Penang Scouts | History

The History of Scouting in Malaysia

Two years after Lord Baden Powell founded the Scouts Movement in England, an English explorer, F.C. Sands who came to Singapore in 1910 started Scouting activities for British youths in Singapore. In 1919, scouting for Malay boys in Singapore was founded by Captain N.M. Hashim and A.Z. Alsagoff.

Among the first Malay states that has started scouting at that time was Pekan in Pahang. The movement was founded by G.M. Laidlow. It was not until 1927 that the Pahang scouts movement was revived through the efforts of H.P. Hertslet and then Wheelr and Frisby from the Pahang Educational Office.

In Penang the scouts movement was founded by a well-known educator, H.R.Cheeseman of the Penang Free School in 1915. Cheeseman has served for 13 years in the Malayan scouts movement as a Malayan Scout Assistant Commisioner.

In Perak, however, scouting was founded in 1926 in the Maktab Melayu Kuala kangsar by I .R. Wheeler. Many more schools soon followed by establishing their own scouts movement. In Kedah, scouting started in 1922 by E.A.G.Stuart, R.P.S. Walker and C.W.Bloomfield.The arrival of Cheeseman in Johore in 1928 signifies the beginning of the scouts movement in Johore. The first troupe to be established in Johore was at the English College(now Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar) Johore Bahru. The scouts movement of Malacca and Negeri Sembilan started in 1926 by Brunstone.

In 1926, Selangor started its own scouts movement and the person being responsible for this is Ameen Akbar. This is followed by the founding of the scouts movement in Terengganu in 1927 by A.J.Gracle and in Kelatan(1927)by Y.M.Tengku Ahmad Temenggong. The last state in the Malay Peninsular to form a scout movement was Perlis in 1931.

The Sabah scouts movement was formed in Sandakan in 1915,while in Sarawak it was established in 1913, but was only active again in 1930.

Before the independence, the Persekutuan Budak-budak Pengakap Tanah Melayu consists of all states, each as a scouting district. After the WWII, the Malaya and Singapore scouts movement combined to become a branch of the Scouts Federation of Great Brittain. After changes has been made to the branch, each state becomes a federation that consists of a few scouting divisions and units. Each division will then have its own troop.

When Malaya achieved independence in 1957, the Malayan Scouts Movement becomes a full member of the WOSM. With the establishment of Malaysia in 1963, it changed its name from Persekutuan Budak-budak Pengakap Persekutuan Tanah Melayu to Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia. The number of members increased when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore becomes its member. When Singapore was separated from Malaysia in 1965, The Singapore Scouts Movement was also separated and no longer remained a branch of the Malaysian Scouts Federation. The Malaysian Scouts Headquarters, the BP House in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur was opened on the 5th January 1957 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the World Scouting Movement. Today, it is the symbol of strength for Scouting in Malaysia.

More history on the Penang Jubilee camp in teluk bahang coming up in the next post.. check out the upcoming photo...