But perl is also shipped, precompiled, with a wide variety of operating systems, which don't necessarily have C compilers installed by default.

But Perl itself isn't distributed precompiled - that is, whenever p5p makes a new version of Perl available, it makes the source available. Not binaries. To quote http://www.perl.com/download.csp

Generally speaking, CPAN doesn't distribute Perl binaries. It does provide information in the /ports directory that will point you to sites that maintain binary distributions for specific platforms.

I think you are in a situation that isn't to be solved by Perl. If it's your own box, install a compiler, or get a different OS. If it's work, explain to your manager why getting a compiler benefits the company. Saving your time means saving money. Saving money means a bigger bonus for your manager.