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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.
 The BP
House in Kuala Lumpur
|
Scouting
Resources
