雪蘭莪最後的甲必丹葉觀盛：馬來半島的舊英殖民政治制度的餘暉(1890-1902)

Yap Kwan Seng the last Chinese Kapitan in Selangor: The Last Movement of the Old Political System of the British Colonies in the Malay Peninsula (1890-1902)

本文意欲探討馬來半島的英國殖民地在新舊政治制度交替之時，舊政治制度在結束前的最後一刻，如何繼續發揮並維持影響力，以及如何被其他領袖挑戰。具體而言，即：當代表英殖民新政治制度的華民護衛司及其管理的華民護衛司署出現，舊政治制度的代表──甲必丹如何在種種限制下──例如英殖民政府開始透過華民護衛司署管理華人事務，以及會黨暴力被禁止──繼續執行其政治任務與發揮影響力。本文嘗試以雪蘭莪最後一位甲必丹葉觀盛(1890-1902)為個案，透過1890年代在吉隆坡成立的三個華人機構──葉氏宗祠、同善醫院和廣東義山，及其成立時的吉隆坡華人社會，探討在新舊制度交替的當下，新馬華人社會領袖如何維持自己的權勢與地位，並如何領導華人社會。

This paper explores how the old political system of Britain’s Southeast Asian colonies maintained its influence, and how this influence was challenged by others during the last stage of the transition from the old political system to the new one. Specifically, the paper examines how the kapitan system, a representative component of the old political system, continued to play a role and exert influence as various new constraints arose, such as the appearance of the Chinese Protectorate and the banning of secret societies. This article uses the case study of Yap Kwan Seng, the last kapitan of Selangor (1890-1902), to investigate how Chinese leaders maintained their political power, status, and leadership roles during the transition from the old to new political systems in the 1890s, during which new Chinese institutions were established, including the Yap Clan Association, the Tung Shin Hospital, and the Cantonese Cemetery, as well as the circumstances of the founding of the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Community.