Another book

I have managed to prepare another small book to accompany the big book with 43 biographies. The Early Malay Doctors = TEMD. I have named the small book, "Research on The Early Malay Doctors" (R-TEMD). This small book is approx. 200 pages and contains all the details of how I went about to do the research on The Early Malay Doctors.  The big book (TEMD) is now 500+ pages and I'm trying to reduce that to 500. That way the big book won't be so thick. 

About the big book (B-TEMD)

Title: Biographies of The Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore
Total # pages: ~500
Description of contents:
This book contains 43 biographies which were mostly prepared from primary sources (unpublished sources). The first biography I completed was for Dr Abdul Razak bin Abdul Latiff, our first Malay doctor on record. The last biography I completed last week was that of Dr Haji Abbas bin Haji Alias. The longest biography is that of Dr Haji Abbas bin Haji Alias (at 28 pages). Most biographies are approx. 10 pages. There are 3 very long biographies - Dr Haji Abbas bin Alias, Tan Sri Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin and Dr Ariffin bin Ngah Marzuki. The longest time I took to completely write a biography was that of Tan Sri Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin - I took 2.5 years to complete it. He passed away the very day his biography was ready. It is actually his autobiography as he wrote it; I merely typed it for him and redrew the illustrations for him. He wrote in his own handwriting. The credit goes to him.

The only doctor who does not have a graduation date is Dr Ally Othman Merican (Dr AO Merican). No published works on him (there are only 4 published records on him) ever stated the date of his graduation. I worked it out that he graduated before 1925 as his biodata was published in The Who's Who in Malaya 1925 and he stated his MBBS in his biodata, but without a date. I guess his MBBS was in 1924 as it would take 1 year to submit to Who's Who for publication. I have not written to the University of Hong Kong to clarify the date.

This big book is a resource for the families and I hope the families concerned will be happy. I will take a last look at the prepared manuscript, write a cover letter, and then submit. 

About the small book (R-TEMD)

Title: Research on The Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore
Total # of pages: ~200
Description of contents:
This book has several small sections. I made the small sections for easy reading. The first part of the book explains the word "Malay" that I used in the title. Then I have provided a detailed account on the Malays and how the word "Malay" came about. The rest of the book is research proper, the intricacies of the research process which offer a lot of help and tips for beginners who wish to do this sort of research. It explains everything anyone would need to know about the research on The Early Malay Doctors. The 43 biographies included in this book are each 1 page long, very brief and without references or images. They serve mainly as summary and for quick reference. I have added 30 pages of appendices to provide a lot of information which are otherwise difficult to get hold of. Overall, I think this small book is very helpful for families if they wish to continue to research on their beloved doctors. Researchers can benefit from insights for how to do this type of research. 

Latest (21 Feb 2012)
I have refined all the pages to 222 pages total.
I have submitted the manuscript for this small book to Xlibris in Australia. 
Now waiting for the copyediting team to call and update me. 



Prof Faridah
7 Jan 2012 (Hits: 30,611)
7 Feb 2012 (Hits: 31,811)

Konfrontasi

Modified comments from YouTube
lagu ini digunakan oleh malaysia semasa konfrontasi dengan indonesia 1963/1964 dan Indonesia mempertaruhkan lagu 3 malam nyanyian Lilis Suryani... betapa pengaruh lagi dalam meningkat motivasi perajurit...  pencipta lagu ni ialah Allahyarham Dato' Hj. Wan Othman Al Khatib
Kucupan Azimat by Ahmad Jais

My comments:
I wasn't in school yet at the time of the Konfrontasi. I was living in Banda Hilir, Melaka. Our family moved to Alor Star, Kedah some time in 1964, and I attended school for the first time in January 1965.

Keramat

Dargah is a Persian word. A Dargah is a shrine constructed for a sage or saint.

Dargah, makam, mausoleum, shrine, keramat are various terms used to refer to places where people come to pray, offer prayers or read doa. More about Dargah.

The general understanding is prayers are made and the deceased person can carry that up to the Supreme Creator. In Islam the Supreme Creator is Allah SWT. This is the Sufi way. However, the Wahabi will not accept this and say it is not right to do so (tawassul) in Islam.

These are contrasting views of praying at graves (from Ziyarat in Wikipedia): 

Wahhabi views
The majority of Wahhabis believe that visiting the graves of saints should be classified as shirk and bid'ah except the visiting of the tomb of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. in Madinah which may be done during Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage. However, it is not a required. They point out to the following sayings of Muhammad as an evidence for their belief.

Narrated By 'Aisha : Umm Salama told Allah's Apostle about a church which she had seen in Ethiopia and which was called Mariya. She told him about the pictures which she had seen in it. God's Apostle said, "If any righteous pious man dies among them, they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it; they are the worst creatures in the sight of God."

The most evil of mankind are those who will be alive when the Last Day arrives and those who take graves as places of worship.”

It is also reported in the most authentic books of Sunni Islam that Aa’ishah (wife of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.) reported:

Had it not been so, his (i.e. the Prophet’s) grave would have been in an open place, but it could not be due to the fear that it could be taken as a mosque.

Sunni scholars declare that the purpose of visiting the graves and cemeteries is only to remind people of death and a curse be upon the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.

• “...Beware that those before you took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship, for verily I forbid you to do so.”

• “The most evil of mankind are those who will be alive when the Last Day arrives and those who take graves as places of worship.”

Sūnnī or Sufi Views

The purpose of visiting a grave is to gain llim (divine knowledge), tafakkur and to pray for the person in the grave, but if the person in the grave is a Prophet or a Awliya (friend of God), fayd and spiritual benefits can be gained from their souls. The person who is visited, must be thought of as if he is alive and must be visited with the same good manners.

“

" The event of death is like moving from one house to another for the friends of Allah, the same good manners,respect and high regards must be shown to them, as when they were alive."AbdulHakim Arvasi, Rabita-i Serife, 23-24; Halidiyye Risalesi, 58-60

”

“

" Neither kissing the grave or moving the hands over the face after touching the grave for blessing, is suitable to the good manners (adab)."Gazali, Ihya,IV,711.

”

“

" Hz. Rasulullah (s.a.w) has given the good tidings that the Angels say "AMIN" for the prayers which are performed for the brothers and the Awliya and Allahu Taala accepts them (at the exact moment)."Buhari, Edebu'l-Mufred, No:623; Ebu Davud, Vitr, 29.

”

“

" Visiting the grave is a duty which is performed for Allah's pleasure and visiting the grave of a father and mother on a Friday is appropriate ."Gazali, Ihya, IV, 711

”

Whatever views Muslims hold, there is an interesting name which I have in TEMD that is connected to a book which I use for teaching History of Medicine. This book was written by a Sufi named Moinuddin Chishty. I still use the book for teaching traditional medicine. This has to do with rose oil as the rose is thought to have connection with the Great Prophet, Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. - even the Prophet's sweat smelled of rose.

When I was writing the biography for Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy, his information contained a city named Ajmer. Google-ing Ajmer gave me the largest and most important Dargah in India, this is the Chishty Dargah in Ajmer.

History has it that even Shah Jahan came to Ajmer and he had donated to the Dargah. The Chishty Dargah is important in supporting the lives of Indian Muslims from far and near. 

Where I grew up in Malacca, there is Pulau Besar off the coast. This Pulau Besar is famous for one thing - it contained very long graves of Muslim sages/saints. At certain times, people would go to the graves, bringing along pulut kuning with chicken etc. I have not observed this in person but I read in the papers. These offerings were left at the graves. At one time, this practice of bringing offerings to the graves was banned by the state government.

In Singapore, there is the shrine of Habib Noh. His tomb is placed high up and a concrete staircase leads up to the tomb. I've not been to the tomb but I heard from one of the descendants of Habib Noh in Penang, that he was very important.

In Kampung Kolam in Penang, just behind the Masjid Kapitan Keling, lies a dilapidated mausoleum (makam) that houses the tombs of Cauder Mohinuddin, his mother and younger brother, Nordin. There are other graves too. I was told that there is a pious Indian Muslim lady buried here too - a female saint.

At the large cemetery bordering Perak Road in Penang, there are 2 mausoleums, a dilapidated older makam, and a more recent makam. I was told by the graveyard caretakers that both the deceased persons were great saints. The more recent makam is that of Datok Keramat, for whom Jalan Datok Keramat was named. Jalan Datok Keramat was once a famous road as it had a tram line running the length of the road. The older makam belonged to Datok Keramat's teacher (I could have this info reversed). The boys who looked after the graves were young Tamils, either Muslims or non Muslims. In another part of this massive cemetery, an old Tamil Muslim looked after the graves.

At certain parts of the large Muslim cemetery at Kubor Banggol in Mukim Banggol outside Kota Bharu, Kelantan, there were similar happenings at the graves. There were dolls planted and offerings next to the graves. I read that Kubor Banggol was an early settlement at the time when Kelantan was first opened by the Malays (probably of Tamil descent). So it is likely that these graves that I saw with offerings were from the same or similar Indian Muslim or Tamil Muslims. I don't know because I didn't see anyone about the graves or I could ask them.

I would take it that the Indian Muslims/Tamil Muslims are Sufi people and that Sufism is handed down or practised among family members and close friends. In the Malay Muslims, Sufi activities are limited to male circles, and they join up with the Indian Muslims/Tamil Muslims who are more well-versed with Sufi practices. I may be wrong though.

These are keramats in Malaysia (from Ziyarat in Wikipedia):

• Shrine of Syed Shahul Hamid, George Town, Penang
• Tomb of Ismail Nagore, George Town, Penang
• Tomb of Noordin Sahib, George Town, Penang
• Tomb of Syed Mustapha Idris a.k.a. Dato' Koyah, George Town, Penang
• Tomb of Wali Mohammed Salleh, Batu Uban, Penang - frequented by Naqshabandi Malays
• Tomb of Syed Ibrahim al-hashimi, Gelugor, Penang
• Darga of Syed Lal Shah Bukhri (Jalan Hang Tua in masjed) Kuala Lumpur
• Darga of Sultan ul Arifeen Syed Ismael Shah Aljillani (Pulau Besar) Melaka
• Darga of Fikir Baba Maulana Miskin (Chulia St, Penang)

These are keramats in Singapore:

• Shrine of Syed Shahul Hamid
• Tomb of Wali Habib Noh - frequented by Malays and Naqshabandis
• Shrine of Hazrath Khwaja Habibullah Shah at Kubur Kassim on Siglap Road near ChaiChee in Singapore.

Indian Muslim Communities

Are the Tamil Muslims similar to the Malay Muslims?


The Aqidah of the Tamil Muslims is based on Sunnah basically influenced by the Sufis. Tamil Muslim families are patrilocal though their marriages incorporate Islamic mahr practice. For instance, it is common to see a groom pay the bride mahr sum of 10,000 rupees and the bride in turn would pay the groom a dowry sum of 100,000 rupees, though practice of dowry is banned by Islamic doctrines.

Tamil Muslims practice monogamy and male circumcision.

Like the thali of Tamil Hindu brides, Tamil Muslim women wear a chain strung with black beads called Karugamani which is tied by the groom's elder female relative to the bride's neck on the day of nikkah.

As a mark of modesty Tamil Muslim women usually wear white thuppatti (from Hindi/Urdu duppatta) instead of the black burqas (that are popular among Urdu-speaking Muslims) which is draped over their whole body on top of the saree. This has remained a hurdle in genealogical research.

Almost all Tamil Muslims go to Qabr (Dargah) ziyarat which is an important Sunnah.

The global purchasing power of Tamil Muslims in 2005 was estimated at almost $8 billion viz. $3 billion in Tamil Nadu, $1 billion in Malaysia, $600 million in Singapore.

Tamil Muslims have historically been money changers (not money lenders) throughout South Asia and South East Asia.

Generally Tamil Muslims are involved in various trades like retail, mutton shops, shops in foreign bazaar. They are also involved in gems trade & leather industry.

Due to the plenty opportunities in the Gulf region, a lot of Tamil Muslims went to the Gulf. Now Tamil Muslims are spread over in the Gulf countries and also in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Tamil Muslim community is a prosperous one. There are about 400 millionaires within the community and at least one billionaire viz. B.S. Abdur Rahman (better known as the Buhari Group) who constructed the conglomerate ETA Star Group, Chennai Citi Centre, Chepauk Stadium, Marina Lighthouse, Valluvar Kottam, Government General Hospital, Gemini Flyover, Crescent Engineering College, et al.. He owns over 70 ocean-going vessels (ships).

Source:  Tamil Muslim (Wikipedia)

Benjamin Henry Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares, GCB (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981), was the second President of Singapore for 11 years (3 terms). More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Sheares

Professor Benjamin Henry Sheares was elected the President of the Republic of Singapore on 30 December 1970. He succeeded the late President Yusof bin Ishak who died in Nov 1970.

Prof Sheares was born in Singapore on 12 August 1907. He was educated at St Andrews's School and Raffles Institution before joining the King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1923. Dr Sheares BH qualified with LMC degree in March 1929 (Morais 1972: i; Lee 2005: 113). 

LMC = Licentiate in Medicine and C___ for what? (a certificate or diploma?)
LMS = Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery ( a diploma and not a degree)

Morais JV. (1972). Who's Who in Singapore. page i
Lee JS. (2005). To Sail Unchartered Seas. page 113

In 1931 he began his career as on obstetrician and gynaecologist (O&G doctor). In 1940, he was awarded the Queen's Fellowship but could not go because of the Japanese war. The Queen's Fellowship was for 2 years postgraduate study.

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, he was HOD O&G, Kandang Kerbau Hospital. 

After the Japanese surrender, he was acting professor until May 1947 when he went to London. In London he passed as a MRCOG (Member of the Royal College of O&G) in January 1948.

In December 1951, he went to the US as part of the remainder of the Queen's Fellowship study leave and spent one year observing in-teaching in San Francisco, Chicago, St Luois, New York and Boston.

He was reading for the FRCS when he was recalled in March (when? 1949?) to act as professor. He became Professor of O&G, UM in Singapore in January 1950. Prof Sheares was the HOD O&G, UM in Singapore until June 1960.

He then entered into practice in June 1960. In July 1960, he was gazetted honorary consultant of Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore.

Address since 30 Dec 1970: Istana Negara, Singapore.

He married Yeo Seh Geok, a migrant who came to Singapore in 1938. They have 3 children - Constance Alice Chengliu (born 1963; 27 in 1970, 68 in 2011) who holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts from London U and a MA degree from Singapore; Joseph Henry Hinggiam who hold the degrees of MA, MBCHB from Cambridge; and Edwin Charles Hingwee (21) then a 3rd-year student of liberal arts at Nottingham.

2nd Singapore President (30 Dec 1970-12 May 1981

)

 Professor BH Sheares (12 Aug 1907-12 May 1981)

Professor of O&G

Text is reproduced with modification & portrait are from The Who's Who in Singapore 1971-1972.

Prof Sheares was a colleague of another O&G doctor, Datuk Dr Ariffin bin Haji Ngah Marzuki (Perak).

Prof Sheares had introduced the Sheares procedure for creating artificial vagina for those who did not have one, and which became necessary in transexual operations. Datuk Dr Ariffin introduced his own intrauterine device (IUD) when he worked in Ipoh. The IUD used a coil of nylon thread.

TJ Danaraj

TJ Danaraj was a graduate of the KE VII Medical College in Singapore. He wrote many books. Some of his books are listed below.

Japanese invasion of Malaya & Singapore: memoirs of a doctor
Danaraj TJ
Form: Book
Language: English
Published: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: TJ Danaraj, 1990

Available from Yale University Library
http://yufind.library.yale.edu/yufind/Record/3102073/Description#tabnav

TJ Danaraj

Medical Education in Malaysia: developments and problems
TJ Danaraj

His biography can be found in The Who's Who 1963, pages 70-71:

Morais, JV (Editor & Publisher). 1963. The Who’s Who 1963. Malaysia and Singapore.
[USM Call No: Rujukan r DS 595.5 W628]

I did not take a photo of his biography in The Who's Who 1963.

Journeys Across Seas

View or Download at:
https://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/history/faculty/jewald/files/AHR%20article.pdf

'Coolie' trade and the Far East

National Museums Liverpool
Maritime Archives & Library
T & J Harrison Ltd
History 1740-c.2003

Research Notes for Shipping Enterprise and Management 1830-1939,
by Francis E. Hyde (cont) 1820-1969

To view the line 'Coolie' trade and the Far East between 1877 and 1914,  
scroll down to more than half the page at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/onlinelists/GB%200136%20B-HAR.pdf

Liverpool Steamship Owners' Association

UK Archives Network

The UK National Archives offers public access.

The National Archives, UK

British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections 1600-1948

British Library: Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections (previously Oriental and India Office Library) Archon Code : 59


Contact Details  
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
England
Tel: 020 7412 7873
Fax: 020 7412 7641 
Email: apac-enquiries@bl.uk
 

Rulers of British India

You may wonder who were the British Rulers in British India. Here is a website that has the answer:
http://k4kashmir.com/?p=4081

Robert Clive (1757-60) (1765-67)
Warren Hastings (1772-85)
Lord Cornwalis (1786-93)
Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
George Barlow (1805-07)
Lord Minto – I (1807-13)
Lord Hastings (1813 – 23)
Lord Amherst (1823-28)
Lord William Bentick (1828-35)
Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835-36)
Lord AuckLand (1836-42)
Lord Ellenborough (1842-44)
Lord Hardinge (1844-48)
Lord Dalhousie (1848-56)
Lord Canning (1856-62)
Lord Elgin (1862-63)
Lord John Lawrence (1864-69)
Lord Mayo (1869-72)
Lord Northbrook (1872-76)
Lord Lytton (1876-80)
Lord Rippon (1880-84)
Lord Dufferin (1884-88)
Lord Landsdowne (1888-94)
Lord Elgin-II (1894-1899)
Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
Lord Minto II (1905-10)
Lord Hardinge II (1910-16)
Lord Chelmsford (1916-21)
Lord Reading (1921-26)
Lord Irwin (1926-31)
Lord Willingdon (1936-43)
Lord Linlithgow (1936-43)
Lord Wavell (1943-47)
Lord Mountbatten (1947-49)

Update 18 December 2011

It's Sunday, 18 December 2011, and my manuscript is almost done except for the first chapter (on Dr Abbas bin Haji Alias) and 3-4 pages (including TOC) which need to go in as "Front Pages". The Front Pages & Back Pages alone add up to 30 pages. I think I must have accidentally deleted some pages of the Appendix but I have the content online here in this blog somewhere (which is easier to update). 


I get about 100 readers or hits per day, maybe more now, compared to 20-30 readers/day when I first started this blog. Today's hit count is 29,522


Don't complain about the appearance of this blog as I am experimenting with the colours and also wondering what my proposed book cover would be like. Someone suggested to use the KE VII College of Medicine building as front cover. I have a small collection of the KE VII images to choose from. I like the eagle crest best.


I made a cover with 43 portraits of the early Malay doctors. Not being a professional graphic artist and I didn't employ one for my proposed book, I think it looks so-so and ok (the faces are discernible).


I only put one line of gratitude to thank all the contributors (the # totals to 175 people). Typing out everyone's name may add another 5 pages! My publisher hasn't said anything about adding extra pages, not yet so far.


It is the monsoon season here and I have not been out exercising for 12 years; I just sat for 12 years trying to write this book. Can you imagine that?

I will submit my manuscript (insyaAllah) on Thursday, 29 December 2011. The deadline is 31 December 2011. Give it 2 days to travel to Penang.

Thank you everyone for contributing. I will update here if anything happens to my book. It goes back in for Review (2nd) for 6 months. So I hope to hear back from my publisher after June 2012. Then it's correction again (another 3-6 months on top of my teaching duties & travelling out). Then I submit again by end of Dec 2012. If it passes all checks, then we can hope to get the book in the market (for sale to the public) by June 2013 or later, insyaAllah.

Keep writing to me, either here in this blog or to my Gmail, and catch me in my Facebook.


A million thanks to a wonderful bunch of readers! Happy New Year!


Sincerely,

Faridah

Who's Who

Information about the early Malay doctors can be found in 5 volumes of the Who's Who.

Who’s Who 

1.      Fisher, JS. 1925. Who’s Who in Malaya 1925.

2.      Fisher, JS. 1939. Who’s Who in Malaya 1939.

3.      Morais, JV. 1963. The Who’s Who 1963. Malaysia and Singapore.

4.      Morais, JV. 1965. The Who’s Who 1965. Malaysia and Singapore.

5.      Morais, JV. 1972. The Who’s Who 1971-1972. Malaysia and Singapore. 

The Who's Who collection should be available in major libraries and university libraries.

USM Library:
The Who's Who is available at USM library:
Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut 1 (PHS1),
Reference Counter, second floor,
USM Main Campus, Penang.

Contact:
Mohd Ikhwan Ismail, Pustakawan,
Bahagian Rujukan dan Penyelidikan,
Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut 1 (Kaunter Rujukan, Tingkat 2),
Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang.
E-mail: ikhwanismail@notes.usm.my
Tel: 04-6533888 ext. 3891 or 04-6533891
Web: www.lib.usm.my.

Family Medicine in Singapore

Dato Seri Di-Raja Dr Syed Mahmood bin Syed Hussain Jamalullail was a member of the College of General Practitioners of Singapore.

A group of family physicians in Singapore wanted an institution to enshrine and promote the values and ideals of family medicine.

The College of General Practitioners Singapore was officially inaugurated on 30 June 1971.

It was renamed ‘College of Family Physicians Singapore’ on 17 November 1993.

More at: http://www.cfps.org.sg/Main/aboutus.htm

Majlis Bacaan Yasin dan Tahlil

Assalamualaikum Warga Staf Kampus Kesihatan.

Saya bagi pihak keluarga Allahyarham Ayahanda Prof Syed Mohsin menjemput Warga Staf Kampus Kesihatan bagi Majlis Bacaan Yasin dan Tahlil pada tarikh yang berikut;

Tarikh : 17 Dec 2011 (Sabtu).
Masa : Lepas Isya'
Tempat : Rumah Keluarga kami.

796, Taman Hidayah,
Kampung Huda,
12500 Kota Bharu.

Atas kehadiran Staf Kampus Kesihatan Pihak Keluarga mengucapkan terima kasih.

Semoga Allah memberkati Warga Staf USM.

Dr Syed Hasanul Hadi Syed Mohsin.