Stamford Raffles, British statesman, is best known as founder of modern Singapore, but he spent 18 years as a colonial administrator across South East Asia. He began his career at the age of just 14 when he was employed as a clerk in the East India Company in London and at the age of 24 he accepted his first overseas posting in Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island).
Prior to his departure in 1805 he married a widow ten years his senior who was previously married to an assisstant surgeon in Madras, and they sailed together to the Island . His first job was as assisstant secretary to Philip Dundas who was the newly appointed Lieutenant-Governor having also arrived in 1805.
The posting on the Prince of Wales Island at that time was seen as a prestigious appointment because in 1805 the status of the island had been promoted on a par with the Indian Presidencies of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. Raffles worked at Government House in George Town on what would later be the Convent Light Street grounds which have been preserved as part of the island’s heritage although he never rose above the rank of assistant secretary to the Governor.
Unfortunately, after three years of service he became ill having probably contracted malaria and was given leave to recuperate in Malacca which was regarded at the time as a healthier situation. It was as a result of his stay in Malacca that he came to the notice of his superiors in India and which would launch his career.
This occurred In 1809 when he prepared a report on the position of Malacca for Lord Minto who was Governor General of India. Minto was so impressed with the report that Raffles was summoned to Calcutta to meet him. Here his knowledge of the Malay Peninsula – he had taught himself to be fluent in Malay – and his natural charm and wit came to the fore, and he convinced Minto that Malacca was superior to Penang as a centre for administration and commerce.
As a result of his advice, the East India Company decided to halt the proposed transfer of some of Malacca’s population and its trade to Penang, and to reconsider their order to dismantle at a great cost of £4,000 all the fortifications and military structures of the town which they had intended in order to stop them falling into the hands of the Dutch or the French, although eventually they went ahead taking two years to complete the job, Raffles managing to save one of the gates which is today preserved as a tourist attraction “A Famosa”.
At the same time, during his meeting with Minto, Raffles put forward a scheme to annex the island of Java and he persuaded Minto to carry out the plan. As a result, in 1811 he lead an invasion force to Java against the Dutch and French and was successful in capturing it in just forty-five days. As a reward Minto promoted Raffles to Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies and having made his mark at the age of 29 his career would continue to go from strength to strength.
Malaysia 1786 - 1957 