Swettenham, Sir Frank (1850-1946), was a British colonial administrator who helped create the Federated Malay States in Southeast Asia. This federation later became the country of Malaysia. In addition to his work as a colonial official, Swettenham wrote several books on Malay language and history.
Frank Athelstane Swettenham was born on March 28, 1850, in Derbyshire, England, in the United Kingdom. At the age of 20, he joined the civil service of the Straits Settlements, a British colony in Southeast Asia that included Singapore and part of what is now Malaysia. In 1871 he was assigned to a job in Singapore, where he quickly learned the Malay language.
In 1874, Swettenham helped draft the Pangkor Treaty, which marked the beginning of greater British influence in the region. The treaty settled a succession dispute in the Malay region of Perak and allowed the British to appoint a British government representative called a resident to advise Perak’s rulers. Later in 1874, Swettenham helped arrange a similar treaty in the neighboring region of Selangor. He later served as resident of Selangor, then of Perak.
In 1895, partly as the result of Swettenham’s efforts, the rulers of four major parts of the region—Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, and Selangor—agreed to unite as the Federated Malay States. When the federation came into being in 1896, Swettenham became its first resident general. He held that position until 1901. During that time, he worked to expand rail links in the region to boost its economy. In 1901, Swettenham was appointed governor of the entire Straits Settlements colony. He retired from public service in 1904.
In addition to his career as a public servant, Swettenham wrote essays and short stories about life in Malaya as well as a two-volume work on Malay vocabulary. He examined the history of British settlement in the region in his 1906 work British Malaya: An Account of the Origin and Progress of British Influence in Malaya. Swettenham was recognized for his accomplishments and service to the British monarchy. In 1886, he was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. He was elevated twice to higher levels of the order: in 1897, he was made a Knight Commander and in 1909 he was made a Knight Grand Cross. In 1917, he was named to the Order of the Companions of Honour, an award that recognizes a person’s long-term achievements in the arts, science, medicine, or government. Swettenham died in London on June 11, 1946.
