Search 1

SEARCH 1

15 September 2002

In my wild quest to obtain the names of the early Malay doctors of Malaya who graduated from Raffles College, Singapore, I checked Yahoo Search under "Raffles". The results returned a website on one of the sons of the first Malay doctor (http://viweb.freehosting.net/viint_Yaacob.htm). Tan Sri Yaacob bin Latiff was featured on this website, and something was mentioned about his father, Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak.

I decided to e-mail the writer of Tan Sri Yaacob's web page, Mr. Chung Chee Min (cmchung@excite.com), to find out if he knew the other Malay doctors. Mr. Chung responded. He is a retired teacher and now lives in Vancouver, Canada. Mr. Chung contacted a colleague at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a search followed. 

A surprise e-mail from Mr. Chung came back with the list of names of the first 11 Malay doctors. I could not believe my eyes! I was overjoyed! I e-mailed Mr. Chung to thank him for his wonderful help and in forwarding the list to me. It is this happiness that makes me want to share this list with you.

Here is the list of early Malay doctors who graduated from Raffles College, Singapore.

[Name | Date of Graduation | Other Details | Life Status | Contact]

--
Abdul Latiff b Abdul Razak (1885?-1958)
August 1911
First Malay doctor to graduate from King Edward VII College (KEVII) in Singapore; first Malay doctor in Malaya; eldest son of a territorial chief; ex-VI. Probably graduated in the second batch of doctors in 1911 (the first batch graduated in 1910)*.
Contact:
Ex-VI cmchung@excite.com 
Son - Tan Sri Yaacob bin Latiff, Mayor of KL 1972-1983
Granddaughter - norsidah@mail.hukm.ukm.my
*Writer - En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani (see Search 4)
See also Search 7 
--
S Kassim (Dr Samsudin bin Cassim)
March 1912
--
HS Moonshi 
March 1916
--
Pandak Ahmad b Allang Samin (Pandak Ahmad b Alang Sidin)
March 1916
Address in Malaysia is no longer valid
Deceased
Contact:
NUS - oarsorr@nus.edu.sg
--
Md Ibrahim 
August 1916
--
Md Baboo 
March 1917
--
IM Ghows 
August 1917
--
Hamzah b Taib 
March 1923
Contact:
Writer - En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani (see Search 4)
--
Hussein b Md Ibrahim
(Hussin b Mohamed Ibrahim)
March 1924
Last known address is 57 Pahang Rd, KL, Malaysia
Alive
Contact:
NUS - oarsorr@nus.edu.sg
--
Nizamuddin Ahmad
(Nizamudding Ahmad)
March 1929
No address given
Deceased
Contact:
NUS - oarsorr@nus.edu.sg
--
Che Lah b Mohd Joonos
March 1930
Graduated with a Licentiate in Medical Surgery (LMS) from King Edward VII College of Medicine, Class of 1930. Address in Malaysia is no longer valid
Deceased 26 January 1986
Contact:
NUS - oarsorr@nus.edu.sg 
Son - kamaruddin@mpsp.gov.my
Granddaughter - faridah@kb.usm.my  (see Search 5)
--
Raja Ahmad Noordin
Contact:
IMR - nazni@imr.gov.my
--
Ungku Omar Ahmad
Contact:
IMR - nazni@imr.gov.my
 

I do not have any other information pertaining to the early Malay doctors above nor their photographs but if you do, please let me know.

---

Acknowledgement

Search 1

The following persons were instrumental in obtaining details of the early Malay doctors. May their lives be blessed.

Mr. Chung Chee Min
Vancouver, Canada
E-mail: cmchung@excite.com
Web: http://viweb.freehosting.net/viint_Yaacob.htm 

E-mail received: Thursday, 12 September 2002 at 9:57:08 pm

Reply: Gave list of 11 names of Malay doctors
E-mail received: Sunday, 15 September 2002 at 2:05:31 pm
Reply: Mentioned that the name list was obtained by an Old VI in Singapore's NUS from a copy of the 1955 anniversary magazine belonging to someone else.

Hanom bt. Hamsam (and her colleague, Chong Tarn Lee)
Dean's Office
Faculty of Medicine
National University of Singapore
Tel: 6874-3299
Fax: 6778-5743
E-mail: hanom@nus.edu.sg
E-mail received: Monday, 14 July 2003 at 9:43:33 am
Reply: Confirmed list of medical graduates extracted from alumni database, Office of Alumni Relations, NUS

Chong Tarn Lee
Suggestion: To check with Medical Alumni Association (malumni@starhub.net.sg) and Singapore Medical Council (moh_smc@moh.gov.sg  )

Daphne Ong
Singapore Medical Council (SMC)
Web: http://www.smc.gov.sg
E-mail: MOH_SMC@moh.gov.sg
E-mail received: Friday, 18 July 2003 at 11:58:43 am
Reply: SMC unable to provide information for the 11 Malay doctors.

Rosie Sor Ah Moi
Office of Alumni Relations, NUS
E-mail: oarsorr@nus.edu.sg
E-mail received: Friday, 18 July 2003 at 12:51:46 pm
Reply: Gave 4 names of Malay doctors and details

Assoc. Prof. Mohd Shukri Othman
Dept of O&G
School of Medical Sciences
Universiti Sains Malaysia
16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan
E-mail: mshukri@kb.usm.my
E-mail received: Sunday, 20 July 2003 at 12:18:50 pm
Reply: Gave direction for Pahang Road* - road from roundabout at corner of GHKL to Setapak/Gombak. Used to take that road to the East Coast.

*Please refer to the New Straits Times (NST) article on Friday, 7 January 2005, under Letters section, page 20, entitled "Maintain scenic old Pahang road" by Datuk Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor, President, Malaysia Nature Society. This is the old Pahang road to Genting Sempah. The old road is a winding, narrow road from Gombak to Genting Sempah. From Genting Sempah you can either go to Bentong, Genting Highlands or KL-Karak Highway.

Contact:

Letters to the editor

Mail: The Editor, New Straits Times, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur

Fax: 03-2282 3001

E-mail: letters@nst.com.my

*Datuk Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor

President

Malaysia Nature Society

Wrote the New Straits Times (NST) article on Friday, 7 January 2005, under Letters section, page 20, entitled "Maintain scenic old Pahang road".

En. Jahangir Kamaldin
JK at USM Kubang Kerian
E-mail: jahangir@kb.usm.my
E-mail received: Sunday, 20 July 2003 at 2:20:45 pm
Reply: Mentioned that the pioneers of the research at Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Kuala Lumpur were medical doctors; possibility that some could be Malays. Gave a contact at IMR - Puan Nazni in Dept. of Entomology.

Puan Nazni
Dept. of Entomology
Institute of Medical Research (IMR)
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
E-mail: nazni@imr.gov.my
E-mail received: Tuesday, 22 July 2003 at 9:49:19 pm
Reply: Informed that one of the Malay doctors was Dr Ungku Omar Ahmad. Mentioned of a book entitled "Collected Works of Ungku Omar"; this book mentioned Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsidah A Manap
Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Malaysia
E-mail: norsidah@mail.hukm.ukm.my
E-mail received: Thursday, 18 December 2003 at 3:16:37 pm

Content: She shares the same interest of the early Malay doctors. She said very little has been written about them. She mentioned that she is the granddaughter of Dr. Abdul Latiff b Abdul Razak and that she wished she knew more about him. According to her there is more written about her uncle Tan Sri Yaacob bin Latiff (ex-mayor of KL).

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 2

SEARCH 2

29 November 2003

The following names were obtained at the 80th Reunion Gala Dinner held by the Alumni Association of the KEVII College of Medicine, Universities of Malaya and Singapore at Mariott Putrajaya Malaysia on 29 November 2003 (the same night of the Kuala-Lipis-Merapoh bus accident; the same week as the first PTK training for Malaysian government staff).

Tan Sri Abdul Majid
Tan Sri Dr. Abu Bakar
Tan Sri Raja Ahmad Nordin
Dr. Amir Abbas
Contact:
NUS - oarhead@nus.edu.sg

Tan Sri Raja Ahmad Noordin was mentioned in Search 1.

---

Acknowledgement

Two Alumni staff in NUS assisted with obtaining the names of four more Malay doctors:

Dr. Teo Choo Soo

Director

Office of Alumni Relations (OAR)

20 Lower Kent Ridge Road

Singapore 119080

Tel: (65) 6874 6336

Fax: (65) 6774 0757

E-mail: oarhead@nus.edu.sg

Website: www.nus.edu.sg

- or -

Dr. Teo Choo Soo

Senior Consultant

Department of Preventive Dentistry

Faculty of Dentistry

National University Hospital (NUH)

5 Lower Kent Ridge Road

Singapore 119074

Tel: (65) 6772 4986

Fax: (65) 6778 5742

E-mail: pndteocs@nus.edu.sg

Website: www.nus.edu.sg

Dr. William Chew Loy Soong

Office of Alumni Relations (OAR)

E-mail: chewloysoong@hotmail.com

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 3

SEARCH 3

November 2004

The third search involves contacting the daughter of one of the early Malay doctors at a wedding in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan to obtain the history of the doctor's life.

I was informed by Puan Salmah on two occasions (previously in Cheras where I first met her, and again during her son's wedding in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan) that Dato' Dr. Haji Mohammed had known Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah Mohd. Joonos. Both doctors were well-known in Kuantan, Pahang.

According to Puan Salmah, her family has lost many of her father's photos in a big flood (which flood was she referring to?). One of her five sons agreed to assist as he still keeps his pictures.

Dato' Dr. Haji Mohammed bin Taib

Deceased 2002

Contact:

Eldest daughter - Puan Salmah bt. Dato' Dr. Haji Mohammed

Son in-law - Tuan Hj. Abdullah Satar b Hj. Teh (husband of Puan Salmah)

Grandsons - Hazran, Shahrul Nizam, Norazlan, Nuzli Zukhairi, and Ahmad Muzri.

---

Acknowledgement

Puan Salmah bt Dato' Dr. Haji Mohammed & Tuan Hj. Abdullah Satar b Hj. Teh

A-1850, Taman Telok Chempedak

Lorong Tok Sira 54

25050 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-5689760

Married sons - Hazran & Sazanna, Shahrul Nizam & Aminah (granddaughter of Dato' Dr. M.J. Che Lah), Norazlan & Wan Zalina, Nuzli Zukhairi & Nur Aida, and Ahmad Muzri (unmarried).

Provided some details of her father at the wedding of her fourth son, Nuzli Zukhairi, in November 2004. Third son, Norazlan, keeps photos of his grandfather and agreed to furnish photos.

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 4

SEARCH 4

22 January 2005

The fourth search is to scrutinize an e-mail sent to me on 18 January 2005 by En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani from Kuala Lumpur. The subject read "Doktor Melayu Pertama". This e-mail had gone into my junk e-mail bin and I almost deleted it without even opening it! I plucked it out from the plenty junk mail and read once through, and replied immediately to him to thank him for his e-mail. I printed his e-mail and only have time to scrutinize it today, the second day of Aidiladha 1425 Hijrah (22 January 2005) which is a holiday in Kelantan. This is a 1.5 A4 page e-mail with a whole lot of information to digest.

En. Mohd. Fadli is originally from Kelantan. He is the director of an academy based in Kuala Lumpur. He is a writer and currently working on a PhD project. He mentioned four names and raised many possibilities concerning the early doctors. En. Mohd. Fadli had initially believed that Dr. Abbas Alias was the first Malay doctor from the Peninsular Malay State (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu); well, not anymore - Editor.

En. Mohd. Fadli pointed out that Prof. William Roff named Dr. Abdul Samad as the first Malay doctor (Roff, 2000).

En. Mohd. Fadli mentioned about another writer, Tuan Haji Subky Latiff, with whom he shared his initial knowledge about Dr. Abbas Alias being the first Malay doctor. Tuan Haji Subky subsequently published about Dr. Abbas Alias (Subky Abd. Latiff, 2004). Later on, Tuan Haji Subky informed En. Mohd. Fadli that this piece of information was false. This came about following a ceremony to commemorate Dr. Abbas Alias in which Tuan Haji Subky quoted Dr. Abbas Alias as the first Malay doctor but was later informed by someone that Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak was the first Malay doctor. Thanks for correcting the misinformation - Editor.

En. Mohd. Fadli quoted an article by JS Cheah (2003) in the Singapore Medical Journal website in which he found that on 3 July 1905, there were 23 people who entered the medical college. They comprised 9 Chinese, 6 Eurasians, 5 Tamil, 1 Ceylonese, 1 Malay, and 1 European.

I am still wondering how much detail was kept about each student in the early days considering the fact that there were no computers then!

My question is, was this the first batch of doctors which included the first Malay? Who was this 1 Malay?

It seems that the one Malay who entered was also a minority in a land that was his homeland! This makes me wonder when did the Malays first come to terms with western medicine and accepted it and allowed their children to learn the medical curriculum based on western standards. It seems our medical roots in western medicine began in 1905 with this first Malay entering into the Singapore based medical school. This is interesting. What was going through the mind of this first Malay? Was it a Malay male or female? Who coached this first Malay to go to study medicine? Who was his mentor? What made him decide to do medicine? There must be some element in his upbringing or growing up years that ticked inside him and there must be a clear path that led him to be the first Malay doctor. Who was he? How can we be certain about our past?

The Eurasians catch my attention - who were they anyway? IF a white male was married to a Malay woman, would the son be considered Malay or Eurasian? And what happens vise-versa? Given that under Islamic regulation, a Malay woman cannot marry a non-Muslim male (some food for thought). IF a Malay man married a white woman, the son is automatically recorded as Malay. The fact that there were 6 Eurasians indicates that mixed marriages were common then (may be now too?).

It looks to me, that the ethnic composition of the 1905 batch is queer. It does not reflect the composition of the Malaysian population that we see today. It does not resemble the ethnic make-up of students in the medical schools in Malaysia today. Something is pointing to an element of wealth (vs. poverty) in the early days. The fact that there were 39% Chinese, 26 Eurasians, ~22% Tamils, ~4% (actually only one student) each Ceylonese, Malay, and European. From an economic standpoint, it justifies to see a majority of students coming from wealthy families (Chinese and Eurasians) and less from the poorer families (Ceylonese and Malay). The Tamil families fared alright? Was politics influential in admitting students into medical school then? Was there discrimination?

Next question, how long was the initial medical course? Was it five or six years?

En. Mohd. Fadli also referred to the NUS Alumni Society (National University of Singapore Society, NUSS) website which recorded that in 1910, seven people graduated and received their Licentiate of Medical Surgery (LMS) - this was the first batch of graduates.

My question now is WHY didn't all 23 people who entered on 3 July 1905 all graduate in 1910 (i.e., at the same time)? Why did only seven doctors graduate (>30% graduated; <70% did not)? Who were the seven who graduated in 1910? Did the others (a majority) face difficulties? What were some of the problems faced by these doctors that affected their education and thus delayed their graduation? How badly did the problems affect their education? What was their major problem? Was it poverty or was it communicable diseases that affected our doctors? Was tuberculosis and leprosy widespread and difficult to tackle? Did something affect our doctors? What was our economy like during that time? What was the average family income? What was the cost of medical education during that time? What were the real problems then? How expensive was this course? Who could afford this course? Was it open to everyone? How was selection performed? How did the students travel to attend the medical college?

There are certainly many possibilities. For the time being, I will still hold on to the information gathered thus far, that for our Telehealth record on the history of medicine, Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak was our first Malay doctor. His name will still head my list of the early Malay doctors until I get another name (Dr. Abdul Samad is a possibility). He possibly graduated in the second batch in 1911.

--

Datuk Dr. Haji Abbas Alias

Graduated Class of 1936*

Deceased (1914 - 2004)

Initially believed to be the first Malay doctor in Malaya (Mohd Fadli Ghani, 2004). He was the second president of PAS (Presiden PAS Kedua, 1953-1956). He was also the Health Director of Terengganu, Pahang, Melaka and Perak (Pengarah Kesihatan Terengganu, Pahang, Melaka dan Perak). His last post was as the Senior Director of Health Malaysia (Pengarah Kanan Kesihatan Malaysia). He had also held other posts following retirement such as the Director of University Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Pengarah Hospital Universiti Kuala Lumpur). He was also the founder of Pantai Medical Centre in Malaysia.

Contact:

*Writer - En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani

Writer - Tuan Haji Subky Latiff

--

Dr. Abdul Samad

A Singaporean. Noted as the first Malay to enter the Singapore medical school (Roff, 2000). Led the Singaporean Muslim Association (Persatuan Islam Singapura, 1920-1928). He was the founder of the Singaporean United Malay (Kesatuan Melayu Singapura, KMS) along with En. Mohd. Eunos Abdullah in 1927.

Reference:

Writer - Professor William Roff

--

Dr. Hamzah b Taib 
March 1923
Dr. Hamzah opened a clinic in Johor. He was active in the Lembaga Melayu Johor.
Deceased late 1940s.
Second wife - Puan Khadijah bt. Sidek
Reference:
Writer - En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani

BIG QUESTIONS as raised by En. Mohd. Fadli:

1. Who was the first Malay who entered the medical college on 3 July 1905?

2. Was he Dr. Abdul Latiff Abdul Razak or Dr. Abdul Samad?

3. Did Dr. Abdul Samad graduate in 1910 in the first batch?

En. Mohd. Fadli closed his e-mail with the need to continue to search and that he will send me new information if any. He also suggested me to explore the NUS alumni website for more details. I really appreciate his assistance in this respect.

---

Acknowledgement

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani provided plenty of useful information in his e-mail on 18 January 2005. I take this opportunity to thank him for his assistance in setting the Malay doctors records straight.

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani

(writer & PhD student)

Pengarah Akademi Kajian Kota, Kuala Lumpur

His article/book include:

Mohd Fadli Ghani (2004). "Datuk Dr Haji Abbas Alias (1914 - 2004): Yang Dipertua Agung PAS Dalam Kenangan". Buku Cenderamata, Muktamar Tahunan Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat Ke-45, Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat, Kuala Lumpur.

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani has also included a biography on Dr. Abbas Alias in his upcoming book on political leaders.

Tuan Haji Subky Latiff

Subky Abd. Latiff (2004). "Dr Abbas Enggan Taja UMNO, Mati Dalam PAS". Buletin Demokrasi, Bil.50, 31 Ogos, m.s. 22.

Professor William Roff

William Roff (2000). "The Origins of Malay Nationalism", Oxford Publishing, London. page 189.

JS Cheah. Approaching 100 Years of Medical and University in Singapore. Singapore Med J. 2003. Vol. 44(1):1-3. Download article from http://www.sma.org.sg/smj/4401/4401e1.pdf 

E-mail Professor JS Cheah at mdccjs@nus.edu.sg

National University of Singapore Society (NUSS)

http://www.nuss.org.sg/about_History_Frame.htm

Puan Khadijah bt. Sidek
Wife of Dr. Hamzah b Taib (Class of 1923. See Searches 1 and 4). Ex-Member of Parliament Dungun, ex-Ketua Wanita UMNO, ex-Ketua Muslimat PAS.

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 5

SEARCH 5

January 2005

The fifth search is to re-study all the information I had gathered and accumulated concerning Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah b. Mohd. Joonos (Class of 1930; Born 10 December 1903; Deceased 26 January 1986).

I believe that some people might still remember him or that something must have been recorded somewhere about him.

His village stretches from the periphery of Minden Heights to the shores of Penang bridge. His village is still there but some houses have been demolished to make way for Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in front of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the periphery road leading to Penang bridge.

His last residence still stands at 460-H, Cangkat Minden, Jalan 7, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang (near USM side gate facing towards Georgetown).

My mother was the eldest from Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah's first marriage to a non-Malay woman. They had 4 daughters and an adopted son. Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah had a second marriage to a non-Malay woman. They had a son and adopted a daughter. My mother had managed to get some information from her father at his bedside just before he passed away in Hospital Pulau Pinang in 1986. Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah b. Mohd. Joonos was buried in the graveyard adjoining Masjid Gelugor in Penang.

I have known my grandfather since small. He also attended my wedding in 1983 in Penang. As I recall, he was very big, tall, kind, very humble, very energetic, and highly talented. His knowledge seemed to cover vast areas. His interest was people. His highly prized skill was his communication skills. He spoke quite a few languages - Malay, English, Tamil, Cantonese, some German, some Arabic, and a few others. He spoke mainly English at home for the women he married did not speak much Malay. He spoke Malay to the Malay visitors who frequented his home. He had so many visitors especially in the evening. He spoke Tamil to the JKR workers who came to clean the grounds of his mansion (now demolished). He enjoyed his work as a doctor. He was 5 years retired when I was a child aged 5. He did quite a lot of work following retirement.  He designed and helped build the township of Minden Heights (adjacent to USM main campus in Penang) in 1971 (I was in Form 1, Sekolah Menengah Zainab, Kelantan). We went through the blueprint for Minden Heights; I was asked to calculate the land sizes and areas, and  studied a few things about the intended layout plan for Minden Heights. I often visited his house which was next door to my mother's house. I was there mainly to study mathematics for which he had set aside a table for me by a big window upstairs. He was supportive of my interest in mathematics and sciences. I was also there to read some of his journals on Tropical Medicine, from which I came to learn about malnutrition in Africa, and most importantly, we discussed a lot of things about biochemistry. He told me to be a doctor. We talked about everything from blood gases, coma, right up to van den Bergh test for bilirubin. He had genuine interest in astronomy (he said Allah structured everything including the universe). His greatest love was for Allah. He served as a doctor on 9 Haj pilgrimages by sea liners. He brought back quite a lot of stuff from the Arab land, a good one was Asma al-Husna which he adored. He was particularly good with chemistry, especially at making plain and perfumed soap. He was also good at the water filter. He worked on the water problem for a long time because he said there is no way to kill a virus 100%. He had bought a few water filters to try them out at home. He was interested in why babies shrieked in the middle of the night - for which I was asked to investigate the pH of baby milk formulas! I also had to report back to him! He practically enjoyed everything, every bit of his life. He was never so angry. I have never seen him being angry nor can I recall him being angry. If he got angry, he would roll up a newspaper and used that to tap lightly on the head, nothing like the kid bashing we hear about nowadays. He liked people, just about anyone. He was very gentle and spoke in a very gentle voice despite his big size! He loved music, mostly evergreen such as Ray Conniff. He listened to music mainly at night. He read papers while listening to music. He always turned up for anything and appeared as the happiest person at any occasion - birthday parties, beach parties, any kenduri, anything for that matter. He loved to dress up to go to masjid for Friday prayers and Hari Raya - he looked very clean and very handsome. He wore a hat and carried a walking stick. He drove once in a while for he had a very good driver. He grew durian, rambutan, bamboo, palms, cloves, nona (custard apple), bleeding hearts, orchids and roses, mostly roses. He had a few other plants including those from his overseas travels. One was a big woody tree with soft red furry fruits (Kesumba or Inai Keling; Bixa orellana), probably from Indonesia. He had a beautiful lawn with quite an impressive landscape. He usually sat on the swing with me in the evening to have tea and pisang goreng (banana fritters) in the garden (after I had finished work at USM) and we watched passers-by until almost maghrib. He is best remembered as a loving grandfather. He would always smile around people, and smiling was his greatest gift. He was the kindest grandfather a granddaughter could ever have. He was simply a wonderful person.

Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah b. Mohd. Joonos
March 1930
Graduated with a Licentiate in Medical Surgery (LMS) from King Edward VII College of Medicine, Class of 1930. Served as a royal doctor to the late Sultan Sir Abu Bakar of Pahang. Chief doctor in charge of the Sungai Buloh leper camp during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya (1942-1949). Badly tortured with salt water to his throat by the Japanese soldiers but survived. Made soap for his villagers during WW2. Responsible for the set up of public toilets on Pulau Besar in Melaka. He was Penang Health Inspector. Retired from General Hospital in Penang in December 1957, after Merdeka. Following retirement, he became an Honorary Town Planner and a member of the Penang Town Council. He also served as a doctor for the Haj pilgrimage in 1963 (his ninth and last Haj pilgrimage).

Last residence: 460-H, Cangkat Minden, Jalan 7, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang.

Born: 10 December 1903
Deceased: 26 January 1986
Contact:

NUS - oarsorr@nus.edu.sg 
Son - kamaruddin@mpsp.gov.my
Grandsons - M. Sharif bin Abdul Rashid, M. Farid bin Abdul Rashid, and M. Amin bin Abdul Rashid (all residing in Kuala Lumpur)
Granddaughters - Sharifah bt Abdul Rashid (Minden Heights, Penang), Faridah bt Abdul Rashid  (USM, Kelantan), Rabi'ah bt Abdul Rashid (Jengka Pusat, Pahang), and Aminah bt Abdul Rashid (Kuala Lumpur)
Great grandsons - M. Hafiz bin M. Sharif, M. Daniel bin M. Sharif, M. Azhar Hakim bin Affandi and M. Ibrahim Adzim bin Affandi (both residing in Kelantan)
Great granddaughters - Aishah bt M. Sharif, Nur Husna bt M. Sharif, Nuraishah Bazilah bt Affandi, Nurfarahiyah Nasuha bt Affandi, Nuramira Suraiya bt Affandi, and Yusrina Faqihah bt Affandi (all residing in Kelantan)

---

Acknowledgement

Assoc. Prof. Faridah Abdul Rashid

Granddaughter of Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah b. Mohd. Joonos (Class of 1930).

Work address:

Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. Tel: +6-09-766-4755. Fax: +6-09-765-3370.

Hajj Pilgrimage

In her book "Malaysia, A Pictorial History 1400-2004" (2004), Wendy Khadijah Moore wrote on page 255 that Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra bid farewell to the first batch of pilgrims to Mecca to depart from Port Swettenham, 20 February 1960. And the adjacent page 254 had a photograph of the ocean liner with Tunku in the foreground - photograph was from Arkib Negara Malaysia (ANM).

The Haj is an annual event performed only in Mekah. I was told by my grandparents that the sea trip took 3 months each way and many who died on board were buried at sea. If the Haj services by sea liner only started in 1960, how could my grandfather perform 9 Haj trips since 1963 was his nineth and last trip? How did he reach Mekah before 1960?

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 6

SEARCH 6

26 January 2005

The sixth search is to scrutinize a second e-mail sent to me on 20 January 2005 by En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani from Kuala Lumpur. The subject read "Doktor Melayu Pertama". This time the e-mail went into my Inbox and I replied to thank him for his e-mail. I printed his e-mail and only have time to scrutinize it tonight (26 January 2005) while a charity concert "KONSERT KASIH" is playing on TV3 for the recent tsunami victims - it is now 11.40 pm. This is also a 1.5 A4 page e-mail with a whole lot of information to digest!

En. Fadli has alerted me to a few important queries if I were to carry on studying about the Malay doctors:

1. Is it certain that before 1905 (opening of the medical college in Singapore) there was no Malay who had studied medicine formally at any university overseas, in England or India, such that we have to accept the graduate of the Singapore medical college as our first Malay doctor? He is still scrutinizing this matter. He wants to be certain. His argument being, there were renowned Malays who were highly educated such as Raja Chulan, Mohd Eunos and others in the early 1900s, before the Singapore medical college was opened. Were they merely MCKK (Malay College, Kuala Kangsar) or VI (Victoria Institute) graduates? Did they continue to study medicine? According to him, there were Malays who entered and studied at University al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt since 1890. Now, there is even a medical faculty (Kuliyyah Perubatan) but he is not sure when this faculty was set up. En. Fadli suggested that I confirm this matter with Dr. Nik Mazian who had studied there. The Al-Azhar medical faculty was started in 1965.
2. Are we only accepting doctors who graduated with either LMS, MBBS or MD as 'true doctors'? What about the other Malay doctors who did not possess any degrees but were well-known experts or tabib such as Tabib Haji Said Yan in Kedah (circa 1962) who wrote the 1956 book "at-Tabib" in the Malay language, and Tabib Ahmad Mianji in Kota Bharu who was an eye expert since 1910?
3. Western medicine grew as a result of Islamic civilisation, mainly from the writings of Avecinna (Arabic, Ibnu Sina) and others. This could possibly mean that the Malays had studied about medicine in Makkah because the Malays had been to Makkah to study since the early 17th Century. What was their status?
4. Tok Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd Zain (circa 1908) was a teacher to Tok Kenali. He was a clergy, a chemist, a doctor, and an inventor. He wrote chemistry and medical books. He wrote altogether 5 books concerning the goodness of plant and animal sources, including their usage for treatment. He invented surgical instruments and the like. It was said that he had learnt about medicine from a medical expert from India. Many of his students from Pulau Penyegat (Riau-Lingga) also became medical practitioners. If Tok Guru and his students are recognised as doctors, then he deserved to be known not only as an early doctor but also as the first Malay doctor since Tok Guru passed away in 1908 whereas Dr. Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak officially graduated in 1911. En. Fadli offered to assist in this matter.
5. Besides allopathy, the Malays also practised homeopathy, naturopathy, divinity, bomoh, massage (physiotherapy), and others. En. Fadli referred to a book written by Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang (circa 1870s, Kelantan) who described the various modes of practices of Malay folk medicine. This book also described recipes for making various potions. The book could serve as a medical text, a chemistry book, a biomedical reference, or even a pharmacology manual.
6. En. Fadli also mentioned an achievement of the Malays in homeopathy. According to him, Dr. Burhanuddin is said to be the first Malay to study homeopathy in India and graduated in 1936. It is not certain whether there were others who graduated earlier than this. Dr. Burhanuddin was very successful in teaching homeopathy in Malaysia and received many international recognition for his activities, including being labeled as a professor by a German institute. En. Fadli feels that Dr. Burhanuddin is the most outstanding Malay in the international arena in the medical field.
7. En. Fadli has written an article entitled "Karya-Karya Sains Ulama Melayu Sebelum 1950: Satu Tinjauan Awal" which has been submitted to Pemikir, a local journal. In this article, he touched on various medical articles written by the Malay clergy, including biology and zoology. He will append this article if he finds time. He will also try to list all the early Malay medical books(kitab-kitab perubatan Melayu) which have been written up until the time the Singapore medical college was opened. He is also reviewing a number of articles on the achievements of the Malays in science and technology, hoping this will help.

It is now 1.57 am on 27 January 2005. I certainly have a lot more search to do.

---

Acknowledgement

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani provided plenty of useful information in his e-mail on 20 January 2005. I take this opportunity to thank him for his assistance in providing more insight into the activities of the early Malay doctors which may actually date back to the time of Avecinna!

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani

Pengarah Akademi Kajian Kota, Kuala Lumpur

En. Fadli Ghani is in the social sciences. He has BA in Linguistics and Social Development from UPM, MA in Dialog Peradaban from UM, and MA in Political Science from UKM. He is currently preparing his PhD in Malaysian History. Akademi Kajian Kota is a socio-political research establishment.

YB Dr. Nik Mazian Nik Mohamed

University al-Azhar graduate

She is with the EXCO Kelantan State Government.

Dr. Nik Mazian was ex-USM surgeon, in the same batch as Dr. Rozemi, Dr. Mahmud, etc.

Medical Faculty, University al-Azhar, Cairo, Egypt

Need list of students from the Malay States/Malaya/Malaysia since 1890 who studied medicine at al-Azhar.

How many Malays entered al-Azhar to study medicine since 1890?

When was the medical faculty set up?

Medical degrees conferred to the Malays

What were they? LMS, MBBS, MD

How many received each of the degrees?

How do we define a doctor?

Who are 'true doctors'?

Definition of a medical practitioner.

Definition of tabib?

How does a tabib become recognised?

How does he practise?

We still see many tabib practising today in Malaysia.

Examples of tabib:

Tabib Haji Said Yan (circa 1962, Kedah). Wrote book "at-Tabib" (1956) in Malay.

Tabib Ahmad Mianji (1910, Kota Bharu) was an eye expert.

Avecinna (Arabic, Ibnu Sina)

Who were the other Arab doctors?

Did they work with Avecinna or after his death?

When did the West learn from the Arab doctors?

Which Arab doctors were referred to?

What did the Malays study in Mekah in the early 17th Century?

Did the Malays study about medicine in Mekah?

Where did the Malays study about medicine in Mekah?

Who were their teachers in medicine in Mekah?

Tok Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd Zain (circa 1908)

Was a teacher to Tok Kenali. A clergy, a chemist, a doctor, and an inventor. Wrote chemistry and medical books - altogether 5 books on plant and animal sources and their uses for treatment. Taught by a medical expert from India. Many of his students from Pulau Penyegat (Riau-Lingga) also became medical practitioners. Tok Guru passed away in 1908

When did he practise?

Where about did he practise?

Did he go to India to study medicine? No.

When did he go to India to study medicine? He never went.

Who was the medical expert from India?

Was he a Malay who studied in India? No.

Was he an Indian Muslim? Yes.

Who taught medicine to Tok Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd Zain? An Indian expert.

Did the Indian expert come to Malaya? No idea.

When did the Indian expert come to Malaya?

Did he come alone or was he part of a group?

Which group?

Before or after the East India Company arrived in the Malay States?

Students from Pulau Penyegat (Riau-Lingga)

Did they continue to teach others?

Where can they be located?

Definition of allopathy.

Definition of homeopathy.

Definition of naturopathy.

Meaning of divinity in the Malay context.

Definition of bomoh in the Malay context.

What is a bomoh?

How is a bomoh different from a tabib?

How is a bomoh different from a pawang?

How is a bomoh different from a dukun?

Meaning of massage in the Malay context.

Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang (circa 1870s, Kelantan)

His book described the various modes of practices of Malay folk medicine. It contains recipes for making various potions. The book could serve as a medical text, a chemistry book, a biomedical reference, or even a pharmacology manual.

What is the title of his book?

Where is this book located?

Dr. Burhanuddin al-Helmy Mohd. Noor

The first Malay to study homeopathy in India and graduated in 1936.

Were there others who graduated earlier than 1936?

1936 is after WW1 and before WW2.

What was India like in 1936?

Where is homeopathy taught in India?

Dr. Burhanuddin was very successful in teaching homeopathy in Malaysia and received many international recognition for his activities, including being labeled as a professor by a German institute.

Dr. Burhanuddin is the most outstanding Malay in the international arena in the medical field.

German institute

Which German institute is noted for homeopathy?

Where is it located?

When did it operate, before 1936?

Why did it recognise Dr. Burhanuddin's capabilities to such a high status, that of a professor?

Was Dr. Burhanuddin a better doctor than the German homeopathy practitioners?

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani

"Karya-Karya Sains Ulama Melayu Sebelum 1950: Satu Tinjauan Awal". Submitted to Pemikir, a local journal.

Kitab-kitab perubatan Melayu before 1905

List of all the early Malay medical books before the Singapore medical college was opened.

Science and technology

Achievements of the Malays in science and technology.

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 7

SEARCH 7

1 May 2005 (Labour Day, before lunch)

The seventh search is to scrutinize a third e-mail sent to me on 28 January 2005 by En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani from Kuala Lumpur. The subject read "Doktor Melayu Pertama". He has appended his paper entitled "Karya-Karya Sains Ulama Melayu, 1800-1950: Satu Tinjauan Awal". En. Fadli thanked me for responding to his previous e-mail. En. Fadli noted several points in order to assist my search of the early Malay doctors.

En. Fadli had searched more history books concerning the Malay race (bangsa Melayu). According to En. Fadli, he found data on more than 10 medical books written by Malays in either the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) or Arabic (Bahasa Arab). These books were written between 1400 and 1900. En. Fadli believed however he might still have not found all the books written by Malays.

Book 1. The oldest medical book is entitled "Sisa-sisa Berguna" written by a Pattani clergy (ulama') named Sheikh Syarifuddin. However, En. Fadli queried whether it could possibly be "Sisa-sisa" or"Sia-sia". Sheikh Syarifuddin lived in Pattani around 1400 (about 800 Hijrah). His book was reproduced (disalin) in 1871 by a Terengganu clergy living in Pattani. The exact date when this happened cannot be ascertained except the date of the writing.  

There are two more medical books which have been reproduced many times but the exact dates of their initial writing are not known. The first book is entitled "Risalah Perubatan" and the second is entitled "Ilmu Tabib".

Book 2. The book "Risalah Perubatan" was reproduced in 1815 by Sheikh Ishak Mohd. Hashim from Kedah. On page 4 of this book, Sheikh Ishak explained why he had reproduced the book. It related to the Malays being under the Siamese rule and the payment of tithe in the form of the golden flower (bunga emas) which was used for this purpose. This is a verse from the book:

"Perintah ini senda salin di dalam tib Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia, maka Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia salin di dalam tib Dato' Paduka Seri Nara Diraja di bandar Limbong dipinta halal pada menantunya Dato' Seri Diraja pada masa bawa bunga emas ke Benua Siam pada tahun 1230. Maka tatkala selesai salin ini zaman Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia semayam di bandar Pulau Pisang memerintah negeri Kubang Pasu pada Sanah 1230 tahun dal akhir."

According to En. Fadli, 1230 Hijrah is equivalent to 1815 Masehi, of the Gregorian calendar.

Book 3. The book "Ilmu Tabib" was reproduced in 1288 Hijrah (1871) by Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang from Kelantan. Penambang is a river bank settlement by the Kelantan River(Sungai Kelantan) and also a  Malay word which refers to a fee probably for paying the bamboo raft service for crossing Sungai Kelantan. On the last page of his book, Mohd. Salleh acknowledged that he had reproduced the medical book in the month of Syawal in 1288 in Kota Raja in Kelantan. Syawal is a month of rejoicing following the one month compulsory fasting in the month of Ramadhan of the Muslim calendar. This was what he wrote:

"Telah selesai hamba, faqir ilallahu taala, iaitu Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang, menyalin akan surat tib ubat ini, dalam negeri Kelantan Darus Salam, di dalam Kota Raja, kepada bulan Syawal, tahun kepada Hijrah an-Nabi Muhammad S.A.W., tarikh Sanah 1288."

Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang (see also Search 6). The word ibni is Arabic and means son of. The word Penambang is added last after his father's name to indicate his origin or hometown. He had written Kelantan Darus Salam. However, we presently use Kelantan Darul Naim - Editor

According to En. Fadli, these were the three early medical books written by Malays but where the writers had studied is unknown. En. Fadli pointed out that even though they were merely early writers but this does not mean that the Malays were unaware of medicine or uneducated in medical knowledge.

Books 4 - 10. En. Fadli did not mention about the remaining 7 early medical books.

Book 11. En. Fadli alerted me to an early book written by a Malay in Malacca (Melaka). He mentioned a book entitled "Silalatus Salatin" or better known as "Sejarah Melayu" written by Tun Seri Lanang. Tun Seri Lanang wrote about the history of the Malay Sultanate in Malacca. Tun Seri Lanang also wrote about the war between Malacca and the Portuguese. During this war, there was a Malay doctor (tabib Melayu) who was a royal doctor to the last Malacca king, Sultan Ahmad Shah. The Malay doctor also helped look after the wounded dignitaries of the war.

En. Fadli mentioned, even though the history of the Malays was written in 1700, the Malacca-Portuguese war occurred in 1511. En. Fadli affirmed that Malay doctors existed at the time of the Malacca Sultanate. According to him, Tun Seri Lanang had used the term tabib and not bomoh, dukun, nujum or pawang which are terms normally used to refer to the traditional Malay folk medicine. En. Fadli reiterated, tabib referred to the use of more scientific methods of treatment compared to mystical means.

The Story of Merah Silu. En. Fadli alerted me to the story of Merah Silu. Merah Silu was the first Sultan Perak who embraced Islam in 1200. Merah Silu ate earthworms as medicine. En. Fadli said he will write more about Merah Silu in future e-mail to provide proof that the early Malays indeed knew about the medicinal value of animals and as have been written in many early Malay books (hikayat).

En. Fadli ended his e-mail by writing a paragraph listing what he had in store for me.

1. He had recorded the medical books and will let me know if I need them.
2. He also managed to obtain more information concerning Dr. Latif Abdul Razak, the first Malay doctor. Here is the update on Dr. Abdul Latif:

Dr. Abdul Latif bin Abdul Razak

See also Search 1. First Malay doctor. His name is mortalised as a name of a road in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) as Jalan Doktor Latif. This road links Jalan Masjid and Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz and heads towards the pediatric ward of HKL. His name is also mortalised in naming a hostel after him in Universiti Industri Selangor (UNISEL), located in Section 7, Shah Alam in Selangor. Shah Alam is the capital city of the state of Selangor.

3. En. Fadli also attached a paper which he had written entitled "Karya Sains Ulama Melayu" which he hoped will help my search.

En. Fadli thanked me and signed off.

It is now 12.49 pm. I have to quit now to cook lunch (fried fish and white rice). My husband and kids want to attend a Maulud cum Kesyukuran (thanskgiving) lunch held by my parents in-law in Tanah Merah.

---

Acknowledgement

En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani provided plenty of useful information in his e-mail on 28 January 2005.

Book 1. "Sisa-sisa Berguna"

"Sisa-sisa Berguna" was written by a Pattani clergy (ulama') named Sheikh Syarifuddin. This book was reproduced in 1871 by a Terengganu clergy living in Pattani. The exact date when this book was written is unknown.

Sheikh Syarifuddin

A Pattani clergy (ulama') around 1400 (about 800 Hijrah). He wrote the book "Sia-sia Berguna" or "Sisa-Sisa Berguna"..

Name unknown

Unknown Terengganu clergy. He reproduced "Sisa-sisa Berguna" in 1871 when living in Pattani.

Pattani

Where is Pattani? Why is Pattani the focus of Muslim clergy? Did the Arabs arrive in Pattani?

Book 2. "Risalah Perubatan"

"Risalah Perubatan" was reproduced in 1815 by Sheikh Ishak Mohd. Hashim from Kedah. The original author is unknown.

Sheikh Ishak Mohd. Hashim

From Kedah. He reproduced "Risalah Perubatan" in 1815 when living in Pattani. Was it an order from the Malay ruler for him to reproduce "Risalah Perubatan" or was it his own initiative?

Siam land (benua Siam)

When was the Siamese rule? How much Malay land was under Siam in 1230? Was Pattani under Siam? Was Siam aware of the medical treatment used by the Malays?

Golden flower (bunga emas; bunga mas)

The golden flower was carried to Siam in 1230. Why was the golden flower mentioned? Was the golden flower linked to medicine or medical treatment?

Tib

What is the actual meaning of tib? Does it refer to a registry or an official record?

Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia

Who was he? When was the reign of Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia?

Tib Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia

Who keeps this tib now? Where is it normally kept? Who was allowed to write in this tib? Write about what? For what reason?

Dato' Paduka Seri Nara Diraja

Who was he? He lived in the town of Limbong.

Tib Dato' Paduka Seri Nara Diraja

Who keeps this tib now? Where is it normally kept? Who was allowed to write in this tib? Write about what? For what reason?

Dato' Seri Diraja

Who was he?

Menantu Dato' Seri Diraja

Who was he?

Pulau Pisang

Where is this town or is this an island? What was this place like in 1230? Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia was the head (bersemayam) in Pulau Pisang at the time "Risalah Perubatan" was reproduced.

Kubang Pasu

Where is this state? Does it refer to the place near Masjid Muhammadi in Kota Bharu, Kelantan? What was this place like in 1230? What was the relationship between Pulau Pisang and Kubang Pasu? Duli Tuk Raja Yang Maha Mulia was the ruler (memerintah) in Kubang Pasu at the time "Risalah Perubatan" was reproduced.

Book 3. "Ilmu Tabib"

"Ilmu Tabib" was reproduced in 1288 Hijrah (1871) by Muhammad Salleh ibni Ahmad Penambang from Kelantan.

Muhammad Salleh bin Ahmad

Muhammad Salleh bin Ahmad was from Penambang in Kelantan. He reproduced "Ilmu Tabib" in 1288 Hijrah (1871)

Penambang

Penambang is a river bank settlement by the Kelantan River (Sungai Kelantan).

Kelantan

Kelantan Darus Salam is now Kelantan Darul Naim.

Books 4 - 10. Will need the names and details of these books.

Book 11. "Silalatus Salatin" or better known as "Sejarah Melayu"

Early Malay book written by Tun Seri Lanang about the history of the Malay Sultanate in Malacca.

Tun Seri Lanang

He wrote "Silalatus Salatin" (Sejarah Melayu) during the last Malay Sultanate in Malacca.

Malacca Sultanate

Need details. Who was the royal Malay doctor indicated by Tun Seri Lanang in his book "Silalatus Salatin"?

Malay doctor (tabib Melayu)

Who was he? He was the royal Malay doctor who served both the king and dignitaries during the Malacca-Portuguese war in 1511.

Sultan Ahmad Shah

He was the last Malay ruler of the Malacca Sultanate. What was his roots? Was he fond of medicine?

Malay words

Need the correct meaning of the Malay words tabib, bomoh, dukun, nujum and pawang.

The Story of Merah Silu

Merah Silu

Merah Silu was the first Sultan Perak who embraced Islam in 1200. Merah Silu ate earthworms as medicine. Who taught him to eat earthworms?

Earthworms

What sort of earthworms can be eaten for health?

Hikayat

What is a hikayat?

Dr. Abdul Latif bin Abdul Razak

First Malay doctor. Jalan Doktor Latif in HKL has been named after him. This road links Jalan Masjid and Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz and heads towards the pediatric ward of HKL. A students' hostel has been named after him in UNISEL.

Universiti Industri Selangor (UNISEL)

UNISEL is located in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Shah Alam

Shah Alam is the capital city of the state of Selangor.

Selangor

One of the 14 states and territories in Malaysia. It is a southern state and also bears Putrajaya.

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Search 8

SEARCH 8

1 May 2005 (Labour Day, evening)

The eighth search is to scrutinize En. Mohd. Fadli Ghani's paper entitled "Karya-Karya Sains Ulama Melayu, 1800-1950: Satu Tinjauan Awal" which he had e-mailed on 28 January 2005 as an attachment. It is 3.10 pm and only my daughter is at home watching TV.

I have only plucked these names and details which have to do with medicine from En. Fadli's 19-page paper.

Sheikh Wan Ahmad bin Wan Muhammad Zain al-Fathani (1856-1908)

See also Search 6 re Tok Guru Haji Wan Ahmad Mohd Zain. He was born in Kampung Jambu, Pattani on 10 April 1856. He was the grandson of Syeikh Wan Mustafa al-Fathani, a clergy who became Imam and admiral during the sacred war (perang sabil) in Pattani. He received early education from his own father, Tuan Guru Haji Wan Muhammad Zain @ Haji Wan Din before receiving education from Tok Bendang Daya and studied in Mekah, Baitul Maqdis and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He then became a teacher in Masjidil Haram. He was renowned in many fields including chemistry, medicine, Islamic history in Southeast Asia, and was a master of the Arabic language. He wrote more than 15 books in the Malay language and 10 in Arabic. While serving as a teacher in Mekah, among his students included Haji Abdullah Musa al-Kalantani who was Mufti of Johore (died in 1907), Wan Ishak Abdullah who was Mufti of Kelantan (died in 1915), Haji Omar Sungai Keladi (died in 1946), Tok Kemuning (died 1934), Tok Kenali (died 1933), Tok Selehong (died 1935), Tok Jelapang (died 1935), Haji Wan Musa who was Mufti of Kelantan (died 1939), Dato' Laksamana Haji Muhammad (died 1939), Haji Ismail Abdul Majid who was Mufti of Pontianak (died 1950), Tok Bachok (died 1953), Haji Ibrahim Tok Raja who was Mufti of Kelantan (died 1955), Tok Pulau Ubi (died 1955), Dato Perdana Nik Mahmood who was Menteri Besar of Kelantan (died 1964), Haji Muhammad Said Linggi (died 1926), Tengku Mahmud Zuhdi who was Sheikhul Islam of Selangor (died 1956), Haji Muhammad Salleh who was Grand Qadhi of Cambodia, Muhammad Jabbar Khatib who was Maharaja Imam of Sambas Government (where?), Syeikh Hassanuddin who was Mufti of Deli (where?) (died 1937), and many more. He died on 14 January 1908 in Mekah at age 51.

Syeikh Wan Muhammad bin Ismail al-Fathani (1844-1915)

He was well-known by the title Syeikh Nik Mat Kechik Pattani. He was the grandnephew and adopted son of Syeikh Daud al-Fathani, a renowned writer. He was born in Pulau Duyong (Mermaid Island), Terengganu in 1844 but migrated to Mekah at age two. He studied under many teachers in Mekah before he became a teacher in Masjidil Haram. Besides teaching, he managed the haj pilgrims. He was a clergy and a writer. He wrote more than 10 books on Islam, history, Islamic law, medical sciences, biology, and Islamic cosmology. His most notable book was "Matla' al-Bardain" published in 1897. He died on 6 March 1915 at age 71.

Haji Muhammad Said bin Muhammad Taib (1877-1962)

He was born in Anak Bukit, Alor Star, Kedah in 1877. He was better known as Tabib Haji Mat Said Yan. See Search 6 re Tabib Haji Said Yan. He received his early education from several religious schools (pondok) in Kedah before he went to study in Mekah. He was elected to be Qadhi in several districts in Kedah besides teaching Islam and becoming a tabib (En. Fadli had indicated both tabiband bomoh in his paper). He studied medical knowledge after he retired from being Qadhi. He wrote many books on medicine and made medicines. Altogether, he wrote more than 15 articles on Islamic preaching (dakwah), medicine and became an author and publisher for the newspaper Nun between 1926 - 1932. He wrote "Selusuh Memudahkan Perempuan Beranak" in 1952 concerning how to expedite delivery in women. He died in 1962 at age 85.

Focus of early Malay writing on medicine

According to En. Fadli, the early Malay writings were focused on mainly three things - health advice, treatment of diseases, and description of medicines. Three types of medicines implicated were medicines based on plants and herbs, metals and minerals, and those based on animal products. The Malay medical practice included recital of verses from the al-Qur'an, jampi and serapah.

Syeikh Syarifuddin al-Abasi al-Fathani

The earliest medical writing traced is "Sisa-sisa Berguna" by Syeikh Syarifuddin al-Abasi al-Fathani written circa 1500s. Also see Search 7 on Syeikh Syarifuddin.

Syeikh Wan Ahmad al-Fathani

Syeikh Wan Ahmad al-Fathani learnt about medical knowledge from an expert from India named Syeikh at-Tabib Abdul Rahim al-Kabili and wrote five books. His first book "Luqtat al-Ijlan" contained medical methodologies, procedures on how to make medicines, values of medicines and treatment.  His second book "Tayyib al-Ihsan" discussed how to cure diseases, types of medicines, values of medicines in treating certain diseases (however, it was not clarified what the diseases were). His third book was "al-Firqadain wa Jawahir al-Iqdain" in 1894 which discussed the medicinal values of plants, vegetables, shoots of woody plants, fruits, animals and poultry for human health including the goodness of gemstones for humans. His fourth book was "Hadiqat al-Azhar wa ar-Rayahin" published in 1307 Hijrah (1890 Masehi) which discussed the values of gemstones. His fifth book  "Raudh az-Zawahir fi Bayan Khawas al-Jawahir" also discussed the use of gemstones.

Syeikh Abdul Qadir bin Abdul Rahman al-Fathani

He translated "Raudh az-Zawahir fi Bayan Khawas al-Jawahir" but his work was not published. No reason was provided as to why his work was not published.

Syeikh Ishak Muhammad Hashim

He was an administrator in the government of Kubang Pasu Darul Qiyam (where is this?). He was a clergy who wrote on medicine for use by his people (rakyat). But almost all of his writings were burnt in a fire which razed Pondok Pulau Pisang in 1962. One of his books traced was "Risalah Perubatan" which was written in 1815. See also Search 7 re this book.

Haji Muhammad bin Muhammad Salleh al-Minangkabauwi

He was better known as Haji Muhammad Seberang Perak and was renowned for his knowledge of medicine but none of his writings can be found.

The guidebook on Haj pilgrimage to Mekah

The guidebook "Zad al-Haj" was published in Kelantan in 1938 by two authors, Syeikh Wan Adam Wan Abdullah and Syeikh Hassan Muhammad Nor al-Fathani. It was written for the Haj pilgrimage and contained a chapter dedicated to the discussion on advice on healthcare and disease prevention among pilgrims. It cannot be ascertained whether both authors were doctors or not.

It is now 5.00 pm. I will end here.

---

Acknowledgement

En. Fadli Ghani's paper entitled "Karya-Karya Sains Ulama Melayu, 1800-1950: Satu Tinjauan Awal" which he had e-mailed on 28 January 2005 contained 19 pages when printed on A4 paper. The names mentioned in this paper which had to do with medicine were:

Sheikh Wan Ahmad bin Wan Muhammad Zain al-Fathani (1856-1908)

Syeikh Wan Muhammad bin Ismail al-Fathani (1844-1915)

Haji Muhammad Said bin Muhammad Taib (1877-1962)

Syeikh Syarifuddin al-Abasi al-Fathani

Syeikh Wan Ahmad al-Fathani

Syeikh Abdul Qadir bin Abdul Rahman al-Fathani

Syeikh Ishak Muhammad Hashim

Haji Muhammad bin Muhammad Salleh al-Minangkabauwi

It appears that many of the early Malay doctors were from Pattani and their names had al-Fathani added at the end (suffix).

Seberang Perak

Does this refer to the island of Sumatera, Indonesia?

---

Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia