Penglibatan Orang Cina dalam Perniagaan Candu di Kedah (1907–1934): Satu Analisis Interim

Opium became a commodity brought into Malaya on a large scale by the Chinese beginning in the early 18th century. The high demand for opium, especially in Kedah, allowed the opium market to be dominated by the Chinese. However, the arrival of the British broke the Chinese monopoly on the opium trade. This article discusses the role of the Chinese community in the opium trade in Kedah from 1907 to 1934. This research highlights the content analysis method as the main method of collecting data on the history of the Chinese in Kedah through the National Archives of Malaysia for the analysis of data on the role and contribution of the Chinese in the opium trade sector. The results of the study found that based on the Kedah government report records, the Chinese were actively involved in the opium trade starting at the end of the 19th century. Before the arrival of the British, the Chinese had to get permission from the Kedah government to run an opium business with a leasing system. Next, they invested capital to develop the opium business sector, resulting in the existence of opium farms and opium shops and became entrepreneurs and owners of opium shops. Most opium leases were monopolised by the Chinese, but the opium business was tightly controlled by the government after the arrival of the British with the establishment of the Monopoly and Customs Department. As a result, several policies involving the opium business were introduced by the government, causing a decline in Chinese involvement in the opium business. Candu menjadi satu komoditi yang dibawa masuk ke Tanah Melayu secara besar-besaran oleh orang Cina bermula pada awal kurun ke-18. Permintaan terhadap candu yang tinggi khususnya di Kedah membolehkan pasaran candu dikuasai oleh orang Cina. Namun begitu, kedatangan British telah memecahkan monopoli perniagaan candu oleh orang Cina. Artikel ini membincangkan peranan masyarakat Cina dalam perniagaan candu di Kedah dari tahun 1907 sehingga 1934. Penelitian ini mengetengahkan metode analisis kandungan sebagai metode utama pengumpulan data berkenaan sejarah orang Cina di Kedah melalui Arkib Negara Malaysia bagi penganalisisan data berkenaan peranan dan sumbangan orang Cina dalam sektor perniagaan candu. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa berdasarkan rekod laporan kerajaan Kedah, orang Cina terlibat secara aktif dalam perdagangan candu bermula pada penghujung abad ke-19. Sebelum kedatangan British, orang Cina perlu mendapat kebenaran dari pemerintah Kedah bagi menjalankan perniagaan candu dengan sistem pajakan. Seterusnya, orang Cina menanamkan modal untuk membangunkan sektor perniagaan candu menyebabkan wujudnya ladang candu dan kedai candu, dan seterusnya menjadi pengusaha dan pemilik kedai-kedai candu. Kebanyakan pajakan candu dimonopoli oleh orang Cina, namun perniagaan candu dikawal ketat oleh kerajaan setelah kedatangan British dengan tertubuhnya Jabatan Monopoli dan Kastam. Kesannya, beberapa polisi membabitkan perniagaan candu diperkenalkan oleh kerajaan menyebabkan kemerosotan penglibatan orang Cina dalam perniagaan candu.