Obituary: Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail

Abdullah Hamid has emailed to inform me that my granduncle Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid @ Coco or Koko Majid, has passed away yesterday, 24 March 2013. Tan Sri wrote the Foreword for my book. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rojiuun.

Dear Prof, assalamu 'alaikum

This is to inform you that Tan Sri Dr A Majid Ismail (Koko Majid) passed away this afternoon.Jenazah akan diuruskan dari rumah allahyarham di Taman Duta KL pagi esok dan akan dikebumikan di Royal Mausoleum Selangor. I recall reading in your blog that you're related to Allahyarham. My wife was classmate with one of the daughters, Elena.

Wassalam

BIOGRAPHY

Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail (1921-2013)

Summary

Dr Haji Abdul Majid bin Ismail (b.1921). He was born in Kampong Baru, Kuala Lumpur. He attended schools in Kuala Lumpur, first Sekolah Melayu Segambut, then Maxwell School, and Batu Road School before he was accepted into Victoria Institution. He won a Selangor State Scholarship to study medicine. He graduated with MBBS from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1950. He was a Queen’s Scholar and pursued his postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and then at the University of Liverpool. He became the first Malay Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in 1958. He had served at General Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Seremban. He was the first Eisenhower Fellow in 1963. He became the Director of Planning & Research in the Ministry of Health before he became the second Director-General of Health Malaysia till his retirement in 1976.

Abdul Majid was born to Ismail bin Nae’mat on Tuesday, 15 November 1921, in his grandfather’s house in Kampong Baru, Kuala Lumpur. The house has ceased to exist. Today, this spot would be at the intersection of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Abdullah. 

He obtained a Selangor Education Department Scholarship 1932-39; Selangor Government Scholar 1940; enrolled at King Edward VII College of Medicine Singapore 1940-42 (pre-war) and 1946-49 (post-war); Japanese occupation in Malaya and Singapore 1941-45; Japanese Army Medical Corp took charge of hospitals; laboratory assistant to a Japanese chemist; his family home in Kuala Lumpur was bombed, and he lost all his photographs; returned to Ujong Pasir within Kampong Baru in Kuala Lumpur during the Japanese occupation; earned a living by selling salted fish, kerosene, birds, chickens, and tapioca; joined the Ikka Daigaku at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and moved to Malacca General Hospital in 1943; resumed medical studies at College of Medicine Singapore 1946-49; Social Secretary Medical College Union; King Edward VII Medical College and Raffles College merged in 1949 to form University of Malaya based in Singapore 1949; MBBS UM (Singapore) 1950; Medical Officer (MO) General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GHKL) 1950-53; Program Doktor Radio 1950s; first Malay Queen’s Scholar in Medicine from UM (Singapore) 1950; Queen’s Scholarship 1950; pursued postgraduate studies in Edinburgh and Liverpool; Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh 1953-55; FRCS Edinburgh 1955; returned to Malaya 1955; State Surgeon Negeri Sembilan 1956; University of Liverpool 1957; M.Ch.Orth. Liverpool 1957; returned to Malaysia; first orthopaedician in Malaysia 1958; first Malay Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in Malaysia 1958; Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon FoM/Malaysia GHKL 1958-69; regarded as Father of Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery in Malaysia; first Eisenhower Fellow from Malaysia 1963; Eisenhower Fellowship Pennsylvania, USA, 1963; Council Member UM 1959-87; Council Member UKM 1970-78; Chairman Council UM 1978-87; Founder Member and President College of Surgeons Malaysia; Founder Member and first President Malaysian Orthopaedic Association (MOA) 1967-82; Past-President Malaysian Council for Rehabilitation; Past-Chairman/Vice-President National Council of Social Welfare Malaysia; Past-President Persatuan Dato’—Dato’ Di Raja Selangor; Member of Board of Trustees Malaysian Medical Association (MMA); Past-President Selangor Government Servants Cooperative, Thrift and Loan Society; Ahli Dewan Di Raja Selangor (Member of the Ruler’s Advisory Council Selangor) 1996-98; Past-President Senior Government Officers Association (SGOA) Malaya; Founder Member and Past Vice-President Asean Orthopaedic Association; President Yayasan Sultan Abdul Aziz (Sultan Abdul Aziz Foundation); Past-Member of Board of Trustees National Welfare Foundation; Past-President Kelab Taman Perdana Di Raja (Royal Lake Club); Founder and Past-President Western Pacific Orthopaedic Association (WPOA); Founder and Past-President Malaysian Association of Sports Medicine (MASM); Past-Chairman National Medical Research Council (NMRC); Chairman, Campus Life Committee UM 1973; Member of the Board of Visitors GHKL; Chairman The Heart Foundation of Malaysia; Vice-President Eisenhower Fellows Association Malaysia; Foundation Fellow for Medical Science, Academy of Science Malaysia; Founder Chairman Pantai Hospital (later became Pantai Medical Centre); Founder Chairman INTI College; Chairman Director and Shareholder Syarikat Endah Sari Sdn Bhd, Tron Development Sdn Bhd, United Highlands Sdn Bhd, Selesa Health Farm Berhad, Maddusalat Berhad, Inti Universal Bhd, Syarikat Enjah Arif Sdn Bhd, and Syarikat Endah Sari Electronics Sdn Bhd; Hajj 1968; Director of Planning and Research, Ministry of Health (MoH) 1970-71; involved with the development of medical programmes and hospitals for Malaysia; appointed Malaysia’s second Director-General (DG) of Health MoH 1971-76; Hon FRACS 1972; retired as DG MoH 1976; F.A.Sc. Medical Sciences Malaysia 1995; published his book An Old Man Remembers 2006; awarded PPT by Negeri Sembilan 1965; JMN by DYMM SPBYDP Agong 1965; Dato’ Seri Maharaja DiRaja Selangor by DYMM Sultan of Selangor 1966; SPSK by Sultan of Kelantan 1972; PSM (Tan Sri) by DYMM SPBYDP Agong 1973; SSSA by Sultan of Selangor 1985; Board of Governors 1950s; Guest of Honour Victoria Institution Speech Day 1986; Chairman Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (Malaysian Heart Foundation); Board Member Yayasan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz; Committee Member Rumah Amal Cahaya Tengku Ampuan Rahmah (RACTAR); Director Yayasan Tun Abdul Hamid.

Tan Sri Abdul Majid married Puan Sri To’ Puan Khairany bt Mahyuddin (b. 1924). They have three children, a son and two daughters—Prof Aljafri Majid (retired from UM), Elisha, and Ellina.

- Faridah Abdul Rashid, 25 March 2013. Reproduced from the book, Biography of the Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore, 2012, pp248-261.

PHOTOS

Coco's sister Maznah, my mother Tulip, Bik Endon isteri Tok Ali Alor Star, Mak Lang isteri  Tok Alang Kg Baru, Kamariah Bujang with  baby Afiq my sister-in-law, and Muzlifah Abdul Aziz anak Mak Nya (Jami'ah Gombak). 26 June 1988. Photo from Bapak's collection.

Two of Coco's sisters, one in blue tudung and the other seated on the chair. Photo from Bapak's collection.

My father Abdul Rashid bin Mohd Yusope as Imam, and the makmum were his brothers. The one in striped shirt and kain pelikat is Baharudin bin Mohd Yusope, private secretary to Tun Hussien Onn when he was PM. Photo from Bapak's collection.

Coco's mother, Enjah bt Muhammad Ariff, a Quran teacher in Kg Baru, KL. Photo from a book in Arkib Negara Malaysia.

Coco's last book was published in 2006
Available from Amazon.com

External links
http://rehabmalaysia.org/background/committee-members/
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/sultan-of-selangor-visits-former-health-d-g-majid-1.78318
http://tengkusyah.blogspot.com/2012/04/sultan-selangor-menziarahi-tan-sri-dr.html
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=936992
http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/former-director-general-of-health-dies-1.241878
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/bekas-kp-kesihatan-dr-abdul-majid-ismail-meninggal-dunia/
http://my.news.yahoo.com/bekas-ketua-pengarah-kesihatan-dr-abdul-majid-ismail-095232494.html
http://www.keadilandaily.com/takziah-buat-keluarga-tan-sri-abdul-majid-ismail-mb-selangor/
http://www.malaysiandigest.com/bahasa-melayu/293751-pm-ziarah-jenazah-bekas-ketua-pengarah-kesihatan-dr-abdul-majid.html
http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/abdulmajidismail
http://www.tourismselangor.my/sultan-abdul-samad-mausoleum/
http://artmelayu.blogspot.com/2011/01/makam-diraja-royal-mausoleum-of.html
http://www.moa-home.com/history.html
https://www.morthoj.org/2013/v7n2/Tan-Sri-Dr-Abdul-Majid-bin-Ismail.pdf 

Obituary: Haji Ramli Sha'ari

Badariah Baba Ahmad has informed me in Facebook that Cikgu Haji Ramli Sha'ari has passed away.

Cikgu Tuan Haji Ramli bin Sha'ari (1931-2012)

From my previous conversation with Cikgu Haji Ramli Sha'ari, he said his wife had passed away long ago and was buried on the mainland. Cikgu Haji Ramli Sha'ari suffered from diabetic complications and had to go for dialysis.

Cikgu Haji Ramli Sha'ari was my mother's classmate and in the same option (Geography) at Kirkby College in 1952-53. Cikgu Haji Ramli Sha'ari had married Zainab bt Hamid Don. Both have passed away. They leave behind a son Razif Ramli who is with SKMM.

Razif Ramli is the cousin of Badariah Baba Ahmad as Zainab was the elder sister of Baba Ahmad. This announcement is from Razif Ramli:

7 August 2012 via Mobile
Assalamualaikum, saya Razif Ramli anak Tn Hj Ramli Sha'ari ingin memaklumkan Ayahanda saya baru meninggal dunia pagi tadi di Hospital Serdang. Jenazah akan dibawa terus ke kampong halaman di Pdg Asam Pdg Rengas untuk dimandikan dan dikebumi disebelah kubur arwah Bonda Hjh Zainab HamidDon pada selepas solat Asar hari ini 7Aug 2012 insyaAllah.
Saya bagi pihak Arwah ingin memaklumkan sekiranya Arwah Bapak saya ada berhutang atau apa apa yg belum dijelaskan harap berhubung terus dengan saya melalui laman Facebook Razif Ramli atau menelepon saya terus dgn PM kepada saya untuk mendapatkan kontek henfon saya.
Saya mengambil kesempatan ini memohon maaf bagi pihak Arwah dan minta dihalalkan segala makan minumnya dan pada semua yang telah mengenali Bapak saya memohon doa dari kalian untuk arwah semoga dia dicurahkan rahmat dari Allah serta ditempatkan dikalangan para solihin dan para ambiya' insyaAllah...Aameen
Sekian, wassalam.