Sejarah Perkhidmatan Kesihatan Mental di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu Sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua: Sorotan Bahan Arkib Terpilih (A History of Mental Health Services in the Malay Peninsula during Pre-World War Two: A Highlight on Selected Archive Materials)

Abstract

ABSTRAK: Kajian ini membincangkan mengenai sejarah perkhidmatan kesihatan mental di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu terutamanya sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua. Pengenalan perkhidmatan kesihatan mental merupakan salah satu kesan daripada perkembangan sosioekonomi selain memenuhi keperluan akibat berlakunya peningkatan bilangan pesakit mental di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu. Justeru, kajian akan membuat kupasan mengenai sejarah perkhidmatan kesihatan mental di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu melalui penelitian beberapa bahan arkib terpilih terutama sumber-sumber utama yang boleh dimanfaatkan bagi tujuan kajian dan penulisan sejarah perkhidmatan kesihatan mental. Kajian ini berbentuk kualitatif berasaskan rujukan terhadap bahan-bahan arkib terpilih dari Arkib Negara Malaysia Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur yang terdiri daripada fail-fail rasmi, laporan-laporan tahunan serta surat-surat rasmi pentadbiran kolonial. Melalui rujukan dan interpretasi terhadap bahan-bahan arkib terpilih, kajian membuktikan terdapat perkembangan yang signifikan dalam perkhidmatan kesihatan mental di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu pada era kolonial melalui penubuhan beberapa buah lunatic asylum atau institusi rawatan penyakit mental. Selain itu, kajian menunjukkan bahawa penguatkuasaan undang-undang berkaitan masalah penyakit mental membolehkan pelaksanaan polisi pengasingan dan pengawalan terhadap pesakit-pesakit mental dilaksanakan secara lebih berkesan. Kajian ini memberi dimensi baharu dalam bidang sejarah sosial terutamanya berkaitan sejarah kesihatan di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua agar penulisannya dapat diketengahkan secara lebih lengkap serta menyeluruh termasuklah berkaitan sejarah perkhidmatan kesihatan mental.

Kata kunci: Sejarah; kesihatan awam; asylum; undang-undang; penyakit mental

ABSTRACT: This research discusses the writings of the mental health services in the Malay Peninsula, specifically that of during the Pre-World War Two era. The introduction of the mental health services was one of the effects resulting from the development of the socio-economy of the country, besides the need to fulfil the demand of the increase in the number of mental illness patients in Malay Peninsula. Accordingly, the study will discuss in great detail the history of mental health services in the Malay Peninsula through document analysis of various selected relevant primary archive materials that may be beneficial for the those interested in relation to mental health services in the Malay Peninsula. This qualitative study is also based on various relevant references involving selected archive materials obtained from the National Archives of Malaysia. Among the main source of references for this study include official document files, annual reports and official letters of the colonial administration. Through the use of the various references and interpretation of the selected archives, this study has been able to provide significant evidence of the development of the mental health services occurred in Malay Peninsula during the colonialization era as a through the establishment of several lunatic asylums or mental health treatment institutions. Besides that, findings from this study also indicate that the law enforcement pertaining to mental illness problems had enabled the execution of isolation policy and control of the mentally ill patients to be conducted effectively. The evidence obtained from the archives also is significant as it implies that the selected references are potentially relevant to be used in conducting current historical studies within this area. Hence, the findings gained also offer a new dimension for the social-historical field especially pertaining to the writing of historical events of the mental health services in the Malay Peninsula before the World War Two era.

Keywords: History, public health, asylum, law and regulation; mental illness