The Prison Diets of the Federated Malay States

Furnivall (1948) had observed in his studies of colonial societies in Burma, Java and Malaya, how the different races (both European and non-European) formed a plural society where different communities led separate lives, despite living side-by-side. In the case of Malaya, racial categories were used extensively to inform systems of governance, which influenced the manner in which its colonial administration organised populations into separate yet interrelated economic sectors. The use of racial categories were used as well in administrative systems of punishment, including the early colonial prisons of the Federated Malay States. 

The building of prisons accompanied the growth of populations, and the prison policies that followed reflected how racial attitudes had influenced administrative logic. This can be seen in the types of diets provided to colonial inmates. The early evolution of the prison diets, seen thus, were a reflection of administrative anxieties and the need to conserve resources, with prisoners often paying the price. This seminar examines how racial attitudes influenced the manner in which food was weaponised to punish prison inmates, and how treatment of inmates differed according to perceived race and class.

About the speaker: 
Petra Gimbad is a PhD candidate in History at the University Nottingham, Malaysia. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and a Masters of Human Rights and Democratisation from the University of Sydney, Australia. She spent her final semester on exchange with Universitas Gadjah Mada while serving her internship with the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA). 

Her PhD researches the contribution of forgotten communities in building the capital city of Malaysia. This examines the growth of Petaling Street and its inhabitants, as adults and children of all genders engaged in complex negotiations with the various authorities for survival. These day-to-day interactions shaped Kuala Lumpur as we know it today. 

She has taught at local private universities and has served as full-time staff and board member for various organisations in the areas of children and women’s rights.