Sunday 1 April 2012

Sir Kamil Mohamed Ariff


Sir KM Ariff (1893-1960)


From TEMD Research: 

Dr Kamil Mohamed Ariff bin Kadir Mastan (1893-1960) was born in Butterworth, Province Wellesley, Penang. He was educated at the St Xavier’s Institution in Penang. He attended the the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore and graduated with a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS) in 1917. He pursued Housemanship at Penang General Hospital 1917-18.

He entered private practice in 1918 and operated a clinic named The New Dispensary in Hutton Lane, Penang before it was relocated to Penang Road and then to Beach Street where he remained in medical practice all his life (1918-60).

He was as Assistant Surgeon (AS) to District and General Hospitals in Penang in the Straits Settlement (SS) 1918-41. He worked entirely in Penang (before, during WWII 1941-45 and after the war).

He attended meetings with the British Administration during the British Reoccupation in 1945. He retired from Government medical service in 1948. 

He contributed greatly to society and headed the Malay community in Penang. He was the Chairman of the Penang Consultative Committee on Muslim Affairs, Chairman of the Penang Muslim Orphanage, Founding Secretary of the Penang Medical Practitioners' Society (PMPS) in 1932, appointed member and retired member of the Federal Legislative Council 1946-56. He was a Member of the Finance Committee, Executive Council (Exco) member of Penang State Legislative Council and City Council, President of Penang Rotary Club, and member of the British Medical Association (BMA). He was a member of the Mohammedan Advisory Board in Penang. He was a member of the Penang Peranakan Club and a member of the Old Xavierian's Association (OXA).

From a historical perspective, he was an eminent Malay doctor in Penang. He was appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by King George VI in 1950. Subsequently, he was knighted by HE Queen Elizabeth II in 1956 (Letters Patent), following which he became known as Sir Kamil Mohamed Ariff and his name was styled Sir Dr KM Ariff. He was the first Malay doctor to be knighted in the history of Penang, the SS and Malaya (now Malaysia).

St Xavier's Institution, Georgetown, Penang.
Photo by me.
King Edward VII College of Medicine, Singapore.
Photo by Dr Mohamed Tahir Ahmad Ibrahim (Singapore) 2011.
Penang General Hospital. Block A and cenotaph (memorial).
Photo by me (parking lot view).
Hutton Lane (now Jalan Hatin), Georgetown, Penang.
Photo by me.
The New Dispensary, Penang Road (near Hutton Lane).

Dr Kamil Ariff shifted his clinic from Hutton Lane to Penang Road, and then to Beach Street, in front of Naina Mohamad. 

Dr K Md Ariff at his clinic at Beach Street, in front of Naina Mohamad.

Below are photos of the old Beach Street from the Penang Museum display.
Beach Street is now Lebuh Pantai.

The Dispensary occupies the triple-storey building at right.


 Beach Street from the book, Penang, Past and Present 1786-1963.
There are 3 successive signboards at right:
A signboard with the words, "Penang Dispensary, Maynard, Chemist".
A signboard partially hidden with the letters, "Roble..."
Another signboard with the words, "New Medical Hall".


Pos Malaysia, Penang

Pos Malaysia, Penang

===

Dr Kamil Ariff meeting with British officers during Reoccupation 1945-46.
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Residence at 180 Burmah Road, Penang.
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Send-off for his daughter Yasmin Hanoum to England 1951.
In front from left: Dr Kamil Ariff (white pants), Yasmin Hanoum (middle) and Rahiman Bee (wife).
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Lady Rahiman Bee (wife of Sir Kamil Mohd Ariff).
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Hajj rite at Arafah, Saudi Arabia 1955.
Dr Kamil is 2nd right and wife is beside him.
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Hajah Rahiman Bee. Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok
Dr Haji Kamil Mohamed Ariff 1955. Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
Early family photo of Dr Kamil Mohd Ariff.
Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.
From left: Sir Kamil Mohd Ariff, Lady Rahiman Bee (wife), Dato' Zubaidah CM Hashim (daughter-in-law) and Dato' Mushir Ariff (eldest child and elder son). Photo from Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok.

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Dato Mushir Ariff and wife Dato Zubaidah Ariff. Photo from Datuk Zubaidah Ariff.
Extended family photo of Sir Kamil Mohd Ariff.
Photo from Straits Muslims 2009 (Wazir Jahan Karim).
Dr Kamil Mohamed Ariff in The Who's Who in Malaya 1925.
Book is available at USM library in Penang.

Tan Sri Che Din Mohd Hashim, Dato' Zubaidah's foster father.


King's Birthday Honours for 505

Inche CM Hashim, Penang - Panglima Setia Mahkota
Syed Hassan Aidid, Penang - Johan Mangku Negara
Dr Abu Bakar bin Ibrahim, KL - Johan Setia Mahkota
Dr Ibrahim bin Haji Mohamed Yassin, Ipoh  - Johan Setia Mahkota
Syed Kabeer bin Syed Ahmad, Penang - Ahli Mangku Negara
Mohamad Hashim Che Din in The Who's Who in Malaysia 1963.
Haji Mushir Ariff in The Who's Who in Malaysia 1965.
Zubaidah Ariff in The Who's Who in Malaysia 1965.
Nuruddin bin Jamin in The Who's Who in Malaysia 1963.
Nuruddin married his coursemate, Yasmin Hanoum Ariff.

This is an e-mail I received from Omar Ariff Omar Farouk which contains the names of children and others related to Sir KM Ariff.

from: Omar Ariff omar.ariff@gmail.com
to: Faridah Abdul Rashid
cc: rukiah.hanoum@gmail.com, mohdaiyub@ymail.com
date: Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 11:07 PM
subject: Re: Chapter 8 Dr Kamil Mohamed Ariff bin Kadir Mastan 8March2011


Salam Prof. Faridah.

Thank you for forwarding the latest draft on Sir Dr KM Ariff.

I would like to point the following points for inclusion :-

1. Dato' Hj K Mushir Ariff & Dato' Zubaidah have SEVEN children :  Rashidah Hanoum, Nazir Ariff, Fawzia Hanoum, Amir Ali Ariff, Kamil Noor Ariff, Kamil

 2. Hajjah Zakiah Hanoum & Syed Kabeer have four children – Sharifah Zariah Hanoum, Sharifah Zawiyah Hanoum,  Syed Kamarulzaman and Sharifah Munawarah.

 3. Omar Farouk Ariff (1923-1981) :  attended Penang Free School.  Retired as a Radiographer with the Penang General Hospital.  Married Zaleha (1928-1977) : real name : Olah binti Abdul Rahman, the daughter of Kedah magistrate, popularly known as Che Man Sharikat.

 4. Dato’ Dr Amin Ariff bin Nuruddin  is with IJN

Thank you.
--
Nazir Ariff works in the private sector. This old lorry along with its history connects Nazir Ariff with Penang history.

Lorry for transporting iron ore for smelting. Photographed at the open display at Penang Museum
Caption for the above yellow lorry. Photographed at Penang Museum.
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All photos below are from the Ariff family album in Facebook.

(Above) Tok Wan @ Hj Abdul Rahman was a Kedah magistrate. He was better known as Che Man Sharikat. He was the maternal grandfather of Rukiah Hanoum bt Omar Farouk. Omar Farouk was the younger son of Sir KM Ariff.
Omar Farouk Ariff, son of Sir KM Ariff, married Zaleha @ Olah bt Abdul Rahman @ Che Man Sharikat. He was Rukiah Hanoum's father.
Zaleha @ Olah bt Abdul Rahman @ Che Man Sharikat was the mother of Rukiah Hanoum bt Omar Farouk Ariff.
Omar Farouk Ariff and family. Photo from Omar Ariff bin Omar Farouk.
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Syed Kabeer bin Syed Ahmad al-Husaini, husband of Zakiah Hanoum Ariff.
King's Birthday Honours for 505

Inche CM Hashim, Penang - Panglima Setia Mahkota
Syed Hassan Aidid, Penang - Johan Mangku Negara
Dr Abu Bakar bin Ibrahim, KL - Johan Setia Mahkota
Dr Ibrahim bin Haji Mohamed Yassin, Ipoh  - Johan Setia Mahkota
Syed Kabeer bin Syed Ahmad, Penang - Ahli Mangku Negara

Zakiah Hanoum Ariff, eldest daughter of Sir KM Ariff, wife of Syed Kabeer bin Syed Ahmad al-Husaini.
Their children are Sharifah Zariah Syed Kabeer, Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer, Sharifah Zawiah Syed Kabeer and Sharifah Munawarah Syed Kabeer.

External links
The Straits Times, 6 September 1956, Page 9. DON'T FORGET THE BRITISH —SIR KAMIL


MATTERS OF MUSLIM INTEREST.
The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 13 February 1930, Page 12
M.A.B.
Muhammedan Advisory Board, Penang
Dr. K. Mohamed Ariff bin Kader Mustan, J.P.

Tan Sri Dato' Dr Hj Yahaya bin Ibrahim

Tan Sri Dr Yahya Ibrahim

Tan Sri Dato' Dr Hj Yahaya bin Ibrahim was a close friend of my parents. He was from Bayan Lepas in Penang. They were together at Kirkby in England.

Our families lived at Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan when I first met him. I was in Primary 5 till Form 1. He often came to our house. I sometimes went over to his house for tea and to watch the fishes (kelisa) in the aquarium. My brothers played with his son Badril. I lost track of him after our families left Kelantan in 1971.

(Arwah) Cikgu Ramli bin Shaari informed me that Tan Sri Yahaya Ibrahim heads the Kirkby Alumni in Malaysia.
Arwah Cikgu Ramli Shaari's page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ramli.shaari He uploaded a lot of old photographs, including those at Kirkby. He has passed away.

My late parents, as well as Chikgu Ramli bin Shaari and wife Chikgu Zainab bt Hamid Don, Tan Sri Dr Yahaya bin Ibrahim, Safiah bt Ismail (Tan Sri Abdul Majid's sister), Yasmin Hanoum Ariff (Sir Kamil Ariff's daughter) and her the future husband Nuruddin Jamin, Tuanku Bainun (former Sultanah Perak), and many more were colleagues at the Malayan Teachers' Training College in Kirkby, near Liverpool in England in the early 1950s (first batch 1951-54; second batch 1952-55)

Kirkby College existed from 1951 and closed down in 1962. The place is no more. Tan Sri Yahaya Ibrahim is continuing efforts to let prospective students to experience something like Kirkby College. His grandson Shafiq Badril is handling the running of operations for students to study overseas. Readers can enquire further from Shafiq Badril.

IJN heart surgeon Dr Mohd Amin Nuruddin is Yasmin Hanoum-Nuruddin Jamin's son. I'm uncertain whether I have met her son. I only know that he is Sir Kamil Ariff's grandson after I spoke to Aunty Yasmin Hanoum on the phone. I have never met Aunty Yasmin Hanoum. Nuruddin Jamin is Sir Kamil Ariff's son-in-law and my father's batchmate at Kirkby.

I met a doctor named Dr Mohd Amin twice, once at a Ministry of Health Telehealth meeting in Jalan Cenderawasih MoH complex and another at a National Conference on Medical Sciences held at USM Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

Entry from Tan Sri Yahaya Ibrahim. From The 1957 Album (the Star). The caption says "A family picture during our stay at the government quarters near the Botanical Gardens in Kuala Lumpur".
(Tan Sri Yahya Ibrahim is standing at far right. His wife is standing at far left.) Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/the1957album/703130690/in/photostream

My father is at right with songkok. Mustaffa is standing next to him.
They were sailing to England in 1951 to attend the Malayan Teachers' Training College, Kirkby. They were in the first batch of teachers sent there for 2 years (1951-1954). 


Malayan trainee teachers at Kirkby, early 1950s. One of the Malay ladies is Safiah Ismail, Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's sister. Photo from Bapak's collection

Malayan trainee teachers at Kirkby in England, 1952-53 hockey team. My mother was hockey captain - she's kneeling in centre. Kneeling 2nd right is Tuanku Bainun.
Photo from Mak's collection.

entry from Tan Sri Yahaya Ibrahim
Entry from Tan Sri Yahaya Ibrahim. From The 1957 Album (the Star). The caption says. "One of the form five classes which I taught in the Malacca High School back in 1957. (first from right) I am seating with the other teachers in this picture". Photo source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the1957album/703130656/in/photostream 

Could this be En Yahaya Ibrahim in 1957 or later?
Photo from Bapak's collection.

Tan Sri Dato' Dr Yahaya bin Ibrahim (red baju Melayu) with grandson Shafiq Badril (black baju Melayu). Photo was sent to me by Shafiq Badril.