The Malay Regiment - "Ta'at Dan Setia": 1933-1945 By Lim Kay Tong (The writer presents a condensed history of the famous Malay Regiment) Early History The official birth of the Malay Regiment was March 1, 1933. The Malays had expressed a desire to share the responsibility of military defence for their land. Before that, the British had hesitated in arming and training Malays. There had been widespread trouble between feuding states in Perak, Negri Sembilan, Selangor and Pahang in the 1870s. Malaya was gradually pacified, but British reluctance to arm Malays remained until the 1930s. The reason for forming a Malay regiment was financial- it was proving increasingly expensive to hire the Burma Rifles from India. With the Great Depression of 1928-1932, it became desirable to recruit a local force to trim costs. On September 13, 1932, the Colonial and War Offices approved in principle the formation of the Malay Regiment. Eve...
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