Date of Award

8-15-2025

Thesis Type

PhD

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Department

Department of History

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

This study examines on the development of cooperative companies established in Kedah and Perlis between 1926 until 1956. The focus of this study is to make sure if this institution is capable to change the social economic status of its members and to elaborate the scenario of the farmers in Kedah and Perlis before the cooperative companies are fully established in these two states. This study also examines the forms of social cooperation that has been the practice of the Malay community before the British colonisation. Other than that, this study focuses on the governance and organisation of the cooperative companies with the details in leadership issues that has occurred. In addition, the issues on the membership and services are discussed further. In 1926, the Kedah and Perlis meeting council have agreed to the founding of Cooperative Department to monitor the cooperative companies‟ institutions. Thus, this study will analyse how far the cooperative companies have given the impact to the status of its members who have joined these companies. The development is evaluated within these four aspects in which they are administration and organisation, leader, membership and service. The discussion is made by using the historical approach and qualitative analysis in which each chapter focuses on those themes and are being explained chronologically. Therefore, the data and information are based on the primary resources which include the Yearly Kedah and Perlis Report, Secretary Files of the Kedah and Perlis governments, the files of the Land Colony Office (CO 273, CO 717 and CO 716), The British High Commissioner Office and the Government Gazette which was retrieved from the Kuala Lumpur National Archive and the Kedah Archive Branch.. The result of this study proves that the Kedah and Perlis governments are capable to activate the institution until it is a success in upgrading the efficiency of the administration and organisation, leadership, membership and services. The development of the organisation is shown through the formation of the established governance structure in the two states. This institutional development is also supported by the leadership aspect that has been the back bone in the making of the foundation and preparation in drafting programmes on awareness in savings. This coincides with the aim to change the Malay economic status towards progress. Instead the institutional movement is also supported by the aspects in membership which has become an important element in deciding the progress of the cooperative companies that they are involved in through their roles as depositors which give a kind of guarantee of the continuity of the institutional cooperative companies. This goes the same with the service aspect that is being offered. The development of the service aspect actually ensures the cooperative company members to receive training skills, the teachings and new ideas that help them to generate their income and are able to become independent.

Initial

khm

Additional Information

Thesis (PhD) – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya, 2025.

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