Wednesday 27 February 2013

Maxwell 24 (D) Hikayat Negeri Johor

I have just received 2 important documents from Raja Adley Paris Ishkandar Shah. These are the family tree of Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin bin Raja Shahbuddin, an early Malay doctor, and the manuscript, Maxwell 24 (D) Hikayat Negeri Johor, which is in tulisan Jawi.

Babylon search 'Maxwell 24 (D) Hikayat Negeri Johor'

Saturday 23 February 2013

The Temple of Fine Arts Malaysia @ Babington Avenue, Penang


What is special about Babington Avenue? It is special because more than 1,000 people viewed its location in Google maps. Dr Abdul Ghani's former house was at Babington Avenue. His house was sold to The Temple of Fine Arts. It is now the Annalakshmi Culinary Arts Centre which provides Indian vegetarian meals FOC. There are no bills to pay and diners donate as much as they wish. It only accepts donations. The menu consists of rice, capati, vegetarian dishes, vegetarian curry, mango lassi, teh tarik, and pulut hitam. These are cooked daily by volunteers.

Babington Avenue, Penang (map)
http://goo.gl/maps/wxs4Y
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/babington-avenue.htm
http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/venues/temple-of-fine-arts-babington-avenue
http://goo.gl/maps/GlQqr

Annalakshmi, The Culinary Arts Centre - The Temple of Fine Arts
1, Babington Avenue, (Off Barrack Road/Jalan Berek)
10450 Penang.
Opening hours: Please call. Tel: 04-2288575.
Lunch buffet. Dinner a la carte.
Smoking is allowed.

Photos
http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/venues/temple-of-fine-arts-babington-avenue
http://www.hungryangmo.com/2010/10/annalakshmi-temple-of-fine-arts-penang.html
http://gourmetz.blogspot.com/

Babington Avenue is now Lebuhraya Babington. Barrack Rd is at right. Barrack Rd is now Jalan Berek.
Driving down on Babington Avenue
Red signboard on the right says Annalakshmi. The white icons on red bkgr are an Indian temple and a burning candle.
The gate is left open
The big road leads to a single-storey bungalow after the lawn
This is the Indian vegetarian eatery. It is closed today. There was an Indian mother and her child waiting for pick-up. I waved to her but she didn't wave back.

Thursday 21 February 2013

Technical note: Malware

All Blogger websites are affected since 17 January 2013. Please ignore the header and footer banners. Please do not click on them or donate any money to the webpages in the header & footer. They are bogus. Blogger will remove them in due time.

Update from me, 22 Feb 2013:
Malware's gone now.

Update from Blogger, 23 Feb 2013:
They don't see the ads in this blog. So it must be my browser tools.

Update from me, 23 Feb 2013:
I removed the ads using Inspect Element but the ads came right back. So it must be a higher shell. I then removed 3 elements in  my top menu bar - I removed Funmood, Similar Sites and Dashlane from my Google Chrome browser. Will try and see if the ads are gone now.

Baby Adam Has Passed Away


Baby Adam suffered from HIE (hypoxic-ishaemic encephalopathy). He was cared for at home by his young parents. Follow his story in Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/AhmadAdamSyukri

Today, I was informed by Anonymous that Baby Adam has passed away. Please follow his update in Facebook. I can't access Facebook at work so I can't write more about his passing.

Innalillah. Adam sudah meninggal.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AHMAD-ADAM-Syukri/514132021941334


Wednesday 20 February 2013

Reid Library @ UWA

I arrived in Perth on the last day of the UWA 100th anniversary celebrations. I went to Nedlands on 12 February 2013 to hand over my 2 books to the Reid Library at UWA.

Winthrop Hall, the famed landmark and icon of UWA
Picturesque pond and hall near Admin
Reid Library
Bridge to the Reid Library
In front of the main entrance
Reception counter viewed from the main entrance
Informing of my intent to gift my 2 books to Reid Library
From left: Myself, Alex (yellow), Zoe (floral), and Evan (green) at Reid Library, Tuesday, 12 February 2013, 9.30 am
I gave my business card

Physiology & Physics @ UWA

I will share with you some photos of Physiology and Physics @ UWA. The ones with equipment are old photos of 1986-1989 where I did my PhD research. The other places involved were Red Cross & Blood Bank and the Royal Perth Hospital.

PHYSIOLOGY, UWA

Front facade
In the lab near the "small chemical bottles" cupboard
Sonication apparatus
SW41 rotor in the cold room
BI-90 Particle Size Analyzer and Ultracentrifuge

PHYSICS, UWA

Transmission electron microscope (TEM), 22 Feb 1989
TEM, 22 Feb 1989
Scanning electron microscope (SEM), 22 Feb 1989

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Meet Prof Redgrave

Meet Professor Trevor Gordon Redgrave (MBBS, PhD). He is the person who worked on postprandial lipid emulsions in the 1950s-1960s and discovered chylomicron (sl.) or chylomicra (pl.) (abbr. CM) and the atherogenic chylomicron remnants (CM Rm). Prof Redgrave had just returned from Boston University, USA when I joined his research lab in Physiology at UWA in October 1986. He was also the Head of Physiology department then. I remember writing to him before coming to Perth. I traveled on the trans-Australian train from Adelaide station to Perth station. After some refreshment on arrival in Perth, I went straight to UWA campus to report to him.

Prof Redgrave was my PhD Supervisor from October 1986 to August 1989. My PhD research was focused on VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) looking at binding affinities of the various apolipoproteins that stuck reversibly to the lipoprotein particles. You can read my PhD thesis which is available at the UWA Reid Library and at the ANU library in Canberra, and some of my publications which should be retrievable online at PubMed.

PubMed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Faridah+Abdul+Rashid

I met Prof Redgrave and his lab staff when I returned to do my Sabbatical Leave in early 1995 at the Royal Perth Hospital with Prof Frank van Bockxmeer at the DNA Lab, which was under Biochemistry and the HOD was Prof Klinken, now Head of WAIMR.

This time around, Prof Redgrave had retired from UWA. I went through UWA Alumni to get in touch with him again. We met at The Melbourne Hotel in downtown Perth, at the corner of Hay St and Milligan St, on my second last day in Perth - on 13 February 2013. His wife tells me that this hotel is a business hotel. This is a lovely hotel indeed for our meeting, and I'm glad I picked it a day before I flew to Perth.

Yusrina and Affandi
The Melbourne Hotel at the corner of Hay St and Milligan St
Facade on Milligan St
Prof Redgrave
Myself, Prof Redgrave and Dierdre
One hour discussion of the past, present and future

Monday 18 February 2013

UWA DIA Awards


The UWA Distinguished International Alumnus Awards (DIA Awards) is presented to UWA's international graduates. It serves to enhance UWA's reputation in the global arena. The Award is made to an alumnus who, having completed a UWA degree as an international student, has subsequently made an outstanding contribution to a country or countries other than Australia. - Source: Taken from Uniview, The University of Western Australia, Vol. 32, No. 1, Summer 2013, page 37.

List of Uniview publications
http://uniview.publishing.uwa.edu.au/

Past recipients

2011
  • Mr Ramli Ibrahim (Malaysia)
  • Dr Roland Dom Mattu (Malaysia)
  • Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr Noramly bin Muslim (Malaysia)
  • Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Hood Mohamed Salleh (Malaysia)
  • Dato' Sri Wong Soon Koh (Malaysia)
2008
  • Dr Narongchai Akrasanee (Thailand)
  • Assoc. Prof. Varakorn Samakoses (Thailand)
2007
  • The Hon. Pak Boediono (Indonesia). His Excellency Professor Dr Boediono is the Vice-President of Indonesia. He contributed to the Indonesian culture and language that bonds Indonesia and Australia till today. The Boediono Scholarship is named in his honour and is available for UWA students to study Indonesian culture and language either at UWA or in Indonesia. Read more at Uniview.
2005
  • Dato' Mohamed Zain bin Yusuf (Malaysia)
2004
  • Dato' Syed Abdul Jabbar bin Syed Hassan (Malaysia)
1998
  • Dr Michael Fam Yue-Onn (Singapore)
  • The Hon. Yeo Cheow Tong (Singapore)
  • YBhg Tan Sri Datuk Ibrahim Menudin (Malaysia)

MB Pahang

From Wikipedia

This is a list of names of Pahang's Menteri Besar (MB Pahang) that Affandi picked up at an office in KL when our son went for a job interview.

1. Dato' Setia Wangsa
Sir Mahmud bin Mat
1/2/48 - 1/2/51

2. YAM Tengku Panglima Perang
Tengku Mohamad Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad
1/2/51 - 1/2/55

3. Orang Kaya Indra Shahbandar
Tun Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussien
1/2/55 - 15/6/55

4. YAM Tengku Panglima Perang
15/6/55 - 8/1/57

5. Dato' Kurnia Paduka Raja
Abdullah bin Tok Muda Ibrahim
9/1/57 - 18/7/59

6. Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan
Wan Abdul Aziz bin Engku Hj Abdullah
18/7/59 - 5/5/64

7. Tok Pentara Raja, Dato
Tan Sri Yahaya bin Haji Mohd Seth, PJK, JP, JMN
5/5/64 - 31/8/72

From Who's Who in Malaysia 1971-1972
Dr Mohamed bin Taib (2L), Tan Sri Yahaya bin Haji Mohd Seth (2R) and 2 other men at Sg Pahang riverfront, c. May 1964-August 1972. Photo from Puan Rozinah Mohamed.

8. Dato Kurnia Bestari
Hj Abdul Aziz bin Ahmad
1/9/72 - 31/8/74

9. Dato Sri Mohamad bin Jusoh
1/9/74 - 18/7/78

10. Hj Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar
19/7/78 - 17/11/81

11. Dato Hj Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Rahman
17/11/81 - 4/5/82

12. Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar
Dato' Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak
15/5/82 - 13/8/86

13. Tun Tan Sri Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob
14/8/86 - 22/5/99

14. Dato Seri Adnan Yaakob
25/5/99 - current

Sunday 17 February 2013

Writing From Kubang Kerian Again

I'm back at home now. I feel refreshed. The holiday has helped me to forget work (for the last 17 years).

I have a PBL (problem-based learning) clinical discussion group in 4 hours time; I haven't opened my envelope to read the materials meant for today's discussion. I will after I write this post.

 I have uploaded a lot of photos in my Facebook, so readers can go there for the pics. I have made these new photo albums from the recent Perth trip (opened to Facebook Friends):

  1. Perth 10-14 Feb 2013
  2. The University of Western Australia (UWA)
  3. Aunty Daisy
  4. OZ ABO Art & Health

I have moved these albums close to the recent albums (opened for Facebook Friends):
  1. Dr Che Lah
  2. Aunty Esther

I went to Perth for a lot of reasons. I will list them below for you.
  1. I wanted to meet my PhD supervisor to personally hand him my 2 books
  2. I wanted to hand over my 2 books to the Reid Library, and therefore become the first Malay woman to ever submit her own books to this great library
  3. I wanted to be a part of the UWA 100th anniversary celebrations, as I was there previously for its 75th anniversary
  4. I wanted to meet my aunt in Mandurah, whom I think still has good memory of her father, Dr Che Lah, as I could not write his biography correctly even though I am his granddaughter
  5. I wanted to seek a lady named Rahimah Taveira whom I believe is still in South Perth. She would be a good resource for the biography of her step-father, for my books
  6. I wanted to see the 2 mosques, Rivervale Mosque and Perth Mosque. These mosques would have played very important roles in the spread of Islam to WA
  7. I wanted to see the windmill at Mill Point, Como in South Perth. This would be part of Dutch history of WA
  8. I wanted to see fresh live tulips, so I remember my mother
  9. I wanted to meet Malay students who are studying in Perth and find out their situation
  10. I wanted to see Perth for myself, where my son Ibrahim was born. I never had the time to see Perth while I was doing my PhD - there was just no time then  
  11. I wanted to know if the Australian Aborigines are related to the Malaysian Orang Asli/Asal. I found out that there is an Australian Aboriginal tribe among the Noongar Aborigines who are called Minang. This raises the question whether the Indonesian & Malaysian Minangkabau people are related to the Australian Aboriginal Minang people in our history. There is also the word Goreng in the Noongar Aborigine language; it means fry/to fry/fried in the Malay language. "-up" means place of in the Aborigine language.
  12. I wanted to know more about the Afghan cameleers who opened routes to the Australian interior

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Writing From Perth (3)

G'day mate!

We left the hotel at 7.30 am to go to Curtin University and the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women (KEMH).

We took the Red CAT from the hotel down to the Perth busport. From there we took bus no. 102 to Curtin University. We got down at the Transperth stop at Curtin U and walked to the library. The commons was closed off for renovations. The campus has conifers. There were lots of cones on the grass. The campus appeared empty. Uni commences on 22 February 2013. There was a campus map but I didn't have time to read it.

We took the bus back to Perth city and took another bus to Subiaco. We got off in front of the KEMH, where Ibrahim was born 24 years ago.  I remembered the prenatal clinic building across the road. I remembered the second floor postnatal ward where I laid alone without a baby as my son was placed in the ICU soon after he was born. I remained in the ward for 12 days without my baby son, and only saw him a few times after his antibiotic regiment. He was a screaming baby. He survived the ordeal and now has a university degree.

We`went to Insan Cafe twice today, once for lunch and another for tea.

There is nothing else to do in Perth today. Affandi is doing all the packing.

We head for the airport in a few hours and leave for Malaysia on 14 February 2013 at 6.30am. I should be at LCCT by 12 noon. We fly home to Kota Bharu at 3.30 pm. InsyaAllah.

Writing From Perth (2)

G'day mate!

I'm writing in dim light as the other 2 are sleeping.

We left the hotel at 8 am and visited UWA today where I dropped off my 2 books at the Reid Library. I also walked past my old lab where I had done my PhD under Prof Redgrave. We meet him tomorrow evening, insyaAllah. He offered to drive us to the airport.

The weather was still warm at 8 am. I didn't need a sweater. It was windy and that cools down the temperature a bit. I saw the Malaysian tourism office on Wellington St but I didn't enter as we wanted to go to UWA.

We took a bus from its last stop to get to the Perth busport (depot/station). The last stop to the busport is free on any bus. We waited at platform E1 downstairs along with some students.

We reached UWA and got to Winthrop Hall, took a lot of photos of the admin buildings and the sunken garden. I remember representing my university for the UWA's 75th anniversary and walking to enter/exit Winthrop Hall. I was clad in academic dress for a PhD and was the youngest representative at that event.

Walking towards Reid Library and seeing the UWA logo printed on the grass for its 100th anniversary felt heavy. But I didn't cry. I handed my 2 books to the staff and we took photos. Then I went down to the front lawn. It was great to be back on the front lawn of Reid Library, the same lawn where I had posed for a Sydney-based professional photographer for a university prospectus many years ago.

I remember the sundial behind the Physiology building where I had posed with my labmates for a group photo. I don't know where everyone is today except for BC and my PhD supervisor.

We stopped at the Co-op to get myself something but got something else better. I received 3 SD cards (4MB each) free from the lady there (Alison). We took a photo to commemorate that lovely event.

We then walked to Broadway Fair to get ices, Turkish kebabs and fries. Kebab costs AUD$9.00. Fries are for AUD$4.00. We paid AUD$22.00 for 2 kebabs and 1 fries. Affandi got the ices from the store across upstairs.

I then went to the University Cameras to get a card reader for my camera/SD card. They don't have the cable that I need for my Lumix camera.

Returned to Perth busport by bus #102. Switched to Blue CAT at platform E3. Got down at the Town Hall bus stop.

Walked to the AUD$2.00 shop and got souvenirs. Met a Singaporean lady at the shop. She is Zuhaidah, a Universiti Malaya staff/student/graduate. She has lived here 5 years and her uncle has lived here for 30 years. She wanted to invite us to her place in Mirabooka but we were short of time.

We walked to Insan Cafe for lunch. We had mi goreng and lots of fruit juice. We all agreed that mi goreng here was delicious.

At Hay St Mall, we shopped at Betts for a pair of boots for our youngest daughter, Yusrina. She's 14 and likes boots and phones. She picked a pair of blue suede boots for AUD$70.00. Socks are not for sale at Betts - BYO (bring your own).

We then walked to the Samsung store to get her a Samsung Galaxy III for AUD$760. Rebate is possible at the airport. There is 10% rebate for all goods bought above AUD$200 on a single receipt. The Samsung Galaxy III uses a micro sim card, not the standard sim card. A new standard sim card is AUD$2.00 but a new micro sim card is AUD$30.00. We will try and get her a micro sim card here to try out her new phone. Her brother Ibrahim has the Samsung II which uses the standard sim card.

Update: When we reached the airport in Kelantan, the girl at the Hotlink booth trimmed the standard sim card to fit the micro sim card slot of Samsung Galaxy III. There is no need to purchase a micro sim card after all.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Writing From Perth (1)

G'day mate!!

I'm writing to you from Perth. What is Perth like? It's like Riverside, California existing in Kelantan.

Perth is very cold in the early morning (need a sweater), hot at midday, cool in the evening and at night. Nice to stroll by the river at sundown.

Shops are many. Shops open 9am - 5.30pm. It's the off-season now so it is nice to be here - few people, not congested, nice to stroll. Boots are at 4 places: Betts and another down Hay St Mall. There's another fur boot (ugg) outlet at London Court and somewhere else. Long jackets for ladies (petite) are lovely but heavy and with big buttons. Lighter plastic jackets are AUD$190-AUD$200. Lots of pretty hats for kids. Lots of souvenirs, Made in China mainly, very few are Made in Australia. Very pretty souvenirs/gifts for the loved ones.

Halal food outlets are few. Insan's Cafe (Murray St, Perth) serves good Malaysian-Indonesian rice and kuah with delicious terung goreng, curry puffs, ayam rendang, etc. Turkish Kebab (Broadway Fair, near UWA in Nedlands) sells very tasty kebab, large serving - delicious with BBQ sauce.

Travel is easy with Transperth. Use the Blue CAT or Red CAT for free travel within city limits. Use the Family Rider ticket for WA school holidays and for weekends (AUD$11.00 per family, free travel anywhere, whole day). Family travel for 2 adults and a 14-yo is AUD$4.00 x 2 + AUD$1.60 for the small one = AUD$9.60 for 2-hr unlimited travel for 2 zones. Perth-Freemantle by train is AUD$11.00 (Family Rider, during school holidays/weekends) or AUD$9.60. Perth-Mandurah is the same as for Perth-Freemantle. Take the free service bus at each town (Freemantle. Mandurah) - we took both the Red CAT and Blue CAT. I love the trains and buses - there are good for sight-seeing.

Met a young Muslim man, our neighbour's son, Faisal, who helped to update about the current situation of Perth Muslims and Rivervale Mosque (it is now the Islamic Community Centre). The toilets facilities here are good. The houses around the mosque have all been demolished long ago after I left Perth in 1989. Only the mosque remains there and the name has changed from Rivervale Mosque to Islamic Community Centre. A high brick wall stands behind the mosque. Nothing else is there, just dry grass and sand.

Met a man at Perth Mosque who updated us about the mosque extension - almost ready, quite big. Perth Mosque is at the corner of Beaufort St and Robinson Avenue, close to Brisbane Rd. Here, toilets and prayer spaces are good and well laid out. There are 2 dry fountains, one in the front courtyard and another at the rear courtyard. Very nice to stretch out and breathe in fresh air. Peaceful place too. Front garden has rose bushes and a lime tree. The front gate is locked after hours but left unlocked during office hours. The rear gate is left unlocked outside prayer hours.

Met a Muslim Blue CAT bus driver, Faysal, who explained about the buses to us and informed us of the Halal food outlets along William St in Perth.

Affandi says Kailis at the boat harbour in Freemantle is Halal as they do not mix the oil, etc. So we ate at Kailis. Tersilap order a Family Pack of traditional fish and chips for AUD$27.00 (5 fish fillets) and had to take home a bag of 2 fish fillets and lots of potato chips. I forgot that the Australian "Family Pack" is a feast! LOL. But very nice with salt, pepper and vinegar.

Lots of fresh fruits, fruit juice and salad greens in Perth and Freemantle. Good thick bread and preserved olives - Black Mission Olives and Kalamatta Olives.

There are quite a number of small fruiting olive trees in Freemantle. There  is one near the old gaol. I think they are replanting for landscape or other. Very nice and good alternative to green the environment.

Going out now to UWA to drop off my books at the Reid Library. Returning to Hay St Mall by noon to shop for boots and mobile phone for Yusrina.

Catch up later.

From me,
Writing from The Melbourne Hotel, Room 204, Perth

Saturday 9 February 2013

Aidid Idid

Relationships
http://kudaranggi.blogspot.com/2006/02/taking-road-to-penang-again.html

The late Tan Sri Syed Hassan Aidid lived in Ayer Itam, Penang. He was UMNO Penang Chief while Azlan's father, Datuk Ismail bin Idris was  his deputy.

I have met Dr Sharifah Mariam Syed Hassan Aidid when she was with me at USM in Penang. We were both in Persatuan Wanita USM then.

I also met Sharifah Hasnah (Dept of Pharmacology) who worked with me at the USM Medical School in Penang before it moved to Kelantan.

Friday 8 February 2013

Datuk Siti Rahmah bt Kassim


Does anyone know her biography?
Did she win or lose in the 1959 elections?
http://election.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?file=/2012/11/28/nation/12380871&sec=nation

Datuk Haji Ismail bin Idris

Datuk Haji Ismail bin Idris (1920 - 1986)
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_Idris

Birth: 1920, Balik Pulau, Penang
Education: Penang Free School, Senior Cambridge
School activities: hockey, football
Government Service: Hospital Assistant (HA), General Hospital Penang

Political involvement: Involved with UMNO since 1948
MP UMNO Penang Selatan, Penang
Ketua Pemuda UMNO Cawangan Dhoby Ghat, Penang 1948
Ketua Pemuda UMNO Penang mid-1950s
1959 Dewan Rakyat
1962 Naib Ketua UMNO Penang
1964 Dewan Rakyat
1964 Represented Malaysia to the Commonwealth Conference of Parlimentarians, London

Activities involved/seen:
1963 Formation of Malaysia
1962-1966 Confrontation (Malaysia-Indonesia)
Brought problems of the rural farmers & fishermen of Penang (Balik Pulau, Bayan Lepas and Teluk Kumbar) to Parliament
1969 Lost the elections and left
Entered into business and continued to support UMNO
1973 Setiausaha Perhubungan UMNO Penang
1974 Ketua UMNO Balik Pulau
1976 Pengerusi Persatuan Pemborong Binaan Bumiputra Penang
1976 Timbalan Ketua UMNO Perhubungan Negeri Penang
1975 Recipient of Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negeri (DMPN) --> "Datuk" from Yang Dipertua Negeri Penang, Tun Sardon Haji Jubir
1980 Retired from politics
1986 Died of myocardial infarction (MI) (serangan sakit jantung)

Wife: Datin Hajjah Marfu'ah bte Abdul Rashid
Children: 6 (Mariam, Azlan, etc)

List of Malaysian Parliament Members 1959
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senarai_ahli_parlimen_Malaysia_1959

Thursday 7 February 2013

Technical Note: SoftOrbits

There are many photo editing programs here, some of which I have not tried. The ones I tried were not too bad. The SoftOrbits Photo Retoucher is useful. I have just downloaded Sketch Drawer today (tried yesterday but it had errors and would not launch.)

SoftOrbits
http://www.softorbits.com/actions/gaotd.html

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Mini Post-Office USM

There is a small post-office that is part of the pharmacy building. It handles everything for our campus community. It can also handle PosLaju. It can help with PosLaju for normal volume or numbers only.

When many people have to use PosLaju, the plastic bags for PosLaju run out early in the morning and then we have to figure out how to proceed with PosLaju, minus the specific plastic bags. That is why I wrap each book separately in used brown industrial grade paper, in case the plastic bags run out at the counter; I can still mail the books as parcel post minus plastic wrap. Sometimes the plastic bags are not replenished and the problem goes on for a few days. Shortage of plastic bags happens because PosLaju is about the safest way to mail anything today and staff prefer this rather than normal mail. Here, I see staff PosLaju application forms (for jobs and university entrance) and food items (Aidilfitri biscuits). I carry my books to the mini PO and join the queue to PosLaju my books. I return to my office with painful arms, fingers, and legs. So I treat myself to a can of cold Milo or soursop from the coop shop on my way back to my office.

However, this mini PO cannot handle courier to overseas places. Thus, I can't send things to far away places via this mini PO.

This mini PO opens at 9.30 am till 3 pm. It is open throughout lunch time so staff can pay bills, mail stuff, etc. PosLaju leaves here at 12 noon. But Puan Zainab (47), the lady in-charge, will wait for me if she sees me in the queue. The elder Chinese Muslim man helping her at this mini post-office is Encik Ibrahim. I fill the PosLaju slips in my office (I took a roll of the slips and keep in my office). PosLaju charges are RM5.70 for a single Research book per PosLaju plastic bag and RM11.25 for a single Biography book per PosLaju plastic bag. I have mailed out (maybe) 70 to 75 copies of my books so far. I have to stop at 80 because that's my limit for free complimentary copies.

This mini PO is leaky during the monsoon season, and that was why I didn't send letters to anyone late last year. It was so bad that even the counter was flooded. The collecting bin collected rainwater overnight. They had to use a waste basket as a "pail" to collect the rainwater near the counter. It was very bad late last year in December 2012. I asked the lady operator why didn't she request a better place. She replied they had tried but that's all the place there is on campus - this lousy place. So the lady in-charge is also upset about her leaky mini PO especially during heavy rain. But that's life I guess.

There are other places which can attend to overseas courier but it is far away from my office, in the Admin section on the second floor but I have not tried that service. I have heard that this overseas service is expensive. It is used mainly for mailing small research packages and clinical materials and for sending theses to external examiners.

The main post-office is in Kota Bharu, about 15-20 min drive from my office (parking is a problem at the main PO). My yellow car was severely damaged here, so I am not too keen to go to this PO. We gave the damaged yellow car a new facelift. It was a Kelisa throughout before but after the incident, it now has an old Daihatsu bonnet with a Kelisa body! If it happens again at the PO, I will ask my son to put a BMW bonnet for my yellow Kelisa car. Poor thing!

Mini PO, USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
This is where I mail out stuff to contributors.

Meet Mr Teacher Herbs

I have misplaced the information he gave. I have accidentally deleted a hp entry listed as "Lee" which I think was this man. I will call him Mr Teacher Herbs for this post. He was a trainee teacher at Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu (MPKB) at Pengkalan Chepa in Kelantan, long long ago when I was a little girl. These photos were taken when I met him in Penang, selling his own homegrown herbs. He sells them in front of the E&O Hotel. There's a narrow street across from the hotel where people sell under the white tents, near the beer garden (which opens in the late evening). I think this was a Sunday, 27 May 2012. Please contact me if you know him.

The herb couple. Mr Teacher Herbs writing his contact details for me
Mr Teacher Herbs with the herbs in the background.
Please get in touch with me if you are this man or know him. Some people wish to obtain fresh herbs from him. TQ

Tuesday 5 February 2013

44. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad (1906-1979)



Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad (1906-1979)
LMS 1930 KEVII

Date of birth: 13 January 1906
Place of birth: Bayan Lepas, Penang
Date of death: 4 May 1979 at 4.30 pm
Place of death: Penang General Hospital
Place of burial: Tanah Perkuburan Islam Bayan Lepas (close to Kg Bukit, Bayan Lepas)


Schooling

Chowrasta Malay School, George Town, Penang 1912-1916;
Penang Free School, George Town, Penang as Government Malay Scholar 1917-1923
Obtained Senior Cambridge Certificate 1921, Senior Certificate with Honours 1922

Medical Education

Awarded Federated Malay States (FMS) Scholarship to study medicine.
King Edward VII College of Medicine, Singapore 1923-1930
Graduated with LMS in August 1930 (Class of 1930).

Government Service

1958 - Kedah State Surgeon
1964 - Health Officer in Butterworth
-nd- Senior Health Officer (SHO) of Penang & Province Weleesley
-nd- Senior Medical Officer (SMO) in Penang

1932 - Member Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kg Baru, KL

1953-55 - Vice-President Old Frees Association (OFA), Penang
1961-62 - Committee Member, OFA
1963-c66 - Vice-President, OFA

1965-67 - OFA Rep & Member of BOG (Board of Governors), PFS (Penang Free School)

1951-53 - Hon Secretary Northern Branch, Alumni Association, KE VII College of Medicine & Faculty of Medicine, UM (University of Malaya)

1951-53 - Member of Pan-Malayan Council
1957-58 - President of Pan-Malayan Council

-nd- Founder Member & Committee Member, UM Graduate Society, Northern Division
1962 Chairman, UM Graduate Society, Northern Division
1965-67 Member of University Guild & Member of University Court

-nd- Member of MMA (Malayan Medical Association)
1986 - Committee Member of PMA (Penang Malays Association)

-nd- Chairman BOG & State Govt Rep to Sekolah Abdullah Munshi, Penang
1963-c66/67 - Vice-President Persatuan Melayu, Pulau Pinang

-nd- Committee Member of Penang Historical Society
-nd- Committee Member of Penang (Muslim) Welfare Association
-nd- Committee Member of Muslim Orphanage in Penang

-nd- Vice-President of MALRA (Malayan Leprosy Relief Association), Penang Division (1 year)
-nd- Committee Member of MALRA

1952-53 - Lecturer & Examiner in First Aid, St John Ambulance, Penang
-nd- Chairman, St John Ambulance, North Kedah Division (3 years)

1954-57 - Penang Settlement Scout Council

-nd- Committee Member, UMNO Chawangan Kampong Bahru, Penang

1953-54 - President of Sepoy Lines Recreation Club in Penang (support for Malay badminton and soccer)

Retirement

He retired in 1961 at age 55 years.

Family

Wife: Fatimah bt Zainuddin (1911-1983)
Children: 8 (5 deceased young and 3 survived to adulthood) - Fadzilah, Yahya, and Faisal.

Death

Dr Haji Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and passed away on 4 May 1979 at 4.30 p.m. He was interred at Tanah Perkuburan Islam in Bayan Lepas, Penang, which is not far from his village.

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Author's notes:
  1. Able to locate a family member via friends in Facebook but unable to obtain family contact. I sent an SMS but got no reply.
  2. No update from his colleagues, MMA or the Malaysian public.
  3. Tok Kamarudin bin Md Noor knew Dr Abdul Ghani.
  4. Tok Chu knew Dr Che Lah
  5. I received a letter from Fadzilah bt Abdul Ghani (eldest daughter) on 5 February 2013.
  6. Fadzilah updated re her 2 brothers, Faisal and Yahya.
  7. Fadzilah remembers Dr Che Lah.
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5 Feb 2013

I arrived in my department this morning and checked my pigeonhole first thing. There was a folded and stapled blue teaching time-table and a small white envelope. The envelope had my name and a coloured big foreign stamp of a family car going on vacation and a pack of penguins! I turned to view the back and saw the sender's name. I knew immediately that this was a missing link in my research. One more evidence has turned up today. Great! I am very happy. I will visit Australia next week, but not to see the penguins.

This letter comes from Fadzilah, the eldest daughter of Dr Abdul Ghani. She must be so thrilled like I am. She wrote about how she came across my TEMD blog and informed where she works. She updated about her 2 younger brothers. She also wrote she remembers my grandfather! Would you believe that?! She may also know some of the people of that era. It's really great! That's 50-60 years back in our history

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5 Feb 2013

What is Pink Heath?
Epacris impressa, also known as Common Heath, is a shrub that is native to the south-east of Australia. The pink-flowered form, often referred to as Pink Heath, is the floral emblem of the state of Victoria. - Wikipedi
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TWO CAPT. MOHD NOOR
BROTHERS DR ABDUL GHANI AND CAPT. MOHD NOOR MUHAMMAD

Dr Abdul Ghani’s elder brother is Captain Mohamed Noor bin Muhammad, a former teacher at Penang Free School.

Fadzilah's uncle is Capt. Mohd Noor Mohammad.

I have also written a separate post about Capt Mohd Noor. Altogether, there must be 2 such names. One was my granduncle and the other is Fadzilah's uncle. There may be a third man by that same "Capt Mohd Noor" name.

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PORTRAIT OF DR ABDUL GHANI

I must try and ask Fadzilah for a portrait of her father so I can upload it here and we can all search the various archives and repositories for "Dr Abdul Ghani". Ain't it great?! More research to do...


Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad (1906-1979)
LMS 1930 KEVII
Portrait from Fadzilah Abdul Ghani (Melbourne)

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NAME SPELLINGS

What is his full name? I have 2 "Dr Abdul Ghani" names so far:
  1. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Muhammed ... should be this one...refer Capt Mohd Noor Mohammad.
  2. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Zakaria

I will list him as Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad. The variant name spellings to take note are:
  1. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Muhammed 
  2. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Muhammad
  3. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad 
  4. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohamed 
  5. Dr Abdullah Ghani .......................will still keep this as some records used this name.
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DR ABDUL GHANI AND DR CHE LAH WERE CLASSMATES AT KE VII 1923-1930

They were both Penangites but from different parts of Penang.

I remember writing a post and mentioning that Dr Abdul Ghani and Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos were classmates at the King Edward VII College of Medicine. They graduated together in 1930.

The NUS book, To Sail Uncharted Seas listed their names under the graduation list for 1930.

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DR ABDUL GHANI AND DR CHE LAH WORKED TOGETHER IN KLANG & KL IN 1932

Dr Abdul Ghani and Dr Che Lah were close friends. They worked in Kuala Lumpur and in Klang.

Dr Abdul Ghani was a member of Sulaiman Club. It is not known whether Dr Che Lah was a member of Sulaiman Club.

They were together in Kuala Lumpur at a seminar at the Sulaiman Club in 1932.
  1. They attended a debate on 'Women's Freedom' at the Sulaiman Club as reported in Majlis, 1 December 1932. 
  2. When Dr MJ Che Lah moved from Klang to work in Kuala Lumpur in 1932, Dr Abdul Ghani succeeded him in Klang.
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DR ABDUL GHANI AND DR CHE LAH WORKED TOGETHER IN THEIR POST-RETIREMENT YEARS IN PENANG IN 1960s

A photo from Dr Che Lah's collection showed himself and Dr Abdul Ghani at a rural clinic in Penang - probably after 1958, after Dr Che Lah returned to Penang.

Dr MJ Che Lah (seated 2nd left) and Dr Abdul Ghani (seated 2nd right), circa 1960s.
Photo from the collection of Dr MJ Che Lah.
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FATIMAH'S SISTERS ARE SITI AMINAH AND HAJAR
ISZHAM'S MOTHER (HJH ZALEHA BT CHE LONG) IS FADZILAH'S COUSIN
HAJAR MARRIED TO TAN SRI KHALID HJ ABDULLAH

Dr Haji Abdul Ghani is the husband of Iszham’s maternal grandaunt. Fatimah's sister is Siti Aminah, whose daughter is Hajjah Zaleha bt Che Long, Iszham's mother. Iszham’s mother (Zaleha) is Fadzilah Abdul Ghani’s cousin.  Iszham's mother remembers Faisal, whose call name is Pisol.

Fatimah's youngest sister is Hajar, who was the late wife of Tan Sri Khalid Hj. Abdullah, now living in Alor Setar. His daughter is Mustazah.

Iszham Idris can be contacted in Facebook.

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SIR KAMIL ARIFF'S GRANDCHILDREN

Sir Kamil Ariff’s grandchildren are cousins Rokiah Hanoum bt Omar Farok, Mohd Aiyub Mohd Aziz, and Datuk Khalid Ariff.

Rukiah Hanoum was born was 22 December ___. She completed school in 1972 at the St George's Girls' School, Penang. She has 3 sons.

Mohd Aiyub was born on 11 April 1964 (hp: 012-583 7485). He married Rositah Basri on 12 November 1994. They have a son Mohammad Inammul and a daughter Soffia Aisya.

Datuk Khalid was born on 17 May 1954 (hp: 012-296 5688). He married on 1 August 1982 and has a son Khairi Ariff and daughter Inaaz Ariff.

Cousins, Rukiah Hanoum bt Omar Farok and Mohd Aiyub bin Mohd Aziz at the Penang Story Lecture on the Hajj 2013 at the E&O Hotel, Penang.
Both can be contacted in Facebook.
Rukiah Hanoum in Facebook.
Mohd Aiyub in Facebook.
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DATUK KHALID ARIFF AND FAISAL ABDUL GHANI WERE CLASSMATES AT PFS 1970

Datuk Khalid Ariff bin Mushir Ariff knew Dr Haji Abdul Ghani’s son, Faisal, as they were classmates at Penang Free School (MCE 1970).

Datuk Khalid Ariff can be contacted in Facebook.