ABSTRACT
In 1826 the British territories of Malacca, Penang and Province Wellesley, and Singapore were united under the title of the 'Straits Settlements', and in 1832 Singapore became their capital. The last Census of the population of Singapore was taken in 1957, when a total of 1,476,694 persons were returned. In the census category of 'Malaysians' are the descendants of the original Malay inhabitants of Singapore, and of immigrant Malays from the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia. Some Indians of long settlement in Singapore or Malaya, even when they have not intermarried with Malays, dress like Malays, speak Malay, and declare themselves to be Malays when asked to state their bangsa. Singapore Muslims is subject to some of the broad principles of Muslim law only in the fields of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The Chief Kathi of Singapore in 1963 had been appointed in August 1960, and the other Court Kathi in March 1961.
