Tok Chu

I spent the entire day today outside the house. I met with Tok Chu (husband & wife), the parents of Prof. Ahmad Murad Merican. This was the first time we met.  We met at his residence in Ayer Itam, and I interviewed both of them. Tok Chu knows a lot about Penang history. He can remember street names, people and events.

HOW I MET TOK CHU

25 May 2012 - I left a note in the Facebook account of Datuk Jenaton group. 

26 May 2012 - I received a hp# of a lady (Kak Yang Kalsom).

26 May 2012 - My husband Affandi called Kak Yang Kalsom as I had the pictures to edit and upload. She SMS and informed of Tok Chu, who would have the key to Datuk Jenaton's graveyard in Minden Heights. Since it was about 1 am, I didn't call the # provided. It was a good thing I did not call.

27 May 2012 - Affandi called Tok Chu and asked about the key to the graveyard. Tok Chu said to come and see him. We went over to Tok Chu's house in Ayer Itam. Earlier after breakfast I checked Google Map for directions to his residence. The landmarks he gave were Kuil India and Kg Melayu. 

HOW TO GET TO TOK CHU'S HOUSE

AYER ITAM

Tok Chu lives in Ayer Itam in Penang.

We decided to go down Jalan Masjid Negeri (old street name, Green Lane). We passed by Jalan Thean Teik - a narrow congested road, and the BHP petrol station on the left. We passed by Jalan Satu on the left. We passed by the Indian temple  on the right (Affandi recognised the temple first) - I took some photos of the temple. Then we reached the turn-off for Jalan Dua and finally Jalan Kg Melayu on the left. 

JALAN KAMPUNG MELAYU

We followed Jalan Kg Melayu to Jalan Ayer Itam and got lost. We U-turned at the school and went back on Jalan Ayer Itam till we reached Jalan Pisang Embun. All the roads here were named after bananas. We turned right into Jalan Pisang Embun and went right till the end. Tok Chu's house is on the right, at the end of the row.

When we arrived, Tok Chu was outside sweeping his porch. We parked in the street (turn right) after his house. Tok Chu met us at his front gate and was happy to see us. He's 83 and still strong. He called out to his wife (also called Tok Chu) and she came to greet us at the door. Tok Chu invited us in and we went inside. 

We started with introducing ourselves. I said I am looking for the key to Datuk Jenaton's graveyard and that we had been there yesterday. I introduced myself as the 10th generation of Muhammad Saleh of West Sumatra (who was well-known as Nakhoda). I also introduced myself as a granddaughter of Dr Che Lah. Once Tok Chu knew where I stand, it was easier to talk as relatives, rather than interviewer-interviewee.

WHO IS TOK CHU?

Tok Chu is Mohd Noor Merican  bin Ahmad Merican bin Osman Merican. He was born on 13 June 1929 in Penang and grew up in a big bungalow, now lies empty beside the Chinese girls' school in Jalan Dato Keramat. His mother was Zaleha bt Haji Yasin.

Tok Chu worked as an apprentice surveyor in Sungai Petani. He resigned after working less than a year, for some reason he explained but which I couldn't understand. He then returned to Penang and was with the City Council of Georgetown for 25 years, then with LLN and later TNB. He's retired 25 years ago in 1984.

TOK CHU'S FATHER-IN-LAW

Tok Chu's father-in-law was Haji Yasin, who was in charge of Masjid Titi Papan in Georgetown. Masjid Titi Papan is named as such because long ago the parit (drain) was large enough for sampan and tongkang to enter right up to the mosque. A wooden plank was used, and thus the mosque was named after the plank.

Haji Yasin was a goldsmith from Medan in Sumatra. His workplace was at Kinta Lane and later in Burma Road. According to Tok Chu's wife, last time there was no lock and key to keep the gold and gold ornaments safe at home. Haji Yasin had to hide his gold ornaments, stuffing them in between anything - books, clothes, etc. That worked fine.

Tok Chu showed us the Silsilah sheet for Datuk Jenaton and other ascendants. From what I understand Haji Muhammad Saleh (Nakhoda) had 4 siblings - an elder brother, himself, a younger brother and a youngest and only sister. Datuk Jenaton married the youngest and only sister of Muhammad Saleh. Thus, they became related by way of marriage. They were also blood relatives even before marriage as their ancestor cousins married in Sumatra. Datuk Jenaton was the younger brother-in-law of Nakhoda.

PENANG MALAYS

BURMA ROAD

Tok Chu said long ago, Burma Road was a Malay place with many Malay families. Sir KM Ariff's house was opposite the Telekoms (I have not seen this location).

CHOWRASTA SCHOOL

TRANSFER ROAD

The Chowrasta School moved at least 2 places - Transfer Road and Jalan Hatin.

JALAN HATIN (old street name was Hutton Road)

The present Chowrasta School is at Jalan Hatin.

THE EARLY MALAY DOCTORS

Tok Chu knew Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos.

PENANG ARABS

Tok Chu's wife said a lot of Arabs reside in Batu Uban and their graves are at the cemetery attached to Masjid Batu Uban. There are also a large number of them in Jalan Kelawei (Kampung Syed).

Tok Chu also knew Aziz Yamani (my paternal granduncle) who was popularly known as Abdul Aziz Al-Yamani. Aziz was an anglophile. He was of short stature and wore shorts and shirt with short sleeves. He did not come from Yemen (Yaman) but from Malacca. Aziz Yamani had a garage at the corner of Anson Road and Dato' Keramat Road. The British gave him the European car business. (I remember being at his garage in the early 1960s.) They also gave him a double-storey bungalow behind Masjid Jalan Hatin - the bungalow still stands today - it is a bright yellow building (photographed 9 Oct 2011 and 27 May 2012). According to Tok Chu, the house is before '7 hotel'. Aziz Yamani married Nenek Jepun. The mother and child (Mazalifah) often returned to Tokyo.

Front gate of Ami Aziz's residence. His house is the yellow bungalow behind the mosque
(at far left, and partly hidden by the mosque in this pic).

SMELTING WORKS

Eastern Smelting was initially at ______________? It is now just flats.

See updates on 22 August 2013.

TOK CHU's WIFE

Tok Chu's wife is Hendon bt Ahmad bin Abdullah. She was born on 2 August 1932. She has 5 elder brothers - Zainol Abidin, Zainudin, Mohamad Tahir, Ibrahim and Abdul Halim. Hendon is descended from Datuk Jenaton.

External link
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2013/2/23/north/12750272&sec=north

The Arabs in Penang (1)

The Honda Story of Penang

INTRODUCTION

This is the fourth time someone related the story about Boon Siew and Honda to me - my dad, my mum, a research officer then with USM and Prof Syed Mohsin. After many years of being told about how Honda became a success story in Penang, I have decided to pen down my story of the Honda success story in Penang to share with you. Little did I understand the humble beginnings and the opportunistic franchise that came to Penang. That opportunity was overlooked (blinded to the Penang Arabs) but the Chinese saw the $ behind it and made it big. It led to the Chinese success in taking over the economy of Penang island. This is my version after listening to many people. Of course there is still the Honda Penang Chinese story to listen to and the Japanese Honda story to follow up before my story too can be complete. Here's my story ...

Post WWII 

The Japanese lost the war in Malaya in September 1945. The Japanese army surrendered. From a TV documentary, I learned about the Japanese difficulties faced whilst still in Malaya. Before they left for Japan, the soldiers had to scrounge for food and survived by subsisting on tapioca (manioc; Malay ubi kayu) which they had to grow since their supply of rice ran out. This was in Rompin before the Japanese soldiers were finally taken home to Japan. It was a sad documentary that I watched. Watching the Japanese General beri hormat a tapioca on his prayer shelf can be heart-breaking. War is war. Survival is for the fittest. 

A Japanese lady in post-war Penang 

The Japanese war did not end without any trace. The war left a lot of things behind. They are traceable as the things they left behind are not Malay but Japanese. What things are Japanese? A lot of things. When I was a young child, there was one Japanese lady who frightened me and that memory has lasted a lifetime. I had heard of Japanese atrocities from my mother but not from my father. My mother's father (my grandfather) was tortured by the Japanese army but survived the ordeal. However, his voice changed considerably - he had a gruffy voice; maybe because he was old. He had a human voice but a different human voice. That memory of his voice has lasted in me till today. It feels sad when humans are tortured but that is reality. On the other hand, my dad's people enjoyed the Japanese presence in Malaya. Anyway, this Japanese lady whom I met at my dad's Ami Aziz's shophouse, she looked to me like she had a lot of untold secrets locked in a cupboard. Who was she? Was she a spy? Why did she appear in Penang when she is Japanese? Did the Japanese bring her to Penang for a reason? For what reason? Who is she really? What is the meaning of her existence in Penang? These were the questions that played in my mind throughout my growing up years and whenever I passed by Jalan Anson (Anson Road) in Penang. Even if I forget the roadname, the characteristic whitewashed building will always remind me of my dad's Ami Aziz and this Japanese lady (who is Nenek Jepun to me, for lack of a better name).

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Muhammad 

Sheikh Abdul Aziz is Ami Aziz to my dad. Sheikh Abdul Aziz is Arab but not a Syed. Prof Syed Mohsin tells me that the Arabic word "Ami" is brother (abdooss said it means 'uncle' or 'my uncle'). As I recall Ami Aziz, he was a short tan man. We sat at a table with generous helpings of Hari Raya Aidilfitri cookies - Japanese style! Hahaha ..... yes! Hari Raya cookies, Japanese style! They were prepared by his wife, Nenek Jepun! Goodness. This Nenek Jepun prepared the Raya cookies and even the drinks. And guess what? I tasted the colorful sugar crystals on the sugar-coated cookies but I refused to drink the green-coloured drink, poured and served by ..... Nenek Jepun! Such was my unreasonable childhood fear of this lady! I was frightened that she would "poison" me with the "green juice" that Raya. In the mean time, my dad enjoyed the conversation with Ami Aziz. Who was Ami Aziz? Everybody tells me he was a great man in Penang, but who is he really? After many years of trying to make sense of stories I've heard and trying to fix the jig-saw puzzle, yesterday, Prof Syed Mohsin told me who this Ami Aziz was and the real story behind the Honda motorcycles and cars we see today in Malaysia. It all started in Penang.

[My dad's blood link to Ami Aziz is in my other blog. Try search for 262 Banda Hilir.]


The Honda story 

After the Japanese war, Japan's Honda offered a franchise to Penang to sell its motorcycles. They practically "gave" the franchise to the Penang Arabs, and Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Muhammad @ Ami Aziz reluctantly took up the offer, as there was no market for motorcycles in the post-war. He did not know whether the motorcycles would sell. I can't recall what Prof Syed Mohsin said. 

Loh Boon Siew

The young Boon Siew was a Chinese night soil collector (kutip tong tahi). When he heard of the Honda franchise and the Penang Arabs had no faith in it, he offered his interest in the franchise. He took over from the Penang Arabs. To promote sales of the Honda motorcycles, he organised a 50-man motorcade to ride the length of the west coast of peninsular Malaya. The motorcyclists took off from Penang, to KL and on to Singapore and returned the same route. This ability of the motorcycles to withstand the long journey took the Malayan people by surprise and attracted them to buy Boon Siew's Honda motorcycles. Sales of the motorcycles rocketed and instantly Boon Siew's fate changed, from a poor night soil collector to a millionaire. To motorcycles were added Honda cars, a symbol of prestige. Sales rose even further and Boon Siew became super wealthy. So wealthy was he that he alone could "buy" the entire strip of Malaya! Such was his unusual twist of fate. Prof Syed Mohsin tells me that Honda still pays its surviving motorcycle riders a stipend as a symbol of gratitude for making that motorcade a great success which then snow-balled Honda's success in Penang and Malaysia. I don't have the list of names of the 50 motorcyclists, maybe Honda does. You can try and ask Honda Penang and maybe interview the riders too.

Boon Siew Ltd in The Who's Who in  Malaysia 1963

External links for Loh Boon Siew and Boon Siew Honda:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loh_Boon_Siew - Tan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew (1915–1995) also known as “Mr Honda”.
http://www.boonsiewhonda.com.my/
https://www.facebook.com/HondaMotorcyclesMalaysiaBoonSiewHonda
http://world.honda.com/group/Malaysia/


Penang Chinese and the Penang Arabs 

Now that Boon Siew is rich and the Penang Arabs remained status quo, Penang's economy laid in the hands of the rich and influential Chinese. Penang grew and the economy of the Chinese rose higher from the demand of Honda products - motorcycles and cars. Both were much sought after in the Malayan/Malaysian market. Had the Penang Arabs jumped on the band wagon and gone on like what Boon Siew did, Penang's economy today would be in the hands of the Penang Arabs and Penang would remain largely an Islamic island. What lessons have we learned from the Penang Honda story? Yes, never to let an opportunity go by untouched. Opportunities come only once - either take it or lose it. I hope this story of a missed opportunity will never happen again to anyone, be it a Chinese, Indian, Malay or Arab. In historical lessons of this nature, we cannot blame anyone nor is there a need to point fingers. A missed opportunity has reasons and we must take the lessons and move on. Life is such. 

Ami Aziz's family 

From Prof Syed Mohsin's story, Ami Aziz married Nenek Jepun and they have a son. Prof Syed Mohsin tells me the son was a police inspector. They also have an adopted Chinese daughter, Muzlifah. Both are my dad's cousins. I have not met the son nor the daughter. I can't recall where Ami Aziz's shophouse is anymore or whether it is still there or demolished. I have vivid memory of his shophouse alone but not its location. 

Update 22 August 2013: Nenek Jepun had married another man (I don't have his name) and was widowed before marrying Ami Aziz. It was Nenek Jepun's second marriage and also the second marriage for Ami Aziz. Ami Aziz's first wife lived in Jelutong Timur - Nenek Rahmah who kissed me so much when I visited her house by the beach for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Nenek Rahmah made very tasty putu kacang - sand-dry biscuits - the only putu kacang I would ever eat as a child. The Chinese daughter Muzlifah had married and was widowed before she married a policeman. The mother and child (Nenek Jepun and Muzlifah) were close. According to Tok Chu, the house is behind Masjid Jalan Hatin. See post on Tok Chu.

Ami Aziz's elder sister (kakak) is Patma @ Fatimah bt Sheikh Muhammad. Patma married to Haji Mohd Sharif bin Ismail, and their only son is Mohd Yusope. Mohd Yusope is my father's father, my paternal grandfather. See 262 Banda Hilir for more stories. 

Haji Mohd Sharif is my great-grandfather. Patma is my great-grandmother. So Ami Aziz is my great-granduncle.

Ami Aziz's car shop 

Ami Aziz ran a foreign car trade business at the corner of Jalan Dato' Keramat and Jalan Anson in Penang. The car shop & showroom is a big whitewashed building with the showroom facade on Jalan Anson. The business is varied today. I don't know who owns or manages the place today. 

Ami Aziz's car showroom - facade on Jalan Anson in Penang

Car showroom - facade on Jalan Dato' Keramat

KAMPUNG MUKIM JELUTONG

I re-visited the village in Jelutong, Penang on 10 October 2011. The village is behind Masjid Jamek Mukim Jelutong. There were 2 Arab families left, both of the Yamani clan. Some of the old houses that once occupied the shoreline have been demolished and new high rises have been constructed on the reclaimed lands beyond where the giant Chinese junks (tongkang Cina) went aground. Will update at another blog of mine - 262 Banda Hilir.