The following day, Hardy met with local elites and business representatives, including Ibrahim Ahmad and Abdul Rahim, as well as Malay and Indian representatives.
During the meeting, he reaffirmed the dominion’s policies and announced plans to form a parliament soon.
On the third day, Hardy issued the first governor’s order for the Penang and Malacca dominion, appointing Peter Smith as Chief Minister, equivalent to a Prime Minister.
James Ryan was appointed as the Governor’s Financial Secretary, equivalent to a Minister of Finance.
Joe McCarthy was appointed as Attorney General.
Thomas Jefferson was appointed as Chief of Police.
Anthony Eden was appointed as Minister of Tourism, Transportation, and Engineering.
Richard Coles was appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Communications, Engineering, and Natural Resources.
Hassan Saadawi was appointed as Minister of Culture, Immigration, and Sports.
Truman Bowden was appointed as Minister of Education, Aviation, and Planning. Continue your adventure with freewebnovel
Abd El Rahim was appointed as Minister of Health, Social Welfare, Narcotics Control, and Rehabilitation.
The inclusion of two Malay ministers in the government further reassured the broader Malay community. After this news was reported in the newspapers, many Malay citizens felt more confident about immigrating to Penang and Malacca.
The Malays were known for their intelligence and diligence. They were generally well-educated and relatively affluent. Many Malay families in Malaya had been running businesses for decades or even over a century, establishing family legacies with substantial assets. Currently, many rubber plantations, spice plantations, and farms in Malaya were owned by Malay families, second only to Chinese holdings.
However, after the British implemented the Chinese privilege policy, many Malays began noticing increasingly hostile attitudes from Chinese and deliberate harassment by Chinese officials.
Some Malay-owned enterprises were subjected to unjust treatment or forced to pay exorbitant taxes and fees, deliberately designed to drive them out of business so that their assets could be seized.
Such plundering and extortion were not uncommon in any era, let alone amidst ethnic and religious conflicts.
These business owners and plantation operators were often well-educated, with many having studied abroad, unlike the stereotypical unrefined rural landlords.
Many of them had been in contact with Ibrahim Ahmad and Abdul Rahim, and they began writing letters or even visiting personally to learn more about the situation in the autonomous territory.
The Idris family in Johor, who had lived there for over a century, was one such example. The family patriarch, Abdullah Hussain, was in his fifties and had studied in the UK for three years. The family primarily operated plantations and processing factories, growing rice, pepper, cocoa, tobacco, spices, and maintaining a vast rubber plantation spanning over 10,000 hectares.
They also owned processing plants, including flour milling, rice milling, tobacco processing, and spice processing factories.
Despite decades of turmoil under Dutch, British, and Japanese rule, followed again by the British, the Idris family had steadily grown through hard work and resilience.
However, recent years had brought increasing troubles.
Since the British announced recognition of Chinese privilege, Chinese had begun causing more issues, and the extortion had become unbearable even for families as established as the Abdullahs.
Abdullah Hussain feared that if this continued, the situation would only worsen.
Greedy officials with insatiable appetites might eventually escalate from extortion to outright confiscation of assets.
The news of Hardy becoming the Governor of Penang and Malacca attracted significant attention in Malaya, and Abdullah Hussain took notice.
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Recently, newspapers had been regularly publishing Hardy’s speeches, covering the policies of the autonomous territory and future development plans.
The recently announced investment promotion plans had caught Abdullah’s interest.
Penang and Malacca offered very low tax rates and a series of incentive policies aimed at attracting investors to the autonomous territory.
Additionally, plans to establish branches of Prosperity Bank and HSBC in the region promised greater financial convenience, especially for trade with the United States and Europe.
Security was another crucial factor.
Recently, Abdullah Hussain had felt increasingly unsafe in Chinese-dominated areas. To protect his family, he began considering relocating them while continuing to operate the plantations and factories remotely. His plan was to move his wife, children, elders, and other family members to the autonomous territory.
The Hardy Group’s planned establishment of a branch in Penang and the autonomous territory also piqued his interest, especially in their industry collaboration initiative.
The Hardy Investment Company proposed to:
1. Provide financial support.
2. Offer technical assistance.
3. Ensure access to market channels.
4. Guarantee security.
Abdullah Hussain was aware of Governor Hardy’s immense influence in the United States.
Partnering with him could provide significant protection for his family’s business, but Abdullah Hussain was unsure of the conditions Hardy might set.
However, compared to the plundering and extortion by Chinese, Abdullah Hussain trusted Western economic cooperation more. Even if it meant yielding some profits, it would still lead to mutual development rather than facing a metaphorical knife at one’s throat.
He decided to visit Malacca to see the situation firsthand.
If the area proved to be stable, he planned to establish new businesses there and relocate his family.
He also intended to discuss potential collaborations with Hardy’s group.
Johor borders Malacca, with highways connecting the two regions. Abdullah Hussain instructed his driver to take him, his second younger brother, Azman Idris, and his eldest son, Hafiz Idris, on a day-long journey to Malacca.
Upon arriving in Malacca, they discovered the streets decorated with colorful banners and flowers lining the roadsides. The atmosphere was festive.
"What’s going on? Why is it so lively here?" Abdullah Hussain asked curiously.
Hafiz Idris stepped out of the car to inquire and learned that Governor Hardy were making their first official visit to Malacca that day. When Abdullah Hussain heard this, he said, "It seems we’ve come at the right time. Let’s head to the port to welcome the Governor."
The three of them went to the port.
The port was already crowded with people.
Security personnel in black military uniforms were lined up to maintain order. These soldiers were tall, strong, and had resolute expressions, clearly seasoned veterans.
Not long after, the sound of continuous ship horns echoed in the distance.
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AN: These names are a bit confusing.
Abdullah Hussain Idris - the family head of the Idris family.
Azman Idris - the second brother.
Hafiz Idris - the son of Abdullah Hussain.
Now, there is a small problem you may encounter: the use of "Abdullah" as a family name. No, that’s a mistake. "Abdullah" seems like a common name among Malays and Arabs and not a family name. As such, the family name is Idris. I have been trying to proofread, but mistakes remain. Please point them out if you see them.
Abdullah = Servant of God
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