JELUTONG TIMUR, MUKIM JELUTONG (Part 2)

INTRODUCTION

I visited Masjid Jamek Jelutong & its associated graveyard on 22 October 2011 to locate some graves for TEMD. Jelutong is a tree noted for its gum which is used for making chewing gum. This is my second time visiting the mosque and graves. I visited them about  2 weeks ago on 9 October 2011 but did not have time to look around and study the information here. I went back this week.


1. Masjid Jamek Jelutong, Mukim Jelutong

This is a very old mosque in Penang. It could have been built circa 1820 by the same set of Hadrami Arabs who opened Masjid Banda Hilir in Banda Hilir, Malacca. It is therefore approximately 191 years old in 2011.

2. Kubur Jelutong

a. Kubur beside the parking lot 

On the right side of the mosque (standing facing qiblat) are 4 plots of graves. The frontmost plot is Kubur Syed, followed by Kubur Syed Yasin & Kwangtung China, followed by another set of (older) Kubur Syed with no names visible on the tombstones (batu nisan) and a rear plot within thick enclosed walls. All Syed are buried within Kubur Syed, especially the frontmost plot. Syed Sheikh is buried here.

Entrance to mosque and public parking

Kubur Syed (frontmost plot)

A different view of Kubur Syed (frontmost plot)

Middle plot. Kubur Syed Yasin (in foreground) and the Kwangtung man (rear grave)

Another plot of Kubur Syed (they seem more weathered and without names)

Rear plot of graves within thick brick enclosure

b. Kubur near van jenazah side

On the left side of the mosque are graves of non Syed (non Arabs). There is a big brick wall enclosure and is almost filled with graves. Within the brick wall enclosure is the grave of Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon. There are more graves beyond the brick wall enclosure. There are many graves all around the brick wall enclosure.

Left side of mosque that opens to the public non-Syed graves

Graves between the mosque and brick wall enclosure. Entrance to enclosure (1/7).

Graves within the brick wall enclosure - left aspect of enclosure , entrance view (2/7).

 Closer to the graves at left aspect of enclosure (3/7).

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Pusara Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon (1/2). Also refer caption below.

Pusara Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon (2/2), a descendant of Ismail @ Nakhoda Kecil.
Contact Badariah Baba Ahmad in Facebook for family tree and info on Geni.com.

View, panned from left to right (4/7).

View of right aspect of graves within low stone wall enclosure. View from entrance (5/7).

Another view. Same as above (6/7)

Close-up of headstones of graves inside the low stone wall enclosure (7/7).

More graves beyond the brick wall enclosure

View of the left side of the mosque from the graves within the enclosure.

Aluminium usung for keranda. They are made with wider bottom so many more people can help carry the jenazah

Roll-down aluminium doors through which the jenazah is carried to the grave after solat jenazah

View of graves at kampung or van jenazah side

Affandi performing wudhu'

Most of the graves at Kubur Jelutong do not follow any arrangement (except they all face qiblat) and some graves can be easily stepped on if one is not careful.

JELUTONG TIMUR, MUKIM JELUTONG (Part 1)

INTRODUCTION

I visited a village in Jelutong, Penang but the place has been completely made-over and the houses re-arranged that I thought it useless to start searching for contacts. I could not locate some of the old houses which I could recall from 45 years ago. I will need to get more info from another key Arab contact person (Professor Syed Mohsin Sahil bin Syed Jamalullail) before returning to interview some of the surviving elderly Arabs in that village. Only 2 Arab families remained at Kampung Jelutong in Jelutong Timur (east Jelutong) - Syed Ahmad and Syed Omar's families.


1. Masjid Jamek Jelutong & graveyard


Jelutong Timur houses Masjid Jamek Jelutong, by the roadside of Jalan Jelutong (busy main street). There are some old graves on both sides of Masjid Jamek Jelutong. There are 2 brick wall enclosures which could be family plots. There is a large brick enclosure on one side and a smaller but higher enclosure by the side nearest the tiny road, nearest the parking lot (by a big empty field). 

Masjid Jamek Jelutong, Penang

Old portion of Masjid Jamek Jelutong, nearest the main road, Jalan Jelutong

Old graves enclosed by a low brick wall (with trees) near the beduk side

Beduk for sounding prayer times, is beside the old graves.

Another group of graves within a high brick enclosure, near the road and parking lot

2. Houses

There are houses from Jalan Jelutong all the way down to the "beach" (no longer since landfill and flats were built). Some houses have been demolished and temporary shacks have replaced them.

At the end of the tiny road are high rise flats. On the left is Richmont Residence (yellow) where some of the former residents of this particular area of Jelutong  moved to when they had to relocate

Jelutong flats built on reclaimed land and facing Syed Omar's house

3. People

As I recall from my childhood moments in Jelutong, there was a tiny sandy lane that led from Masjid Jamek Jelutong all the way down to the beach. The lane was shaded by tall trees. 

I can barely recall the house of Ami Aziz (Abdul Aziz Alyamani) after so long. Anyway, his was the last house and farthest from Masjid Jamek Jelutong, by the shore, where an old junk laid buried in the mud. I would approach his house from the right, from the kitchen side as the house fronted the sea. Two old ladies slept in the hind quarters of his house; they were bed-ridden. I don't know them, but one of the ladies told me to look for my uncle - Syed Mohsin bin Syed Sahil Jamalullail (now arwah). Looking towards the sea, I could see a clear view of the scary skeletal remains of an abandoned large dark brown Chinese junk stuck on its side in the smelly black mud; the deck faced his house. I was told it could be from the time of Admiral Cheng Ho (Laksamana Zeng He). 

I used to spend Hari Raya Aidilfitri at Ami Aziz's house by the sea. We entered the lower part of the house via a small door. The house itself was small. I ate the best putu kacang at his house, in the lower part of the little black double-storey wooden house. Ami Aziz spoke some Arabic and his family kissed and hugged much like the Arabs do when they welcome guests. 

I remember the shape and the cream painted brick and black oiled wood of Ami Ibrahim's house but I did not see his house this time. What I saw was a medium wooden green Malay-styled house. 

Syed Omar's house was previously the last house, and by the sea. It now faces Jelutong flats. Syed Omar bin Syed Mohamad lived here. His son is Syed Mohamad bin Syed Omar.

Profile of Syed Omar's house.
The other Arab house belongs to Syed Ahmad and is in front of the parked lorry.

4. Contact

I enquired at the nearest car workshop and a tall young man there said Syed Omar lived in that house. He asked that I return after Maghrib to meet Syed Omar. I did not return as I was too exhausted that night. 

I will try and re-visit and enquire what happened to Dr Syed Mohamed bin Alwi Al-Hady and family from Syed Omar.


External link

http://alkhauf.blogspot.com/2011/09/mahani-musa-universiti-sains-malaysia.html