively on the We~tern bank
of the Lebir, a nd 15,000 acres of agricultunll lund wcre suble:l~d. and were
~ubscq uentl y tran sferred to stale ownership,
In 1909 the State of Kdantan .... a~
transferred by Treaty 10 the Protect io n
of thc British Government. and in 1912
a Deed of Cancellati on \HIS signed under
.... hlch the Duff Company surrendered it s
concessio n. granted under the 1905 Agreement. and received more limited ri ght~,
II smaller aTt~:I and a cash gr:lIlt.
Lemrs from His Highncss the Raja of
Kclantan to R.W,DulT......rillen during
Ihis carly period a rc reproduced hetc.
The illustr:l tions arc taken from a "olume
containing 75.pages of protographic reproductio ns which \\crc published in
1910 by the Direct o rs of the Duff Developmcnt Company fo r the informa tion of
the Share Ho lders,
At the time when these photographs
\\ere taken the Duff Co mpany's Con·
cO\'cred t .... o tho usand fivc hund red
square mi les of Kclantan terri lOry. By
the new ,\grcc menl. signed on 15th .J uly
19 12, the area w as reduced 10 thirty two
thousand acres,
cc!>~ i o n
11.11. Ihe Raja of Ktlanlan "" jlh his Stale Council :
1909 A.D.
Le" to Right: Tuun Soh hi" Sultan Ahmad ( Tellgku lkJar /m/era Raja) : T~ngk u
Mohmm/ bill Sultan Ahmad (Tengkll Srimah Raj a Tlla ) : D YMM, SlIltan
MuhammUlI I V inbi Sultull BO"K5U: Tengku Zai"al Abidill hill Suirun Bo"gsn
( Raja Dewa ) : TC'flKkll MO/IlI. Sallel, bin SlI/la" Ahmad ( Tengku Temen[,:go"g ) : 7t.'flgkll Ahmatl bin SlIltan BongslI, ( Tengku Bador ) ,
(The
lIallln
hal'('
bl'l'lI
Jl'OI'idetl b)' Nik Sal/ell ('Nik 'ult Kechil) of KOla Blll/f/I, )
- 5 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Lellt'r from 11.11, Iill' Rtlja of 1\('/(11/11111
- 6
10
R,II'. Dllff. /901. A.D.
~
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
JJ .JJ. II/(' Rajtl or KdllrllWI tlllll lli.r Slart' Cmm. i/ nilll Sir ) 01111 Amlersoll . tht'
( 11/ lh(' oemsioll of h i f /".\1 1';'511 10 Kdalllan ill July 1909.
(iOI'(·rllOr. 111111 his I'llrl l.
0/11' or (ollr riret/}!I'J eml,lo) {'d 10 dretl/:t' fo r G(J1d Oil tit/! ril'a Gulas .
7 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Document of Ratification, by the Thai Governme nt, of the
Agre eme nt between tho Raja of Ke lanta n a nd the
Duff De ve lo pment Company, in M ay 1905.
WHERAS there has been presented to His Majesty the King of Siam an agreement dated
24 th Rabialawal 1323 (corresponding to 29th April 1905) between the Govemment of His
Highness the Raja of Kelanliln of the one part and the Duff Development Company limited.
a corporation of 15 George Street. london. E.C., of the other part, which said agreement is
expressed as intended to be substituted in the manner and to the extent therein stated for a
cenain other ogreement between His Highness the Raja o f Kelantan and one Robert Wilham
Duff, dated the 15th day of Jemadilachir, 1318 (corresponding to the 10th day of October,
1900 of the Chrisuan era) : and
Whereas said agrBement dated April 29th 1905. is expressly stated to be subject to the
ratilication 01 His Majesty the King of Siam: and
Whereas there has been presented to HIS Majesty the King of Slam a letter dated April
5th 1905, from W.A. Grohom. ESQ .. H.S.M . Resident and Advi ser, Kelantan. to Robert Wilham
Duff, Esq .. which leller concerns Ihe Intmprelatlon to be placed upon Article 6 01 said agreement 01 April 29th, 1905, as regards the loyallY to be paid on tin property which could not
be worked Ot a ploln of ten per cont ; and
Wheleas said Dull Development Company limited. and said Robert William Dull have
represented 10 His Majesty the King of Siam that said Duff Development Company Limited
has authorised and adopted the signature, sealing and delivery 01 sard agreement 01 April
29th, 1905, on ils behalf: and
Whoreas tho Govornment of the Raja of Kolantan has informed HIS Majesty the King of
Siam that it has authOrized and adoptod Ihe Signature. sealing and delivery of said agreement
of April 29th, 1905, Dnd Ihe signature and dclivety of said letter 01 April 5th 1905 on its
bohalf: and
Whorcas said Govcmment and said Company having presented said Agreement 01
April 29th. 1905. and said leller 01 April 5th. 1905. to HIS Majesty the King of Siam. have
prayed that he will ratify the same:
Now. therefore. His Majesty having taken into consideration the facts and premises
above mentioned, has authorised His Royal Highness Princo Damrong Rajanubabh. Minister
of the Interior. to express His Majesty's gracious ratification of said agreement of April 291h.
1905 together with said Jellor of April 5th. 1905.
And His Royal Highness Prince Damrong Rajanubabh. acting under command of His
Majesty. has hereunto set his hand and seal in witness of HIS Majesty's ratification of said
documents.
Done at Bangkok on this the 6th day 01 February, 124.
(sd)
DAMRONG.
- 8 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia
G('/ft'ral .\lOIIO!-:cr.f IIoust'. Kuola Lehir. / 909.
011(' of ,I/(: CompallY's
S I (,OIll
u lIIncltf's a/ KIlO/a Lcbir. / 909.
- 9 Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia