Saturday 23 January 2010

Penang Free School 1816

Green Lane, Penang
Penang Free School (PFS) was established on 21 October 1816 at Love Lane but it operated from 1821 to 1924. It moved to its present 30-acre premise at Green Lane and has since operated on 9 January 1924 till today. The building at Love Lane became Penang Museum and is sited near Masjid Kapitan Keling.
[The Victoria Institution (VI) in Kuala Lumpur was founded on 14 August 1893, 77 years after PFS.]

PFS viewed from the nearby overhead bridge.
 
House across the road in front of PFS

A 1926 hydrant outside PFS

Penang Free School website: http://www.pfs.edu.my/

(1) Masjid Kapitan Keling 1801


Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Penang

Notes for visitors
Visitation hours: Anytime outside prayer times. When you hear the prayer call (azan), it signifies prayer time. You can decide to remain or leave.
Observing Muslim prayer: You can remain in the grounds or mosque and observe how Muslims pray. There is nothing wrong with observing how Muslims pray. There is no need to feel shy, awkward or intimidated and you don't have to run away or feel unwelcome. Just sit quietly and observe.
If you have just come direct from swimming at the nearby beach, please clean yourself at the washrooms and then step inside the mosque. Do not step inside the mosque when your torsos are dirty and smelly.
Slippers & shoes: Leave them outside the building entrance. Do not step inside the mosque with shoes on!!!
Dress code: Decently dressed
Ladies (Muslims & non Muslims): If you are in shorts or short skirts, you can borrow visitation cloaks (free size) at the main entrance inside the mosque.
There is no visitation fee. The mosque is a free place for all.
Please speak to the security at the entrance inside the mosque building if you wish to photograph inside the mosque. Photography is allowed inside and around the mosque outside prayer times. If you are lucky, there may be a tour guide to take you inside the mosque and tend to all your queries.
The greeting in Islam is "Assalamu'alaikum" which means 'peace unto you'. You will receive a reciprocating 'Salam', and just say 'thank you' and smile!!
If by any chance you feel you want to convert to Islam, you can convey your wish to the security guard, tour guide or anyone at the mosque and they will serve you. You do not have to have to change your name when you convert to Islam. Is it your heart that converts, not your name, you are still the same you!!



History
The East India Company acquired Penang in 1786 and renamed it the Prince of Wales Island.

Masjid Kapitan Keling was built in 1801 by a group of Indian Muslims who arrived on the beaches of Penang in 1797.  The Indians included the Havildars, Jemadars and Sepoys. The Indian community leader or kapitan was an influential rich merchant, Kader Mydin Merican @ Cauder Mydeen @ Cauder Mydin @ Cauder Mohiddeen Merican (1786-1834).

Cauder Mydin's name is inscribed in a monument at GH Penang as a donor in 1879.

Initially, there was a small attap musolla. The mosque had undergone 5 major renovations from 1803 to 1990. A minaret (menara) was added in 1916, before World War I. Part of the mosque (front right prayer corner) was bombed by the Japanese during World War II. The last renovation was performed by an Australian team.

Pitt Street (Lebuh Pitt) was renamed Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling on 26 December 1989.

The mosque and its surroundings was declared a World Heritage Site (Tapak Warisan Dunia) on 22 November 2008, whose ruling include buildings must not exceed 4 storeys.

Photos from Izaham Musa's Facebook (with permission):

Photos from author's collection, taken on 18-19 November 2008:
View from front entrance (east gate).
Chulia Street entrance (north gate).
Buckingham Street entrance (south gate).
 
Wet patches indicate site of original well which now lies buried beneath heavy concrete (near north side).
Wudu' pond for men's ablution (south side).
Pond enclosure (south side).
Pump hub - an engineering feat (south side).
Details of pump setup (south side).
Corridor leading to the ladiesroom and wudu' chamber (north side).
Courtyard behind the ladiesroom and wudu' chamber (north side nearest Chulia Street).

Rear garden sandwiched between ancient graves (wall on the left) and corridor to the ladiesroom & wudu' chamber (north gate side). Masjid main building is in the centre background.

Corridor view of the men's wudu' area beyond the buried well (north side).
 
Tahfiz classrooms (west frontage).

The 6th generation of the Merican clan bore Penang's first Malay doctor, Dr Ali Othman Merican or Dr AO Merican.

Cenotaph at GH Penang 1890

GH Penang
I visited GH Penang in 2007. A cenotaph (memorial monument) has been constructed in the parking lot of GH Penang. Thisis what was written on the sides of the cenotaph:

Donors
The Toa Peh Kong Kongsee
The Chee Hing Kongsee
Tan Beng Swee
Mess Noordin & Shaik Yousoof
Chulam Meydin Merican
Dalbadal & Yahayah Merican
Pah Etam Kadir Hossain
Mahamed Joonos & Mahamed Ariff
Meerah Pullay Kakah & Che Ismail
Shaik Ibram & Mahamed Fahar
Cauder Meydin & B Kader Saw
Shaik Ismail & Mahamed Hassan
Aboosti Merican & Coopah Peechay
Shaik Emam
Chalong Hajee Mahamed Noor
Abdul Cauder Merican
Mahamed Allee & Mahamed Noordin
Sultan Merican
Keechee Mahamed Shariff
Mahamed Chous Malim
Muna Mastan & Hajee Aboo Bakar
1879
Donors
Mahamed Amin & Mahamed Meydin
Peer Mahamed & Sancardoss
Chandapa & Ong Hong Guan
Shaik Jan & Madar Daw
Pakir
Malik?
1879
Messrs Oh Yean Heng and Gan Kim Swee are the donors in constructing the surrounding walls and a ward of this hospital.

The site of this hospital was the gift of the Gee Hin Society.

The Industrial Shed was presented by HM the King of Siam on 24 May 1890.

Cenotaph and Block A (background)

Dr Haji Zainal Aziz

Address:
Klinik Zainal Aziz
No. 517, Jalan Dato' Nik Mustaffa
17500 Tanah Merah, Kelantan
Tel: 09-955 6245
Fax: 09-955 3362


Klinik Zainal Aziz, Tanah Merah

Dr Haji Zainal Aziz bin Bapoo Hashim & wife, S/N Siti Fatimah bt Loman


Dr Haji Zainal Aziz is a grandson of Dr SM Baboo.

Dr SM Baboo is Dr Shaik Mohamad Baboo Al-Haj bin Ahmad Albakish (1894-1964), an early Malay doctor.

Dr Zainal Aziz narrated the account of his father, Mr Bapoo Hashim, who worked at the Merican Dispensary in Kota Bharu.

(10) Dr Che' Lah bin Md Joonos

Dato' Dr Haji Che' Lah bin Md Joonos 1904-1986
Faridah Abdul Rashid, January 2010
White harcover with black text & logo

Should be 1903-1986

Contents:
Biography & amendments
Family photos
Official certificates
Work documents (incomplete)
Family tree

(9) Comm Coco December 2009

Communications with Tan Sri Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Majid bin Ismail 2007
Faridah Abdul Rashid, December 2009
Dark blue hardcover with silver text & logo


I had interviewed him in person at his office in Damai Kompleks in Kuala Lumpur for about 2 hours in May 2007.

Contents:
My hand-written notes of the interview
His hand-written amendments of his biography
His CV
Coloured portrait (photocopy of the original photo)
Two official letters from him
Foreword for TEMD
Family tree