Saturday 3 April 2010

MAHA Klinik

(Old) MAHA Klinik, Jalan Sultan Muhammad Jiwa
(New) MAHA Klinik, Jalan Tunku Ibrahim
Alor Star, Kedah
25-27 March 2010

There are two MAHA Klinik locations in Alor Star. The initial MAHA Klinik is painted dark blue and is in Pekan Cina and Pekan Melayu just after the bridge in Jalan Sultan Muhammad Jiwa. The signboard reads KEDAI UBAT ZAHER (MAHA LAMA). A more recent MAHA Klinik is near the UMNO building. The clinic near the UMNO building is mostly featured in websites and books.

Many of those I asked/interviewed never knew of the initial clinic nor its location. Only one ex-Sultanah Asma School graduate knew both clinic locations and she was my tour guide for my visit to Alor Star. She is Nordini bt Mohd Noor (Dini Noor), daughter of YB Datuk Rokiah Zainudin, ex-schoolteacher who resigned from teaching to become a senator and entered Wanita UMNO. Dini Noor works as a freelance market research consultant. Here are some photos of the two MAHA Klinik clinics previously operated by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. More photos of MAHA Klinik can be found in my Facebook.
















Old MAHA Klinik near the bridge in Pekan Cina and Pekan Melayu (above).

































More recent MAHA Klinik near UMNO building.

Facebook MAHA Klinik
E-mail Dini Noor

Pekan Rabu

Kompleks Pekan Rabu
Jalan Tunku Ibrahim
Alor Star, Kedah Darul Aman
25-27 March 2010

The history of Pekan Rabu is detailed in the book Che Det & Pekan Rabu (Zainal, 2000) which also contains old photos of Pekan Rabu. Pekan Rabu today is located at Jalan Tunku Ibrahim. It is a shopping mall. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had engaged in business during the war - he sold drinks and fruits at a stall, and handicrafts at Pekan Rabu. Pekan Rabu is a big multi-storey complex. The older building is a 5-storey pink brick building. A more recent building is the one with Minangkabau-styled roof. Here are photos of Pekan Rabu. More photos of Pekan Rabu can be found in my Facebook.

 Older Pekan Rabu building.
More recent Pekan Rabu building.
Facebook Pekan Rabu
Book: Che Det Pekan Rabu by Zahidi Dato' Zainal Rashid, Pekan Rabu Holdings Sdn Bhd. 2000. Arkib Negara Catalogue Number 923.2595 MAH .Z

Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohamad

Kompleks Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohamad
Arkib Negara Malaysia
Alor Star, Kedah
25-27 March 2010

I visited Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohamad in Alor Star, Kedah on 25-27 March 2010. The house is a white & black wooden house on stilts. It is adjacent to the ice factory (blue/zinc). I also talked to the officers in charge of the display home & grounds. They showed me the family tree of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The house, grounds and all info are under Arkib Negara Malaysia. No photography was allowed inside the house which contains marriage and family photos. There compartments in the house were labeled but still no photography was allowed, so I have no photos of the inside of the house - reading room, bridal chamber, photos inside the bridal chamber, his parents' room, guest room, sister's room, kitchen and visitors' area. I did not see any toilet inside the house. At the time of my visit, the entire house was in darkness as there was power failure in the house itself and the officers were awaiting repairmen to service the house.

Here are some snapshots of the house and ice factory. Other photos can be found in my Facebook.


Further info:
Puan Zaiton bt Zainal
Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohamad
No. 18, Lorong Kilang Ais
Persiaran Sultan Abdul Hamid
05050 Alor Star, Kedah Darul Aman
Tel: 04-7722 319
H/P: 017-5658 563
Fax: 04-7725 597

Mohd Hidzir bin Omar
Mohd Nizwan bin Rusli
Tel: 04-7722 301

Facebook Rumah Mahathir Mohamad
Facebook Ice Factory

Informing MoHE/KPT

I attended the Majlis Pelancaran Majlis Profesor Negara (MPN) and Higher Institute Centre of Excellence (HICoE) at PICC, Putrajaya on 1 April 2010. I met Salmah of MoHE at the function. I informed Salmah re this book and its publication (June 2011). She said to keep her informed and asked where USM will launch this book and who will launch this book. Salmah recalls Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail as an orthopedic surgeon.

Salmah 019-267 9200
Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE)
Kementerian Pelajaran Tinggi (KPT)

Update 2013
Salmah informed that she has left KPT.