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Penjajahan British

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JELASKAN BAGAIMANA PENJAJAHAN BRITISH MENCORAKKAN BENTUK MASYARAKAT DI TANAH MELAYU.

Malaysia yang dikenali Tanah Melayu pada suatu ketika dulu pernah dijajah oleh tiga negara yang berbeza iaitu Portugis, Belanda,British dan Jepun. Penjajahan mereka bukan sahaja membawa kesan yang besar terhadap politik dan ekonomi di negara kita malah sosial dan budaya juga mengalami perubahan yang besar. Dasar- dasar penjajah terhadap negara kita telah membawa ramai pendatang asing ke negara kita.

Kedatangan pendatang-pendatang asing ketika zaman itu memberi perubahan kepada bentuk masyarakat kita secara kekal sehingga ke hari ini.Bentuk masyarakat kita yang wujud pada hari ini adalah masyarakat majmuk.Terdapat tiga bangsa yang paling utama iaitu Melayu, India dan Cina. Menurut Kamus Dewan, konsep masyarakat membawa maksud kumpulan manusia yang menetap bersama-sama disuatu tempat dengan mengikut aturan dan cara tertentu dan masyarakat ini pula terdiri daripada beberapa kaum atau bangsa. Oleh itu, gabungan kedua-dua istilah masyarakat majmuk membawa maksud `satu kumpulan manusia yang terdiri daripada pelbagai rumpun bangsa telah membentuk satu kesatuaan, khususnya dalam aspek politik, sosial dan ekonomi di sesuatu tempat bagi membentuk satu kumpulan yang bersatu padu’.

Manakala, menurut pendapat Furnivall, beliau mengatakan bahawa masyarakat majmuk muncul akibat daripada dasar-dasar penjajah yang menggalakkan penghijrahan penduduk mengikut keperluan ekonomi mereka yang telah mengakibatkan wujudnya kelompokkelompok yang pelbagai ragam dalam satu unit politik. Kelompok-kelompok ini bercampuran tetapi mereka tidak bergantung antara kaum lain dan amat berpegang kuat kepada agama, bahasa, budaya, idea-idea dan cara hidup yang tersendiri.

Dalam memahami intipati masyarakat majmuk yang menumpukan semenanjung Malaysia sahaja, perkara yang akan diketengahkan pertamanya ialah sejarah yang mewujudkan masyarakat majmuk. Kehadiran pelbagai kaum pada asasnya telah bermula semasa era kegemilangan Melaka lagi melalui proses perdagangan yang dijalankan. Walau bagaimanapun kehadiran mereka ini tidak dapat digerak menyusuri istilah masyarakat majmuk. Penggunaan istilah masyarakat majmuk itu sendiri hanya bermula pada penghujung abad ke-18 dengan adanya peranan pihak British. Di sini akan dikupas dengan lebih lanjut kewujudan masyarakat majmuk di Tanah Melayu melalui penjajahan kuasa asing iaitu British.

Penjajahan British di Tanah Melayu bertujuan memenuhi keperluan permintaan bahan mentah untuk industri barat, mencari pasaran baru bagi barangan siap dan mencari peluang baru untuk pelaburan di barat. Hasilnya Tanah Melayu membangun dengan pelbagai infrastruktur seperti jalan kereta api yang menghubungkan bandar dengan pelabuhan, perladangan dan pembangunan bandar-bandar kecil.

Tanah Melayu yang pada ketika itu kekurangan pekerja di sektor perladangan dan perlombongan telah menyebabkan pihak British mulai membawa masuk beramai-ramai buruh dari China dan India untuk menampung kekurangan pekerja. Penambahan penduduk dan peningkatan kegiatan ekonomi telah menyebabkan pertumbuhan sektor bandar,jalan-jalan, rel-rel keretapi dan pembahagian kelompok kaum bandar dan luar bandar bertambah besar.

Orang Cina memasuki Tanah Melayu melalui tiga cara. Yang pertama, melalui sistem tiket kredit. Orang yang tidak mampu membayar tambang sendiri dibiayai secara hutang oleh seorang ejen. Mereka terikat dengan perjanjian untuk bekerja bagi suatu tempoh masa sehingga hutang mereka dijelaskan. Kumpulan imigran ini dikenali sebagai “singkheh” dan mereka menjadi bebas setelah habis mambayar hutang tambang perjalanan mereka.

Yang kedua, melalui cara persendirian.Orang Cina datang ke Tanah Melayu melalui bantuan rakan atau ahli keluarganya ataupun dengan perbelanjaan sendiri. Ramai yang masuk melalui cara ini apabila Kerajaan China memansuhkan undang-undang menyekat penghijrahan penduduk pada tahun 1897. Yang ketiga, melalui Sistem Kangcu. Sistem Kangcu diperkenalkan oleh Temenggung Ibrahim di Johor untuk menggalakkan orang Cina berpindah dan menetap kekal di Johor. Di bawah sistem Kangcu, orang Cina digalakkan masuk dan membuka ladang-ladang lada hitam, gambir, kopi, teh, sayur-sayuran dan bunga cengkih.

Manakala kemasukan orang India pula melalui dua cara. Yang pertama, Sistem buruh kontrak. Sistem buruh kontrak telah diperkenalkan sejak tahun 1820 bagi mengambil buruh-buruh India untuk bekerja di ladang tebu dan kopi. Di bawah sistem ini, pemilik sesebuah ladang getah akan membuat pesanan bagi buruh-buruh melalui seorang ejen di India. Ejen ini akan pergi ke kampung-kampung dan mengumpulkan buruh-buruh India yang ingin datang ke Tanah Melayu. Tambang pelayaran buruh-buruh itu akan dibiayai oleh majikan-majikan yang membuat pesanan tersebut. Setibanya di Tanah Melayu, buruh-buruh itu diserahkan kepada majikan. Mereka perlu menandatangani satu kontrak untuk bekerja dengan majikan itu selama 5 tahun dengan suatu gaji yang ditetapkan. Pekerja-pekerja ini biasanya dilayani dengan teruk. Mereka dipaksa bekerja selama 9-10 jam sehari dan 6 hari seminggu. Gaji mereka rendah dan jika pekerja jatuh sakit, dia tidak mendapat gaji. Di samping itu, mereka juga terpaksa membayar sebahagian daripada gaji mereka untuk menjelaskan tambang perjalanan. Pada tahun 1910, sistem ini dihapuskan.

Yang kedua pula adalah Sistem Kangani.Sistem ini diperkenalkan pada tahun 1898. Sistem ini, majikan yang ingin mendapat buruh dari India akan menghantar seorang Kangani atau mandur dari ladangnya ke India. Kangani ini akan balik ke kampung halamannya di India dan mengumpulkan saudara mara, sahabat ataupun penduduk sekampungnya yang ingin berhijrahke Tanah Melayu. Kangani ini akan membayar tambang dan lain-lain perbelanjaan bagi buruh-buruh sehingga ketibaan mereka di ladang majikan. Di ladang, buruh-buruh bekerja di bawah jagaan Kangani yang mereka kenal dan dilayan dengan baik. Pada tahun 1907, Tabung Imigrasi diwujudkan oleh Negeri-negeri Melayu Bersekutu untuk membiayai kos pengambilan buruh India. Melalui tabung ini, majikan dikehendaki membayar kos pelayaran serta $5 setahun bagi setiap buruh India. Sistem Kangani juga mempunyai kelemahannya. Tiap-tiap kangani dibiayai mengikut bilangan pekerja yang diambil. Oleh itu, sesetengah daripada mereka cuba memperoleh seberapa ramai pekerja yang boleh dari India. Lama-kelamaan, mereka juga menjadi ejen sistem kontrak. Pada tahun 1938, sistem ini diberhentikan akibat zaman kemelesetan ekonomi yang menyebabkan permintaan buruh dikurangkan.

Dasar Pecah dan Perintah (Divide and Rule) melahirkan masyarakat majmuk yang mempunyai ciri-ciri tertentu. Dari sudut demografi, masyarakat Cina diberi peranan untuk mengusahakan lombong-lombong bijih manakala masyarakat India bekerja di ladang-ladang getah.Masyarakan Melayu pula ditempatkan di kawasan kampung dan bekerja sebagai petani. Penghijrahan orang Cina telah berlaku sebelum kedatangan British lagi, namun selepas kehadiran British, dasar penghijrahan adalah lebih liberal serta diwujudkan jaminan keselamatan undang-undang yang seterusnya keadaan ini menggalakkan lebih banyak migrasi masuk. Sementara kemasukan orang India pula berlaku dengan pesat di penghujung abad ke19 dimana berlakunya perkembangan perladangan seperti getah dan kopi. Sebagaimana migrasi Cina, mereka juga dilindungi oleh British,mengikut ekonomi. Keadaan ini telah menyebabkan jurang perbezaan antara kaum semakin besar.

Selepas Jepun berundur dari Tanah Melayu pada tahun 1945, British kembali memerintah. Kedatangan semula Inggeris membawa usaha-usaha perpaduan melalui pembentukan Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Kaum.Namun begitu sokongan rakyat terhadap mereka luput sama sekali kerana merasakan mereka lemah dan tidak mampu menentang Jepun selama 5 tahun penaklukan Jepun di Tanah Melayu. Perkara ini membawa kepada tuntutan kemerdekaan oleh penduduk Tanah Melayu berbilang kaum daripada pihak British.

Pihak British telah memberikan syarat yang paling besar di mana untuk mencapai kemerdekaan Tanah Melayu, orang Melayu harus menerima dan bekerjasama dengan masyarakat Cina, India dan masyarakat lain sebagai warganegara.Pada mulanya agak sukar bagi masyarakat Melayu menerima pemberian kerakyatan kepada kaum Cina dan India.Namun dengan berlakunya keganasan Parti Komunis Malaya yang berleluasa yang menyebabkan hubungan etnik tegang di mana etnik Cina yang menyokong dan menyertai PKM bertindak ganas terhadap etnik Melayu sebagai kaedah balas dendam semasa pemerintahan Jepun dahulu.Berpunca daripada keadaan ini,kerajaan teleh mengistiharkan darurat pada tahun 1948 . Semasa darurat, hubungan etnik bertambah baik mewujudkan kerjasama menentang komunis.

Keganasan PKM menyebabkan British menawarkan kerakyatan secara automatik kepada penduduk imigran Tanah Melayu yang akhirnya terpaksa dipersetujui oleh orang melayu sebagai salah satu kaedah membanteras keganasan PKM. Pada tahun 1957, British telah memerdekakan Tanah Melayu atas usaha Rombongan kemerdekaan 1956 yang diketuai oleh Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Darurat hanya dibubarkan pada tahun 1960.Kesan dari penjajahan British telah memberi impak positif dan negatif kepada pembangunan dan keamanan negara yang dapat dinilai perkembangannya dari masa ke semasa hingga ke hari ini.

Kesan Penjajahan kuasa asing dalam pembentukan masyarakat majmuk di Malaysia dapat dilihat dalam tiga tempoh yang berbeza. Pertamanya, zaman penjajahan British. Didapati ketiga-tiga kaum langsung tidak berinteraksi. Boleh ditegaskan Tanah Melayu milik orang Melayu, ekonomi kormesial pula milik orang Cina dan India sementara politik milik British hinggakan orang Melayu ketinggalan. Sebenarnya terdapat beberapa faktor yang menjadikan orang Melayu tidak terlibat dengan ekonomi kormesial. Salah satu sebabnya adalah British sendiri dengan dasarnya yang menekan penduduk asal serta ‘Dasar Pecah Perintah’ yang dijalankan British sewaktu penjajahanya seperti diterangkan di atas.

Tempoh yang kedua pula merujuk pada era menuju kemerdekaan. Dalam hal ini dapat dilihat terdapat hubungan antara kaum. Melayu dengan Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu (UMNO), Cina dengan Persatuan Cina Malaya (MCA) dan India dengan Kongres India Se-Malaya (MIC) membentuk parti politik yang berteraskan kaum masing-masing namun berada di bawah satu payung iaitu Parti Perikatan. Hasil daripada kerjasama antara kaum ini membolehkan British bersetuju memberikan kemerdekaan kepada Tanah Melayu pada 1957. Sebelum kemerdekaan, peristiwa darurat telah berlaku selepas tempoh penjajahan Jepun pada 1948 sehingga 1960 yang melibatkan Parti Komunis Malaya. Dalam tempoh ini juga hubungan antara orang Melayu dengan Cina kembali tergugat.

Peringkat yang terakhir adalah zaman selepas kemerdekaan yang merujuk zaman selepas 1969. Masih lagi terdapat jurang dalam pelbagai bentuk yang bukan sahaja dari segi ekonomi. Walau bagaimanapun, pihak kerajaan telah merangka beberapa strategi yang boleh mewujudkan keadaan yang aman damai yang menepati makna sebenar masyarakat majmuk. Namun ianya masih lagi tidak mencapai matlamat perpaduan. Masing-masing berusaha mengekalkan identiti sendiri dan enggan menerima asimilasi dari budaya lain. Sekitar tahun 1965, penggunaan “Malaysian Malaysia”telah mula digunakan namun ia tidak begitu diterima pakai. Kini, ia menjadi salah satu matlamat kerajaan dalam memastikan kesepaduan masyarakat iaitu dikenali sebagai Bangsa Malaysia. Antara salah satu nya, adalah penggunaan slogan Satu Malaysia yang diperkenalkan Perdana Menteri kita hari ini, slogan ini bertujuan memupuk semangat perpaduan dan kesatuan antara pelbagai kaum di negara ini.

Kesimpulannya, secara keseluruhannya, bentuk masyarakat kita ini iaitu masyarakat majmuk terhasil kesan daripada penjajahan British. Bagi memastikan keadaan negara yang aman dan damai, perkara yang paling penting adalah aspek ekonomi kerana ia menjadi isu paling sensitif. Namun dalam hal ini, sikap masyarakat sendiri yang paling utama, perlu memahami kedudukan masing-masing. Perlu ditegaskan bagi memastikan kesepaduan dan kestabilan dalam hubungan sesama masyarakat, penelitian sejarah salah satu langkah yang penting. Malahan boleh menjadikan apa yang berlaku di luar negara sebagai satu ukuran erti sebenar perpaduan. Sejarah perlu dijadikan satu rangka tindakan untuk membina Negara-Bangsa. Kepentingan Sejarah sesuatu bangsa khususnya yang berteraskan kepada sejarah bangsa pribumi perlu diutamakan dan diberi status dan kedudukan yang utama bagi memantapkan lagi asas pembinaan Negara-Bangsa. Identiti Negara-Bangsa adalah sinonim yang saling mengukuhkan identiti, nasionaliti dan nasionalisma serta unsur-unsur patriotisma Negara-Bangsa.

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...colonization and deemed it as a result of overly greedy capitalists seeking new markets. However, another group believed in the acquisition of Africa was to civilize the people in Africa, which they felt, was their ultimate duty. Government officials from different European nations encouraged African acquisition in order to increase and maintain their global influence, others claimed that it was a capitalist misuse of African resources, and people who benefited from this justified their actions arguing that it was their duty to edify and civilize African inhabitants. Many government officials thought in colonizing the continent because they felt that it was necessary to maintain their global influence. For example, Benjamin Disraeli, the British prime minister at the time, read aloud a speech to the House of Commons in 1876 supporting the seizure of the Suez Canal saying that it would “strengthen the empire.” (Document 2) Since Disraeli was a prime minister he would be speaking in favor of the acquisition because it would increase his term and political influence. Prince Leopold, heir to the Belgian throne and future king, African colonization stating that it would be “an opportunity to prove the world that Belgians are also an imperial people capable of dominating and enlightening others.” (Document 1) This statement demonstrates the pressure on the weaker European nations to colonize in order to increase their influence. If other nations did not colonize, Prince Leopold would...

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Amazing Grace Discussion

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British Economy After Ww2

...steel, coal, road, rail, air transportation, electricity, and gas were the first big industry changes. Freedom in the industries was thought to be sacrificed for fairness as these industries became under government ownership and control. Next the government enacted new welfare laws to provide education, unemployment compensation, universal healthcare, and support for the elderly. The costs to provide these new programs would be financed through mainly taxes. Finance and banking was left private but highly regulated by the government after WWII as well. These policies were expected to allow for Britain to regain their thrown as the best economy but would ultimately prove to be much less than what was to be expected. The policies of the British government after WWII created problems that were not perceived in the new system. One problem was the inefficiency of work. High taxes and poverty relief programs caused workers to be less productive by providing an incentive to not work since they would make more income at a lower salary or would be taken care of by the government if they did not work. Labor unions caused many strikes and problems in efficiency as well. The unions were organized by what job or profession a worker was a part of and not by where they worked. This union...

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Between the Years 1500 and 1800, What Were the Most Important Key Events or Forces That Ultimately Allowed the Europeans to Establish Authority in India?

...warfare, and were ignorant and indifferent to the European threats. The Mughal Empire, in control of India at this time, were spread out too thin with many rulers and were not united to handle the onslaught of European influence. The fall of the Mughal Empire in concert with the rise of European power can be described by two main events, with the fall of the structured trade with the ruin of the great Mughal port of Surat, and the possession of the Diwani of Bengal by Britian that gave them economic control in India. All these factors combined to India’s exploitation and soon to administrative authority by European forces. The revolution of international martime trade and the rise of European sea power, the fall of the Mughal trade, and the British grasp of the Diwani of Bengal were the major forces and that eventually led to established European authority in India, lasting until 1947. The first European power that controlled the Indian Ocean during the height of the Mughal Empire was the Portuguese. The Portuguese seizure of power in the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the sixteenth century was due to their great skills in navigation and...

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Describe a Place You Had Visited

...had noticed that there were very few buildings built in that design anywhere else in Singapore. When you walked a couple of hundred meters from where Sir Stamford Raffles landed, at the Singapore River, you will able to catch a glance on this historical building. It was surrounded with all the important government buildings of the old Singapore, such as the Supreme Court and Parliament House. It overlooks the historical Padang, the location for many important event to be hold – like the National Day Parades. This historical building had impressed me a lot. It was the seat of the British Government of Singapore and in the earlier times was the centre of government. It had been an important building where the Prime Minister’s office also housed in this building. There were several milestones events had been carried out within this building including the matter of Japanese surrendered to the British in 1946. Moreover, most of the important announcements with regard to the country were made from the building. The physical structure of the building was made up of solid granite and similar like most of the old buildings, is able to withstand bombardment. This can be proven through the process of how it was survived the Japanese bombardment during the World Wall II. The pillar of the building was placed in a neat way that portrayed a sharp angle view of the building. Many tourists like to use the view of the building as their background when filming or snapping pictures. The surroundings...

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