NEGOTIATING COLONIAL IDENTITIES: MALAYA IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION, 1924-1925

Abstract

THIS THESIS ANALYSES HOW MALAYA WAS REPRESENTED IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION (1924-1925) AT WEMBLEY, AND HOW MALAYA?S RESIDENTS PARTICIPATED IN AND RESPONDED TO THE EXHIBITION, SO AS TO UNDERSTAND IMAGININGS OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE WITHIN THE IMPERIAL ORDER. AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF INTERWAR EMPIRE RECONSTRUCTION AND DECENTRALISATION IN MALAYA, THE MALAYA PAVILION?S ORGANISERS, VISITORS AND COMMENTATORS NEGOTIATED A VISION OF A PAN-PENINSULAR, MALAY-DOMINANT COUNTRY, WHERE MALAY RULERS COMMANDED SUBSTANTIAL POLITICAL LEVERAGE. THIS STUDY SHOWS HOW THE EXHIBITION FOSTERED MALAYA?S IDENTITY AS A DISTINGUISHED POLITY WITHIN THE EMPIRE, BY DOWNPLAYING THE COUNTRY?S INTERNAL DIFFERENCES AND CONTRASTING IT WITH OTHER BRITISH TERRITORIES. NEXT, THIS WORK SITUATES THE EXHIBITION WITHIN THE GRADUAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MALAYS AS THE PENINSULA?S INDIGENES IN COLONIAL DISCOURSE, AND IDENTIFIES THE SHOW?S CHALLENGE TO THE STEREOTYPE OF THE LAZY MALAY. FINALLY, THIS THESIS DEMONSTRATES HOW M