Chinese Immigrants Ordinance 1877 is passed

The Chinese Immigrants Ordinance 1877 was passed on 23 March 1877 to regulate and protect Chinese immigrants, who were called sin kheh (“new recruits”), arriving from China. The ordinance provided for the establishment of a Chinese Protectorate Office and construction of depots for receiving new immigrants, controlled the entry of immigrants into ports, as well as facilitated the boarding and inspection of ships. The Chinese Protectorate also aimed to help immigrants understand the terms of their contract with their employers.^[1] Together with the Crimping Ordinance 1877 that was introduced to license recruiting agents,^[2] the two laws sought to protect Chinese immigrants from the abuse and exploitation that were rife in the credit ticket system commonly used in the hiring of coolies.^[3]

 Many of the early Chinese immigrants came to Singapore by way of bonded labour. Their passage money was paid by employers who hired them on arrival. In return, the employer was compensated by securing the services of the immigrant for a period of 12 months during which the immigrant worked off his debt, receiving only food, clothes and a small stipend for daily necessities. During the three to four days that the ship was docked, immigrants were detained on board the ship until their passage fee was paid up, either by themselves or by their employers. Those who could not find employment after this period were landed and confined in houses or sent to Penang to find employment.^[4]

This system of indentured labour was plagued with abuses involving deceitful recruitment methods; cheating and kidnapping of sin kheh; overcrowded ships; mistreatment and oppression of labourers; and exploitation by secret societies.^[5] The passing of the Chinese Immigration Ordinance in 1873 was the first attempt at protecting Chinese immigrants.^[6] It was, however, not enforced due to objections from the business community.^[7] The Chinese Immigrants Ordinance 1877 met with better success with enforcements carried out in some areas.^[8]

On 30 June 1914, Chinese indentured immigration was abolished through the enactment of the Labour Contracts Ordinance 1914.^[9] The Chinese Immigrants Ordinance 1877 was eventually repealed in 1920 following the enactment of the Labour Ordinance 1920.^[10]

References
1. Straits Settlements. Ordinances enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof in the year… (1877, March 23). Chinese Immigrants Ordinance 1877 (Ord. 2 of 1877, pp. 6–8) [Microfilm: NL 4455]. Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing Office; Saw, S. H. (2012). The population of Singapore (p. 56). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Call no.: RSING 304.6095957 SAW.
2. Straits Settlements. Ordinances enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof in the year… (1877, March 23). Crimping Ordinance 1877 (Ord. 3 of 1877, pp. 9–13). [Microfilm: NL 4455]. Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing Office.
3. Jackson, R. N. (1961). Immigrant labour and the development of Malaya, 1786-1920 (pp. 70–74). Kuala Lumpur: Govt. Print. Off. Call no.: RCLOS 331.625 JAC.
4. Blythe, W. L. (1949, June). Historical sketch of Chinese labour in Malaya. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 20(1), 68–74. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from JSTOR; Jackson, 1961, 71–72.
5. Blythe, 1949, pp. 69–75; Jackson, 1961, pp. 70–71.
6. Straits Settlements. Ordinances enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof in the year… (1873, October 17). The Chinese Immigration Ordinance 1873 (Ord. 10 of 1873, pp. 118–122) [Microfilm: NL 8979]. Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing Office.
7. Jackson, 1961, p. 71.
8. Blythe, Jun 1949, p. 75.
9. Straits Settlements. Ordinances enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof in the year…. (1914, April 4). The Labour Contracts Ordinance 1914 (Ord. 16 of 1914, pp. 57–58) [Microfilm: NL 8979]. Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing Office; Saw, 2012, p. 57.
10. Straits Settlements. Ordinances enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof in the year…. (1920, October 6). Labour Ordinance 1920 (Ord. 19 of 1920, p. 199) Microfilm: NL 8980]. Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing Office.