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Duncan Stewart (colonial administrator)

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(Redirected from Duncan Stewart (British diplomat)) British colonial administrator

Duncan StewartCMG
2nd Governor of Sarawak
In office
15 November 1949 – 10 December 1949
MonarchGeorge VI
Preceded byCharles Arden-Clarke
Succeeded byAnthony Abell
Personal details
BornDuncan George Stewart
(1904-10-22)22 October 1904
Witkleifontein, Heidelberg, Transvaal Colony
(present-day Gauteng, South Africa)
Died10 December 1949(1949-12-10) (aged 45)
Singapore, Straits Settlements

Duncan George Stewart CMG (22 October 1904 – 10 December 1949) was a British colonial administrator and governor. He was mortally wounded in an assassination on 3 December 1949, in Sibu, Sarawak.

Early life

Stewart was born in Witkleifontein on 22 October 1904 in the Transvaal Colony (now part of South Africa) to expatriate Britons who were posted in that area and was educated in England at Winchester College and Oriel College, Oxford, where he graduated with a BA.

Career

Stewart joined the Colonial Administration Service (CAS) in 1928, and held positions as district officer at Oya Territory, Nigeria, colonial secretary in the Bahamas, secretary of finance in Mandatory Palestine, and secretary of the governorial conference in South Africa. He was married and had three children.

His service record was viewed as exceptional, and because of that, he was later announced as the new governor and commander-in-chief for Sarawak by Lord Listowel, minister of state for colonial affairs, to replace Charles Arden-Clarke.

Assassination

Stewart had only been the Governor of Sarawak for a couple of weeks and was on his first official visit in the colony, to the town of Sibu on 3 December 1949. According to press reports of the event he was warmly welcomed by large crowds, who all seemed to be enjoying themselves. After inspecting an honour guard and meeting a group of school children, a youth (Moshidi bin Sedek) walked towards him holding a camera claiming to want a picture. As Stewart posed, another youth, Rosli Dhobi stabbed him. Both youths were immediately arrested.

Despite suffering a deep stab wound, Stewart is reported to have tried to carry on until blood began to seep through his white uniform. He was then quickly rushed away for treatment in Kuching but died a few days later after being flown to the General Hospital in Singapore.

The two youths were convicted of the murder and hanged with two other conspirators. Both were believed to be members of the anti-cession movement, and dedicated to restoring Anthony Brooke to the throne of Sarawak. In reality they were both from a political group agitating for union with newly independent Indonesia. Documents released in the late 20th century indicate that the British Government knew that Brooke was not involved, but chose not to reveal the truth of the matter so as not to provoke Indonesia. It had recently won its war of independence from the Netherlands, and the UK was already dealing with the Malayan Emergency to the north-west.

Awards and honours

In 1948, Stewart was made a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.

References

  1. 1948 Birthday Honours
  2. ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours: Order of St Michael and St George Appointments". The London Gazette (38311): 3368–3369. 4 June 1948.
  3. ^ "Index St-Sz". rulers.org. Rulers. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  4. Duncan George Stewart was fatally stabbed by Rosli Dhobi
  5. ^ Agnes Newton Keith, White Man Returns (1951), pp. 282, 283
  6. "Colonial Office, The Church House, S. W. 1". The London Gazette. No. 38731. 7 October 1949. p. 4800. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. "British Colonial Governor Stabbed". York Daily Record. 5 December 1949. p. 2. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. "Sarawak: murder of Duncan George Stewart, Governor, 3 December 1949; trial". National Archives. 1 January 1949 – 31 December 1950. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  9. ^ Mike Thomson (14 March 2012). "The stabbed governor of Sarawak". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  10. ^ Mike Thomson (12 March 2012). "Radio 4's investigative history - The stabbed governor of Sarawak". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
Government offices
Preceded bySir Charles Arden-Clarke Governor of Sarawak
1949 		Succeeded bySir Anthony Abell
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