DILEMA ANTARA PERBURUHAN DAN PERHAMBAAN: ANALISIS REALITI DI LADANG SAPONG, BORNEO UTARA (1881-1941)

Abstract

Ladang Sapong yang terletak di Residensi Pedalaman, Sabah pada awalnya dibuka sebagai kawasan eksperimen ladang tembakau sekitar tahun 1905. Pengurus pertama ladang ini ialah Frank Edward Lease. Sekitar tahun 1916 sehingga 1921, Ladang Sapong menjadi antara ladang terbesar di Borneo Utara. Oleh itu, objektif makalah ini adalah untuk menganalisis sejarah persekitaran kerja para pekerja di Ladang Sapong semasa pentadbiran Syarikat Berpiagam Borneo Utara British (SBBUB) yang sering dikaitkan dengan persoalan bekerja sebagai buruh atau hamba. Sumber primer yang dirujuk sebagai perbincangan ialah dokumen dan surat-menyurat kolonial, akhbar, laporan tahunan pentadbir serta koleksi surat persendirian. Kajian mendapati bahawa buruh Jawa dan Cina yang bekerja di Ladang Sapong sekitar tahun 1910–1938 masih berada dalam keadaan yang daif. Walaupun pelbagai undang-undang buruh diperkenalkan, undang-undang tersebut sering dimanipulasi oleh majikan untukmelakukan berbagai-bagai penindasan terhadap buruh. Sapong Farm located in the Inland Residence; Sabah was originally opened as an experimental area of tobacco plantations around 1905. The first manager of this property was Frank Edward Lease. Around 1916 until 1921, Sapong Estate became one of the largest estates in North Borneo. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyze the history of the working environment of workers in Sapong farm during the administration of the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBCC) which is often associated with the question of working as a laborer or slave. The primary sources referred to as discussions were colonial documents and correspondence, newspapers, administrators' annual reports as well as the collection of private letters. The study found that Javanese and Chinese workers who worked on the Sapong farm around 1910-1938 were still in poor condition. Although various labor laws were introduced, they were often manipulated by employers to inflict various oppressions on workers.