SEARCH 15
3 May 2005
The 15th search is to scrutinise a fourth e-mail sent to me on 31 January 2005 by En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani from Kuala Lumpur. The subject read "Doktor Melayu Pertama". En. Fadli thanked me for reading his article. It is 10.45 pm.
According to En. Fadli, he had specifically chosen to write about Malay science (sains Melayu) as there is notion that one must use English to show science literacy. But En. Fadli pointed out that even though the previous Malays had not heard a word of English, they were masters of science in their own way. He stressed that the Malays have a lot of physics built into their daily conversation. Take for example their peribahasa, "Bagai telur di hujung tanduk" which signifies their understanding of a concept in physics. They used the concepts of balance and gravity in normal conversation, for example, "Meludah ke langit jatuh ke muka sendiri".
En. Fadli disliked my addressing him as tuan (sir). He added, he is too young to receive such an honour; he revealed that he is less than 30 years old! I had actually used the term tuan in my e-mails to him as I felt this was most appropriate since I did not know his age initially. At least now I know.
Part 1
En. Fadli mentioned that he will take some shots of the road/building named after Dr. Abdul Latiff. He passes by Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) daily and can spare time to take some photographs. He goes to Shah Alam once a week but he will try and access the UNISEL website first.
En. Fadli has some information concerning Dr. Abdul Latiff. However, he is pretty unsure. En. Fadli wanted to know who is Dr. Abdul Latiff's granddaughter in UKM.
Dr. Abdul Latiff's granddaughter is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap. She is in UKM. See Search 1 re Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap
Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Malaysia
E-mail: norsidah@mail.hukm.ukm.my
This is what En. Fadli found concerning Dr. Abdul Latiff's background.
Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak (1885? - 1958)
En. Fadli estimates that Dr. Abdul Latiff was born circa 1885 based on his entry into the Singapore Medical School in 1905. He started education at Sekolah Melayu Kelang* in 1892. He completed Primary 7 (Junior Cambridge) in 1900. He then went to do Senior Cambridge at Victoria Institution (VI), High Street, Kuala Lumpur until 1904. He then joined the 23 students who entered The Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, Singapore in 1905. He obtained the Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS) in 1911. He was probably the first Malay doctor to graduate from the Medical School.
The family of Dr. Abdul Latiff could have probably originated from Kelang and that he too was born in Kelang. His father, Abdul Razak, was a territorial chief (penghulu). Dr. Abdul Latiff was the eldest son of Abdul Razak. Dr. Abdul Latiff lived in Kuala Lumpur after returning from Singapore.
After graduation, Dr. Abdul Latiff served as a medical assistant in General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (GHKL)*. His medical degree was certified and accepted by the General Medical Council of Great Britain in 1916, after which he served as a medical officer in GHKL.
Tan Sri Dr. Abdul Majid Ismail, ex-Chief Director of Health Malaysia noted that he had received treatment from one of the doctors named Dr. Abdul Latiff in GHKL in 1937. Dr. Abdul Latiff probably continued to work in GHKL until late 1930s and even up to the time when WW2 occurred.
At the time Dr. Abdul Latiff received the Jubilee Gift Award in conjunction with the Diamond Jubilee of VI in 1954, he was already retired from the government hospital service. He died in 1958 but the exact date in unknown.
One of Dr. Abdul Latiff's son is Tan Sri Yaacob Latiff. He was the first Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur (first mayor of KL). In 1958, Tan Sri Yaacob organised the Latiff Shield, a charity fund for debate in honour of his father.
*Note the changes in spellings and names:
Kelang is the old spelling. The current spelling is Klang.
General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (GHKL) is now Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) - Editor.
Part 2
En. Fadli alerted me to the need to see a particular person in order to correctly study the works of the early Malay doctors. This person is Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah.
Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah
He is the grandson of Tuan Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd. Zain, a Malay doctor in Mekah. See Search 8 re Sheikh Wan Ahmad bin Wan Muhammad Zain al-Fathani (1856-1908). Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah possesses many Malay manuscripts about medicine but he is unsure whether they were written by doctors or non-doctors. En. Fadli's house is adjacent to Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah's house. En. Fadli has briefly met Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah at the mosque but has not had the opportunity to discuss at length. En. Fadli will try and meet up with Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah if time permits.
It has been a tradition among the early Malay ulamak to write manuscripts and books with Arabic titles but Malay contents. These include Kitab Kuning, Taj as-Salatin, Silalatus Salatin, Bustanus Salatin, and other books on Malay politics.
Part 3
En. Fadli alerted me to the need to search for more places for the early Malay manuscripts besides those in Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah's possession, Leiden and London. He mentioned Pusat Manuskrip Pustaka Negara Malaysia (PNM), Perpustakaan Pusat Islam, and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). According to En. Fadli, the original text "Ilmu Tabib" that was reproduced by Muhammad Salleh Penambang is kept in DBP. Meanwhile, the text from Pattani which was reproduced by Mahmud Hj. Mohamad Terengganu is kept in PNM.
Part 4
En. Fadli mentioned that the story about medicine in Malacca by Tun Seri Lanang can be found in any standard textbook on Malay history. He said to search for stories about the war and the wounds suffered by Temenggong Seri Udani who was attended to by a tabib. He feels that many old folks may have forgotten the story. Moreover, tabib was not the focus of the war even though we are after the role of the tabib at this time and the fact that tabib did exist.
En. Fadli ended his e-mail. He said he still has a lot more information in store for sharing.
It is 1.03 am.
Acknowledgement
Peribahasa Melayu
The Malays used the concepts of balance and gravity in normal conversation, for example, "Bagai telur di hujung tanduk" and "Meludah ke langit jatuh ke muka sendiri". These peribahasa can be searched online at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA), UKM portal.
Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA), UKM
(Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu or ATMA)
Has a web portal and offers an interactive CD
The Malay World Studies portal is at www.malaycivilization.com (set up in 1999)
The Malay World Database is called Padat
Part 1
Physical structures (a road and a building) named after Dr. Abdul Latiff.
Dr. Abdul Latiff's granddaughter is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap in UKM.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap
Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Malaysia
E-mail: norsidah@mail.hukm.ukm.my
Tan Sri Yaacob Latiff is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap's uncle.
Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak was her grandfather.
Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak (1885? - 1958)
When and where was Dr. Abdul Latiff born exactly?
En. Fadli estimated circa 1885 based on his entry into the Singapore Medical School in 1905.
He started education at Sekolah Melayu Kelang (now spelled Klang) in 1892.
He completed Primary 7 (Junior Cambridge) in 1900.
He did Senior Cambridge at Victoria Institution (VI), High Street, Kuala Lumpur until 1904.
He joined the 23 students who entered The Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, Singapore in 1905.
He obtained the Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS) in 1911.
He was probably the first Malay doctor to graduate from the Medical School.
The family of Dr. Abdul Latiff could have probably originated from Kelang.
His father, Abdul Razak, was a territorial chief (penghulu).
Dr. Abdul Latiff was the eldest son of Abdul Razak.
Dr. Abdul Latiff lived in Kuala Lumpur after returning from Singapore.
After graduation, Dr. Abdul Latiff served as a medical assistant in General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (GHKL)(now HKL).
His medical degree was recognised by the General Medical Council of Great Britain in 1916, after which he served as a medical officer in GHKL.
Tan Sri Dr. Abdul Majid Ismail (ex-Chief Director of Health Malaysia) had received treatment from Dr. Abdul Latiff in GHKL in 1937.
Dr. Abdul Latiff probably continued to work in GHKL until late 1930s and even up to the time when WW2 occurred.
At the time Dr. Abdul Latiff received the Jubilee Gift Award in conjunction with the Diamond Jubilee of VI in 1954, he was already retired from GHKL.
He died in 1958 but the exact date in unknown.
One of Dr. Abdul Latiff's son is Tan Sri Yaacob Latiff who was the first Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur (first mayor of KL). In 1958, Tan Sri Yaacob organised the Latiff Shield, a charity fund for debate in honour of his father.
The other son of Dr. Abdul Latiff is Encik A Manap Latiff who is Assoc. Prof. Norsidah's father.
Part 2
Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah was the grandson of Tuan Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd. Zain, a Malay doctor in Mekah. See Search 8 re Sheikh Wan Ahmad bin Wan Muhammad Zain al-Fathani (1856-1908).
Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah possesses many Malay manuscripts about medicine but he is unsure whether they were written by doctors or non-doctors.
En. Fadli's house is adjacent to Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah's house. He has briefly met Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah at the mosque. He will try and meet up with Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah.
Traditional books
It has been a tradition among the early Malay ulamak to write manuscripts and books with Arabic titles but Malay contents. These include Kitab Kuning, Taj as-Salatin, Silalatus Salatin, Bustanus Salatin, and other books on Malay politics.
Part 3
Need to search many other places for the early Malay manuscripts:
Ustaz Wan Mohd. Saghir Abdullah's possessionLeidenLondonPusat Manuskrip Pustaka Negara Malaysia (PNM)Perpustakaan Pusat IslamDewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP)
Where the early Malay medical books are kept:
The original "Ilmu Tabib" is kept in DBP. It was reproduced by Muhammad Salleh Penambang.The original text from Pattani is kept in PNM. It was reproduced by Mahmud Hj. Mohamad Terengganu.
Part 4
The Tun Seri Lanang story can be found in any standard textbook on Malay history. Search for stories about the war > wounds suffered by Temenggong Seri Udani > which tabib attended to him. Many old folks may have forgotten the story. But it is a fact that a royal tabib existed at the time of the Malacca-Portuguese war in 1511.
Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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