Haji Shamsuddin bin Md Joonos bin Raboo

PART 1

There is some confusion as to who was Haji Shamsuddin bin Md Joonos in our Penang history.

• I have checked 2 family trees and Haji Shamsuddin's descendants via Facebook.

• There is only one person named Haji Shasuddin bin Md Joonos. His father is Md Joonos bin Raboo. His namestring is Haji Shamsuddin bin Md Joonos bin Raboo.

• Md Joonos bin Raboo's wife is Hjh Wan Chik. They had 4 children - Che Mat, Hj Shamsuddin, Che Kassim, and Mat Sutan.

• Hj Shamsuddin bin Md Joonos was Commissioner of Postal Services. He married Hairani Othman(?). They had 3 children - unknown, Md Noor, and Aminah (deceased 24 June 2016).

• Aminah married to Eusoff Abdullah and their son is Johan Eusoff. Johan Eusoff is in Facebook.

• **Tan Sri Sheikh Ahmad (MB Perlis) married Hairani Othman. Their children are - Mustapha Kamal, Rokiah, Fatimah (no children; deceased 2015), Abdul Rashid, Idris, Khatijah (married and migrated to UK), Aishah (married and migrated to UK), Elias, and Aminah.**

• Che Kassim bin Md Joonos was District Officer at Alor Star (DO Alor Star), Kedah. He married ___. His daughter is Wan Nacar bt Che Kassim.

• Md Noor bin Hj Shamsuddin married his cousin Wan Nacar bt Che Kassim. Their son is Hj Zainal Abidin (eldest son). Hj Zainal Abidin's son is Haniff. They are in Facebook.

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PART 2

These comments are copied from http://theearlymalaydoctors.blogspot.com/2011/03/penang-general-hospital-penang-gh.html

We have these questions to work on:

1. Is Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos related to Shamsuddin bin Mohd Joonos?
2. Is Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos related to Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad?
3. Who was Mohd Joonoos bin Mas Raboo?
4. Who was Mas Raboo?
5. How did Mas Raboo arrive in Malaya?

Many wrote to ask for the identity of Shamsuddin bin Mohd Joonos. Many asked whether Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos was related to Shamsuddin bin Mohd Joonos. Dr Che Lah was an early Malay doctor. I don't have the evidence that they are blood relatives or related by marriage of their relatives. Shamsuddin is not in Dr Che Lah's family tree. However, Shamsuddin is in another family tree belonging to Iszham Idris, whose mother is related to Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad, an early Malay doctor. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad and Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos graduated together from the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1930. They also worked in Kuala Lumpur and Dr Abdul Ghani replaced Dr Che Lah in Klang when Dr Che Lah moved to Kuala Lumpur. They seem to be close friends but I still can't see how they are related. Dr Abdul Ghani's daughter (Fadzilah) knows Dr Che Lah but has not mentioned that they are related.

Mas Raboo
From Haniff:
Mas Raboo was said to come from Java and fled to India (Karachi) because of the war with the Dutch. He later came to Malaya maybe around 1850s, I am not sure.

From Nazz:
Mas Raboo was a sultan in Java and fled to Ceylon during the Dutch Occupation. Then migrated to Penang.

M. Joonoos bin Mas Raboo
From Haniff:
M. Joonoos bin Mas Raboo bought a land in Penang around 1880s.

From Nazz:
M. Joonoos married Hajjah Wan Chik and had 4 sons: Che Mat , Shamsuddin, Che Kasim and Mat Sutan. M. Joonoos was also married to another lady and Che Lah might be his son.

From me: This cannot be as their surnames are different. There are 2 men named Md Joonos who can be easily confused.

1. Md Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad
2. Md Joonos bin Raboo/Mas Raboo

Joonoos
From Sellene:
Another point regarding Joonoos is that the spelling brings to mind the Ceylonese Malay link. It seems to be a favourite way to spell Yunus among the Ceylonese Malays.

Shaik Ahmad
From Kamaruddin bin Capt. Mohamed Noor:
Dr Che Lah's grandfather (Shaik Ahmad) was from Hyderabad, from the Darjeeling area of the Deccan plateau. He came to Malaya with the British Army.

Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos
From Sellene:
Looking at Dr Che Lah's features, I might say that there is a possibility of some Ceylon link but as he is your grandfather, you are in a better position to clarify.

From Assoc. Prof. Dr KNS Sirajudeen:
He thinks that Dr Che Lah looks like a typical southern Indian, probably a Tamil Muslim.

From me:

Dr Che Lah's grandparents:

Grandfather: Shaik Ahmad

Grandmother: Hajar

Children (Dr Che Lah's father, uncles and aunts):

1.      Hamidah Bee bt Shaik Ahmad

2.      (“Tok Jan”) Jan Bee bt Shaik Ahmad

3.      Mohd Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad

4.      Mohd. Ali bin Shaik Ahmad

5.      (“Tok Mariam”) Mariam bt Shaik Ahmad

6.      Captain Mohd. Noor bin Shaik Ahmad

Dr Che Lah's parents:

Father: Mohd Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad

Mother: Juma Bee bt Kassim

Children (Dr Che Lah's siblings):

1.      Mak Besar Bee bt. Mohd Joonos

2.      Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos

3.      Ali Baba bin Mohd Joonos

4.      Osman bin Mohd Joonos

5.      Mohamad bin Mohd Joonos

Dr Che Lah spoke Tamil to his PWD gardeners. He spoke English to his family members. He spoke Penang Malay to his maids. I have not heard a word of Chinese from him. He married a Ceylonese Burgher and a Chinese Hokkien lady. He did not marry any Malay lady. I suppose because he was not 100% Malay but was an Indian Muslim and therefore preferred to marry non Malays. I have heard his Penang relatives spoke what I think is Urdu (I don't speak Urdu). They did not speak Arabic because I did not hear any Arabic words. It must have been Urdu. If the relatives spoke Urdu, then he must have been a northern Indian and not a southern Indian who speak Tamil. I suspect that Dr Che Lah was of Punjabi descent (with Bee in their names) and his people were fluent Urdu speakers. His people reside in Kampung Sungai Gelugor, across the road from his last residence in Minden Heights. The village and houses are still there in Kampung Sungai Gelugor but many of the original home owners may have passed on.

Dr Che Lah is interred at Tanah Perkuran Islam at Masjid Jamek Sg Gelugor, which is a Muslim graveyard nearest his village.

Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad
Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad was Dr Che Lah’s youngest uncle. Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad married three times, each time when his wife died, first to Wan Teh, then Che Wan and finally Mariam (Che Wan’s younger sister). Captain Mohamed Noor had six, five and eight children from his first, second and third wife, respectively. Altogether, Captain Mohamed Noor had 19 children.

His children from his third wife are:

1. Zainal Abidin (m. 1. Khatijah - 5 kids, 2. Naimah - 1 son, 3. Nor Azma - 4 kids, 4. Nor Mala - 2 kids, 5. Suzana - 3 kids)
2. Juma Bee (m. Jamal@Roger Heady - 2 kids, Canberra, Australia)
3. Kamarudin (m. Fatimah Mohd Siraj - 6 kids, Petaling Jaya)
4. Samsudin (deceased)
5. Sharom Bee (deceased)
6. Kalthom Bee (Lily) (m. Abdul Jabbar - 5 kids)
7. Amirudin (m. 1. Aminah - 4 kids, 2. Maizun - 5 kids, 3. Rose - 3 kids)
8. Tajudin (m. Asnah - 6 kids)

Kamarudin bin Capt Md Noor bin Shaik AhmadKamarudin's mother is Mariam Bee, third wife of Capt Md Noor. Kamarudin had 8 siblings from the same parents. Kamarudin bin Md Noor had worked in the Income Tax office in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in the 1960s and retired as Deputy Director-General from the Income Tax office at Kampong Attap in Kuala Lumpur. Kamarudin bin Md Noor is married to Fatimah bt Mohd Siraj (also from Penang) and they have three married daughters and three grandchildren. Kamarudin bin Md Noor is Dr Che Lah's cousin and he knew Dr Haji Abdul Ghani.

Samsudin bin Capt Md Noor bin Shaik Ahmad
Samsudin's mother is Mariam Bee, third wife of Capt Md Noor. Samsudin had 8 siblings from the same parents. Samsudin died without issue (based on the family tree). He was Dr Che Lah's cousin.

Dr Abdul Ghani bin Mohammad
He is interred at Tanah Perkuburan Islam in Bayan Lepas, quite far away from where Dr Che Lah is buried. The airport in Bayan Lepas is approx. 10 min by bus from Kampung Sungai Gelugor.

Dr Abdul Ghani's village is at Kg Bukit in Bayan Lepas, not far from his grave. His surviving children are, daughter Fadzilah, son Faisal and another son. Iszham Idris and his mother may also know the village location.

Shamsuddin bin Mohd Joonos bin Mas Raboo
From Sellene:
Shamsuddin Joonoos was formerly president of the Malay Association in the 30s and used to work in the postal department. He was more commonly known as Hj S.M. Joonoos. Mohamad Joonoos may as well be his father.

From Haniff:
Shamsuddin Md Joonoos is my great grand father, he has a brother, che kasim m. joonoos, who was with the kedah civil service in 1930s (Director of Land). M. Joonoos bin Mas Raboo [...]. Shamsuddin was ill during his death and likes to write malay dictionaries in Jawi.

From Nazz
Hi Haniff, if Hj Shamsuddin M.Joonoos is your great grandad, we are related then. He's my grandfather. I'm son of Elias Shamsuddin.

From Nazz:
Hj Shamsuddin was the secretary of post (highest position a Malay can hold during British reign) and also a religious leader and friend to Ahmad Badawi (Tun Abdullah's father).

From Nazz:
Look me up on Facebook. Nazri Elias. My father just passed away and i was just googling the family name and found this.

From Iszham Idris:
Haniff is not in his family tree.

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PART 3

Early newspaper reports of Shamsuddin bin Md Joonos (SM Joonos) were from 1927-1930.

Newspaper reports of S. M. Joonos

Straits Times Weekly Issue, 30 July 1890, Page 6
Negri Sembilan News.
- Mahomed Joonoos

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 10 November 1927, Page 9
MATTERS MUSLIM.
- Mr Haji S. M. Joonoos

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 23 March 1927, Page 8
MATTERS MUSLIM.
- Haji S. M. Joonoos
- Dr S. Mohamed Baboo

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 4 March 1929, Page 14
MATTERS MUSLIM.
- Mr S. M. Joonoos

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 8 February 1930, Page 7
MATTERS OF MUSLIM INTEREST.
- S. M. Joonoos

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 12 February 1930, Page 10
MATTERS OF MUSLIM INTEREST.
- S. M. Joonoos

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What happened to Shamsudin bin Md Joonos from 1930 to 1934? He was already a Haji in 1927. He was Haji Shamsudin bin Md Joonos from 1927 onwards, the earliest newspaper report of him, till 1936 (10 years) - last report of him.

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Haji Shamsudin bin Md Joonos was a nominated member of the Penang Mohamedan Advisory Board for 1934 and 1936. His name appears together with that of Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar and Dr Kamil Mohamed Ariff.

Newspaper reports of Haji Shamsudin bin Md Joonos:

The Straits Times, 14 February 1934, Page 10
THE GAZETTE. --- note: this refers to the Govt of the Straits Settlement Gazette.

Members of the Penang Mohamedan Advisory Board for 1934:

Mr AV Aston, MCS (Chairman)
Mr Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar, MCS (Retired) (Vice-Chairman)
The Hon. Mr Mohd Rouse bin Chee
Syed Salleh bin Syed Hashim Alsagoff
Syed Mohdar Idid bin Syed Hassan Idid
Mr PK Shakkarai Rowther
Haji Noh bin Haji Ahmad
Haji Hashim bin Haji Md Sakaff
Mr Md Sheriff bin Chanda
Che Hussain bin Abdul Halim
Haji Ibrahim bin Haji Kechil
Mr Hamid Khan
Haji Shamsuddin Md Joonos
Mr MA Pitchay Gunny
Dr Kamil Md Ariff, JP (Secretary)

The Straits Times, 16 February 1934, Page 12
Untitled

Members of the Penang Mohamedan Advisory Board 1934:

Mr AV Aston, MCS (Chairman)
Mr Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar, MCS (retired) (Vice-Chairman)
Hon. Mr Mohd Rouse bin Chee
Syed Mohd bin Syed Hashim Alsagoff
Syed Mohdar Idid bin Syed Hassan Idid
Mr PK Shakkarai Rowther
Haji Noh bin Haji Ahmad
Haji Hashim bin Haji Md Sakaff
Mr Md Sheriff bin Chanda
Che Hussain bin Abdul Halim
Haji Ibrahim bin Haji Kechil
Mr Hamid Khan
Haji Shamsudin Md Joonos
Mr MA Pitchay Gunny
Dr K Md Ariff bin Kader Mustan (Secretary)

The Straits Times, 25 January 1936, Page 17
PENANG MOHAMMEDAN BOARD.

Members of the Penang Mohamedan Advisory Board 1936:

Mr RJF Curtis, MCS (Chairman)
Mr HG Sarwar, MCS (Retired) (Vice-Chairman)
The Hon. Mr Mohd Rouse bin Chee, JP
Syed Salleh bin Syed Hashim Alsagoff, JP, MBE
Syed Mohdar Idid bin Syed Hassan Idid
Mr AK Seeni Rowther
Haji Noh bin Haji Ahmad, JP
Haji Hashim bin Haji Md Sakaff, JP
Mr Md Sheriff bin Chanda
Che Hussain bin Abdul Halim
Haji Ibrahim bin Haji Kechil
Mr Hamid Khan, JP
Haji Shamsuddin Md Joonos
Mr MA Pitchay Gunny
Dr Kamil Md Ariff, JP (Hon. Secretary)

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