Clifford, Sir Hugh (1866-1941), was a British administrator in Malaya (now Malaysia). His insight into the culture of that region made a significant contribution to Malay studies.
Hugh Charles Clifford was born on March 5, 1866, in London. At the age of 17, he went to Singapore as a cadet in the Straits Settlement Civil Service. From 1896 to 1899, he was British resident (government representative) in Pahang. He then served in various other British colonies, receiving a knighthood in 1909. Clifford returned to Malaya in 1927, as high commissioner for the Malay States. In 1929, he resigned and went back to England permanently because of his wife’s poor health.
Sir Hugh wrote a number of short stories that displayed his deep understanding of Malay culture. These stories included In Court and Kampong (1897), Studies in Brown Humanity (1898), and In a Corner of Asia (1899). He died on Dec. 18, 1941.
