Malay Pregnancy

This is from my own assignment on Malay pregnancy, when I was a CFCS facilitator for our Medical School. CFCS = Community and Family Case Study. CFCS is a community-based program which begins in Year 2 Medicine and ends in Year 4 or 5, depending on the nature of each case under study. It is a program managed by the Dept of Community Medicine and lecturers from various departments are roped in to assist as facilitators. It is quite time-consuming to be a CFCS facilitator but the experience far outweighs the KPI for a senior lecturer. KPI = Key Performance Index, a measure of success at job performance; used for promotion by universities and businesses worldwide. 

For this assignment, I went to Ulu Kusial in Ulu Kelantan, near the virgin jungles of Kelantan. Not many people live there. The community is that of timber loggers, lorry drivers and a few Malay households. There was one main street that had a petrol pump, a satay shophouse, a provisions shop and no commercial clinic. The nearest  community clinic was Klinik Desa, Ulu Kusial. In a small community such as this one, everyone knows the other person. Even the big bully is a well-known figure. Even ladies who offer one-night stands for the lorry drivers are known. And ladies who married many times to different husbands are also known. Such is life in a remote area.

This is my story from my diary of 11 March 1993 (page 1). I have only recently retrieved this diary and I had only written 3 pages when this diary went missing. My family found it while cleaning the storeroom from white ant infestation. My other diaries have gone into the bonfire outside our house. This is the only way to get rid of the white ants - by burning. Page 2 had a tracing of my eldest daughter's right foot. Page 3 had a tracing of my elder son's right foot. The other pages of my diary were just the children's scribblings and sheer little-hand forces at work (conteng spree). The children's scribblings make me happy.

In my quest to learn about Malay pregnancy and care, I was interested to meet and talk face-to-face with the practitioners, persons whom the Malay people refer to as "bidan" (midwife). I had asked around if anyone knew of any good midwife whom I could interview. There were a few whom I met but most refused to be interviewed, and more so by me (a young mother with 4 kids; I was 34 and 4 months pregnant with #5). Anyway, after a long search I managed to talk to a boy at a shop. His mother was a Malay midwife. I have never met her. I decided on a date to return to interview his mother at her house (she lived alone).

I returned a week later and went to the shop where the boy worked for his grandfather's provision shop along main street, a dusty street with many timber lorries parked by the roadside as the drivers enjoyed satay at the shop across the road from his grandfather's shop. 

He obtained leave from his grandfather to bring my husband and I to his mother's house. Before we ascended the mud steps to her abode on the hillside, I noticed he called out to his mother in a language I did not understand. We waited a few minutes for the mother's reply before we were allowed to ascend to her house. I did not know where the front door was (there was none). However, we went to the back of the house and there was a creaky old door. She called us in and asked us to sit. We sat in a semi circle facing her. She was known by her midwife name, Bidan Lijah. I don't know her real name as most Malay folks do not give their full name for fear of black magic and spells that are possible with knowing full name, mother's name and birth date. My diary says her name is Lijah bt Awang. She was 55 years old. She married and had 4 children, 3 sons and a daughter (second child). Her son who brought us to see her was called Idi (maybe short for Rosdi, Rosmadi or smthg). It is quite intriguing that her father's name is Awang. In the Malay circle and health practices and especially involving the supernaturals, Awang refers to a male spirit, a male servant or a male genie. Whether she was referring to her spiritual name, I haven't the faintest clue. I learned very much later, that in Malay conversation (including interview), I must not ask for a person's real name, or name for that matter. In this interview, I broke that rule as I had asked for her name for my record. Because I had asked for her name for record's sake, she became a bit hesitant to carry on being interviewed. I backed off a bit and said I only needed to interview her for her practices as a midwife as I had no knowledge about the practices of Malay pregnancy. She agreed and we continued our conversation in Kelantan dialect. Since I was not familiar with the Kelantan dialect, my Chinese-Malay husband (Affandi) was the go-between and he jotted down notes for me. Later when we reached home, I wrote my own notes with his guidance.

First we talked about Malay pregnancy (mengandung). According to her, the mother-to-be must refrain from a lot of things (pantang) even before pregnancy takes place. These included many taboos which I never knew.

For example, when cutting the chicken, the mother must constantly remind herself that she maybe pregnant and as such she should cut the chicken gently and not use chopping actions as these will cause her unborn child to suffer limb deficiencies (cacat). She must not kick the cat. All her actions to other creatures will affect her unborn child somewhat. 

Another example she cited was about using a container for collecting nectar (tukil untuk air tuak). The mother-to-be must not tie a rope to the container or to her legs (genting kaki).

Yet another example was frankincense or sandalwood. The mother-to-be must not burn frankincense or sandalwood and call out to any spirit (bakar cendana dan seru). If she does that her unborn child will become deaf and mute. Beckoning the spirit includes saying things like: Bangun make Awae (rise and eat, son ...). 

The spirit is referred to as Awae (Awang) in Malay. It is known to enter the body when a person opens his mouth wide as in yawning. It can also enter the body through any orifice - mouth, ear canal, nostrils, vagina, penis, and anus. When it enters the human body, it settles in the organs - heart, liver, kidney, intestines etc. It flows in the body in the blood. It manifests as a difficult to cure disease, a diseased body part or an ugly body part. It can manifest as a miscarriage or death in utero. 

I have also heard cases of missing fetus and this is also accepted as manifestation of the underworld where the spirits are thought to impregnate the mother and which return later to claim the unborn child. The mother is pregnant for a few months only and then becomes 'not pregnant' when her fetus is removed by the spirit which impregnated her. She has no bleeding as occurs after a normal delivery. 

The Malay people call this spirit bunyan and the immortals orang bunyan. Bunyan are like 'little people' or elves and knolls in British folklore. The bunyan are thought to be underworld royalties and therefore their presence on earth are marked with yellow satin during homebirth and even birth at hospitals. Similarly, gravestones are sometimes tied or covered with yellow satin. Sometimes the entire room is decorated with yellow satin as the fetus is thought to be descended from the royal underworld. For this type of birth, the Malay people therefore name their assuming royal sons "Raja" and their daughters "Puteri". I have no objection with these royal name prefixes.

As the day approached nightfall, she gave us an example that a mother-to-be must not walk about at dusk (berjalan waktu Maghrib). If she walks about outside her home at dusk, she will have a difficult delivery.

Our conversation quickly moved to another topic - breech child (menyongsang). Breech is songsang and a breech baby is bayi menyongsang. Her advice was about using a wooden stove (as in the old days before the mid-1970s). When the mother is pregnant, she must not push in the firewood in oblique direction or she will have a breech child (anak songsang). 

At Maghrib, we quickly thanked her and left.

Malay Health

I am intrigued by Malay Health and how the Malay people maintain their health. Their routine is different from what I have been taught in school & universities, and what I have known this far from books and textbooks. This post is about Malay Health from my own observation. I will highlight just a few things to let you re-think whether Malay Health is actually worth a re-study. It is a pity that the general mass today is pushing Malay Health aside as unnecessary and irrelevant as they fail to understand the basis of Malay Health & Practices. Though their practices are alluded to in modern online blogs and TV programs, there is nothing like taking a close look and searching for the right reasons as to why they were preferred practices within the Malay community for so long, even before Western Medicine reached the shores of Tanah Melayu. Let's see what has been on my mind ...

Bath

The Malay people bath daily. The elderly do not use any soap for the skin, body and face. They bathe with cold water in the morning before Subuh prayer. They bathe with luke warm water in the evening. They avoid baths at night. The do not bathe at night - the reason being it will be easy to catch a cold if one bathes at night. The leats bath is in the evening, before the Maghrib prayer.

House cleaning

The Malay people put out their bedding materials out in the sun every morning. They beat theor pillows and put them on the window sills to get the morning sun. The bedding materials are left to dry in the sun till noon when they are taken in - very hot! They are puffed and given new covers. This gets rid of bed bugs, ticks and lice, if any. The Malay people hardly suffer from skin diseases; they have very good and clean skin.

Skin inflictions

Malaysia is hot humid weather. There are cases of ringworm on the face and other body parts. The Malay people avoid washing the face when one is sweating profusely as after a game or working in the fields. This is to avoid ringworm infestation. However, male schoolchildren do get ringworm infestation on the cheeks and necks. With the imposition of closed shoes with shoe laces, schoolchildren (and adults) suffer from athlete's foot, which is quite difficult to cure in some stubborn cases. Schoolchildren even walk to school (and go home) in wet shoes in the monsoon season. Foot infections are a big problem especially if wearing closed shoes. Sandals were not allowed in Malayan schools; they are not allowed in Malaysian schools. Unlike in Australia, footwear has not received proper attention in Malaysian schools. In Australia, schoolchildren wear closed shoes in winter and wear sandals in summer.

Eyesight

The Malay people have very good eyesight. Most Malay schoolchildren do not wear any glasses or contact lenses throughout school and university. Many do not need glasses throughout their working lives. Many continue to enjoy good eyesight in old age. They have good eye practices to maintain eye health. Ask them.

Oral health
The Malay people have very good dentition and maintain oral health very well. In the olden days, they used powdered charcoal (from pounded burnt areca nut) mixed with ash and salt, to brush their teeth white and clean. They gargle with a solution made from strained pounded cloves with added salt. Some chew cardamom pods with uncooked rice grains (and spit the spent matter). Some prefer to chew betel leaves and areca nut. In the olden days, the rich men and women coat their teeth with gold leaf, thus they have golden teeth to show off. They remove collected pus from their tonsils by clearing their throats early in the morning when they bathe. Though the throat-clearing sound is awful, it is effective and works well for many and the likeliness of tonsilitis is nil. Men clear their throats more than women. Thus, they do not suffer from bad breath. However, acetone can be smelled in their breath when they fast. Patients with oral cancers do have bad breath.

Hand washing
The Malay people eat with their right hand. They wash the hands (or the fingers) with running water at the tap, by dipping their fingers in a bowl of water, or the washing the fingers from a small metal or plastic kettle. Raw water is used for washing fingers/hands before eating. Foe home eating, the Malay people do not use any utensils - no spoon or fork.

Food

The Malay people prefer home cooking for its freshness and cleanliness. The Malay people take hygienic food and avoid carcass. They eat halal food as opposed to koshered food preferred by the Jews. Halal food is prepared by reading Bismillah (in the name of Allah); koshered food maybe similar but Bismillah is never read for its preparation. They eat mainly rice with gravy and a good source of proteins. The health-conscious ones take a hefty amount of greens. However, that habit of eating greens has died down a bit in today's young Malay people as they migrate away from traditional Malay food to fast food. There are various foods prepared for various ailments. Soups containing fish (tuna variety), asam keping, lemon grass and galangher are for reducing the symptoms of asthma. Vegetables prepared with coconut milk, sweet potatoes and dark green leafy vegetables are for overcoming anaemia - 2 greens of special mention are daun cekak manis and daun keloh.

Blog stat (16 Oct 2011): 14,452

I have changed the appearance of TEMD blog. This is the Dynamic view. You can click on the tab at far left to view various possible layouts for this blog. Click the title (The Early Malay Doctors) to return to the most recent post.

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TQ


Prof Faridah

Che Siti Wan Kembang and Kubur Che Siti

Che Siti Wan Kembang was a Kelantan royalty. She was an intelligent and beautiful princess. Kelantan was named in her honour, Negeri Che Siti Wan Kembang. 

She is buried in Kubur Banggol in Mukim Banggol. Since she was a royalty, yellow is used for her grave, columns, gravestone and retaining wall. She had lived in early Kelantan, at the time when Hindu reigned in this region, some practices of that era have lingered on and can be seen at some of the graves within this enclosure. Whether it is grave worship, I haven't the faintest idea.

There were some long wooden dolls planted in some of the graves here. There were female dolls with scarves and long skirts (like they use for Mak Yong dances or Wayang Kulit). I would think that the people who planted these dolls in these graves could still be practicising some form of grave worship from a past era (from the times of the Hindu reign in this region). The men here have dark brown skin - maybe from being fishermen and exposed to the sun for extended periods. They could have descended from Tamil Indians. The "Raja" prefix in their names gives a clue to their origin. However, the ladies here have fair complexion and look in between Chinese/Thai/Cambodian.

The word banggol refers to a mound, a high land (higher than the river or lowland) or embankment. The graveyard of Kubur Banggol is on a mound and is surrounded by swamp or marsh which open to the South China Sea.

Kubur Che Siti Wan Kembang, the princess and founder of Negeri Kelantan Darulnaim

Kubur Banggol (Kubur Che Siti)

Kubur Banggol is better known as Kubur Che Siti as Che Siti Wan Kembang was buried here. Kelantan is better known by its poetic name, Negeri Che Siti Wan Kembang. She was a Kelantan princess.

There are a few people who are helpful in finding the graves of people buried here. The graves are not computerised and location of graves depends on sheer memory of the elderly. Here is a useful contact for Kubur Banggol:

Raja Sulaiman @ Raja Semail bin Raja Soh

Lot 291, Kg Banggol Badang, Jalan PCB
15350 Kota Bharu, Kelantan
H/P: 019-963 5198 / 010-918 9792 / 012-986 5583
Pembekal bahan-bahan binaan seperti tiang simen, bata block, kerek telaga, belindan granit, batu nisan dan urusan menggali kubur.

Raja Sulaiman (left) and Affandi

Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Aziz bin Omar

My husband and I went to search for some old graves today, under the scorching sun. We went to search for Kubur Banggol or better known as Kubur Che Siti. Che Siti Wan Kembang was a princess in early Kelantan.

We asked a lot of people before we finally found the graves. We drove into Jalan Pos Ofis Lama by Muzium Perang Dunia Kedua in Kota Bharu. We passed by Padang Merdeka in Kota Bharu, which is bordered by old shophouses, Ridel Hotel Kota Bharu, vantage tower by Sungai Kelantan, Tambatan DiRaja, Jabatan Kastam DiRaja Malaysia and Muzium Perang Dunia Kedua and then turned into Jalan Pos Ofis Lama, passed Masjid Zainab/Zaiton?, and exit at a small roundabout. We proceeded to a grocery store to ask for directions.

We asked Irfan (serban) in front of the grocery store. He was very friendly and gave us 2 locations of Bongor which is the short for Padang Bogor. This was the wrong information we gave him. We did not know whether it was Bongor or Banggol. I quickly checked my notes which says Kubur Banggol and not Bongor. We asked him for directions to Kubur Banggol. He said to proceed straight to masjid (no mention of its name). 

Before we proceeded, we met Ariffin who stopped to ask us whether he could offer help. We told him we wanted to search for Kubur Banggol. He said there is Kubur Che Siti. We got confused as we have never heard of Kubur Che Siti nor did we know which "Che Siti" was meant. I thought it was Siti Nurhaliza and I panicked. We had to ask him again in case he heard us wrong or we heard him wrong. Affandi explained we wanted to see a particular person's grave and that is located at Kubur Banggol near PCB. he said Kubur Banggol is better known as Kubur Che Siti in the area and by the Kelantan populace. He gave us directions to a masjid further down the road. He said the graveyard is very long, more than a kilometre long and asked us to go to a coffee shop by the graveyard and ask there. We thanked him and left in the direction of the masjid. 

We arrived and parked our car outside the main entrance to the masjid Masjid Sultan Ismail Petra, Mukim Banggol. I remember praying in this masjid when we visited the area many years ago on the way to the beach and campsite. We had thought the graves were just behind the masjid. Ariffin caught up with us and pointed to a small lane by the masjid. He said it is better to take the car and drive to the graveyard. We were lucky to have Ariffin helping us. We went down the lane and turned right passed the school, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Redang, and parked at a wooden wakaf by the graves. There were many graves within view. Little did we know that the graves we saw were just the tip of the iceberg - there were other graves behind them for miles (more than a kilometre) and they go right up to Kampung Uda in Pengkalan Chepa. This is the longest Muslim graveyard I have ever seen, miles and miles of Muslim graves.

We stopped at the coffeeshop to ask some elderly men who knew the deceased person whose grave we were looking for. Affandi introduced ourselves in Kota Bharu Kelantan dialect which sounded good. The men understood and decided to help us. Affandi grew up in the Kelantan royal court and he knew the correct language to use. At once they knew him even without telling who he was. It seems that the people here are very warm and friendly. They speak softly in a quiant Kota Bharu dialect which I think people outside Kelantan may have never heard. I enjoyed the conversation. I gave them 2 of my business card for keeps. The men were happy but I felt sad as my business card was typed with romanised letters. In Kelantan, the Jawi script is preferred and the lay people can read that. That I think it a weak point of the universities today and I am at fault too. Anyway, one of the elderly man called on the phone to the gravestone mason. He asked us to see him. The grave keeper had died and the gravestone mason was standing in.

Affandi was talking to Nasir, a staff of Pejabat Sultan Kelantan, at the coffeeshop when Raja Sulaiman @ Semail called (I think the Arabic name is Ismail and in Kelantanese it becomes Semail). Raja Sulaiman is the gravestone mason. Ariffin said we should go to see Raja Sulaiman immediately.

We left the coffeeshop and followed Ariffin down the dusty tiny road to Raja Sulaiman's gravestone shed. His 3 sons work with TV3 but help him with the gravestone masonry. Raja Sulaiman came out from his office to meet us. He looked like Megat Khas and I almost fainted! Raja Sulaiman asked us whom we were looking for and we explained to him. I showed him a portrait of Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Aziz and he jumped! He has met the doctor at his clinic! We were happy that Raja Sulaiman knew Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Aziz. I mentioned to him the wife's name and some of his sibs and son who have died and were buried in Kubur Banggol. He said he knew the man and his family and asked us to follow him to the family graves. Arffin and Nasir followed on Ariffin's bike. Raja Sulaiman went with us in our car. 

We drove a long distance before arriving at the family graves. We parked the car and I was overjoyed that at last we found the graves.

Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Aziz bin Omar has a family burial plot, about an acre long piece of sloping sandy burial land with chain-linked fence, a wakaf (shed), a coconut tree, and a well. There were 16 graves in this family plot. Only 6 of the 16 graves belonged to the family:

Haji Che Abdullah bin Omar (died 9 July 1982),
Dato' Hj Ab Aziz bin Omar (died 12 June 1985),
Che Abdul Rahim bin Omar (died 2 Dec 1986),
Hjh Siah bt Omar (died 3 Sept 1991),
Abdul Hamid bin Abdul Aziz (died 10 Sept 2004),
Hajjah Wan Sharehah binti Hj Ash'ari (died 23 Sept 2007)

Family graves of Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Aziz bin Omar (died 12 June 1985/ 23 Ramadhan 1405), Kubur Banggol @ Kubur Che Siti, Mukim Banggol, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Taken with permission of Raja Sulaiman. I visited the graves with Affandi, Raja Sulaiman (tukang buat batu nisan & belindan kubur), Ariffin and Nasir on 15 Oct 2011, from 10.52am - 11.15am. It was a hot and sunny day.

There are about 5 'reject' or previously used old black belindan (enclosure) and batu nisan which are no longer in use near the wakaf and by the fence. There are others buried at this family plot. I don't know the others who are buried here.


External link
https://theearlymalaydoctors.blogspot.my/2012/11/100-years-maik-1912-2012.html

Ships (steamers)

This is a good website for ships: Rob Ossian's Pirate Cove!

Speaking of ships, The Ancient Mariner (Capt Muhammad Yusoff bin Haji Ahmad) springs to mind. He is deceased. Inna lillahi wainna ilaihi rojiuun. It was from his blog (The Ancient Mariner) that I came across Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Said bin Mohamed, an early Malay doctor (in TEMD) who became the first elected MB for Negeri Sembilan. There is a useful saying by Jimmy Dean at his blog (The Ancient Mariner):


I cannot change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination - Jimmy Dean


Some of the early Malay doctors had to inspect ships (steamers) which plied the region. Some ships/steamers came from China and stopped over at Singapore before proceeding onward to India. Other ships/steamers went the reverse direction. They were inspected for rats, for possible carriers of the plague infective organism, Yersinia pestis. Necessary fumigation was common.


One steamer that is connected with TEMD was the Sealda. I can't find a photo of it. I guess the Sealda could be like the ship in a photo that Museum Kelantan gave me.  It could be like the ocean liner that I boarded from Kota Kinabalu to Collier Quay in Singapore, circa 1968 - the journey took 3 days of nonstop sailing, and we had to pull anchor far from the Singapore coastline and take a small boat to Collier Quay. I guess it could also be like the ships used as "kapal haji" (Hajj ships). It could be like any of the large ships that anchored off the Penang coast near Pulau Jerejak which can be seen and heard on New Year's Eve as they blow their horns to welcome the new year. There are many possibilities as to what the Sealda could have looked like. It should not look like the Cutty Sark at Greenwich nor the Portuguese galleon, Flor de la Mar (Flower of the Sea; passion flower), which attacked Malacca in 1511. I'm not taking sides when it comes to Malacca History (will blog on this).

The Cutty Sark in Greenwich, UK; August 1980. Recaptured 13 June 2010

Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), from Who is Who in Malaysia and Singapore 1971-1972

Steamship on Sungai Kelantan (Kelantan River). This was before the Sultan Yahya Petra bridge was built, circa 1939. When Dr Ali O Merican came to Kota Bharu via Thailand, he had to take a ferry across Sungai Kelantan to reach Kota Bharu by boat. The river then was wide and deep, unlike now (according to Museum Kelantan staff). Photograph courtesy of Museum Kelantan.

The Kunak steamship that I took from Kota Kinabalu to Collier Quay, Singapore; 1968

Ships in Penang harbour (far bkgr) as seen from the minaret of Masjid Kapitan Keling, Georgetown, Penang. I obtained permission and climbed to the top of the minaret to get this view. I maybe the first woman to get to enter and climb the minaret to the top (I was told women are not allowed in this minaret but I climbed with my husband and the mosque tour guide, a male). Being claustrophobic, I did not take many photos. I was scared to come down after taking photos! Our tour guide said the pink buildings at centre left were bombed during WWII as the Japanese planes had thought the lancas and bullock carts contained ammunition; they were actually carrying washed linen as the buildings were dhoby shops (kedai dobi). Ghat Lebuh Acheh is somewhere at right mid-ground.

Dr Che Lah Md Joonos

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos (1903-1986)
Portrait from his 1963 Hajj passport

Residences

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos had four houses on Penang island: 

1. Hala Pemancar
2. Solok Pemancar
3. Lengkok Pemancar and 
4. Minden Heights. 

Hala Pemancar, Penang

His first house when he returned to Penang after his retirement from the Government service in Pahang (he retired on 30 June 1958) was in Hala Pemancar (according to Azlan Ismail, whose family home is still in Solok Pemancar). It was a small single-storey bungalow (according to Aunty Hajah Aeeshah Daud and his son Kamaruddin bin Che Lah). The house is still there. Dr Che Lah then moved to a second house in Solok Pemancar.

213 Hala Pemancar, Glugor, Penang.

Solok Pemancar, Penang 

I re-visited Dr Che Lah's old double-storey bungalow at 219 Bukit Glugor (now 219 Solok Pemancar), Gelugor (or Glugor) in Penang. It was rundown and for sale when I visited it. The bungalow faces Glugor Road (now Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah). I recall the house from since I was 5 or 6 years old, before I went to school. I can recall it because its pastel pink walls and lattice brick walls attracted me from small. Dr Che Lah had sold this bungalow as he had another bungalow at Lengkok Pemancar (around the bend), near where Datuk Anwar Fazal's sister lives. According to Azlan Ismail, Raja Tun Uda then lived in Dr Che Lah's house at Solok Pemancar. Then S. M. Aidid bought the house and owns it till today. The house was put on sale in 2011* but was taken off from sale. 

*The bungalow at 219 Solok Pemancar was once managed by the real estate agent (Eddie, H/P 012-408 8390). It had looked dilapidated and uncared for in 2011. Nobody lived there when I visited the bungalow. Even the back-house was unoccupied. The gate was locked. Affandi called Eddie to enquire about the status of the bungalow. Eddie said the bungalow was up for sale for RM6.5 million (9 Oct 2011)!

Aidid repainted the house white (4 March 2013). Aidid's name is on the right gate post while the house number 219 is on the left gate post.

Driving along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and approaching Solok Pemancar (road) on the left

We went up Solok Pemancar (dead end) and came back down. This was the view when going down. His house is the last one on the left.

Solok Pemancar and the characteristic lattice brick wall which I recalled from childhood and therefore was able to locate his house.

Main gate to then Dr Che Lah's bungalow in 2011, now Aidid's.

View of the rear of his bungalow and back-house from the main gate in 2011.

Dr Che Lah's former bungalow at 219 Solok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang in 2011.

The bungalow is now whitewashed. 219 and 'Aidid' marked the 2 gate posts in March 2013.

Author (far right) with siblings and mother at 219 Solok Pemancar, 1962.  Mother is Dr Che Lah's eldest daughter (of 4 girls).

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos having dinner at home, 219 Solok Pemancar. 1962.

Lengkok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang
(old Bukit Gelugor, Penang)

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home, 355-A Lengkok Pemancar (old 355A Bukit Glugor), Gelugor, Penang. 1962-63. From left: Kamaruddin (son), Mariah (second wife), Kamariah (adopted daughter), Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos.

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home, 355-A Lengkok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang. 1969

Cangkat Minden, Gelugor, Penang 

(Minden Heights)

Dr Che Lah's last residence, 460-H Jalan 7, Cangkat Minden (Minden Heights, Road 7), Gelugor, Penang. Demolished.

Dr Che Lah and wife Mariah @ Matron Chong Nyet Lin.
Celebrating his birthday at home, 460-H Jalan 7, Cangkat Minden, Gelugor, Penang. 1974.

Dr Che Lah and granddaughter Aminah bt Abdul Rashid.

Celebrating his birthday in 1978.

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home in the 1980s.

External links

Senarai Agong, Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia

YouTube video - Retrospektif: Seruan Suchi (1965) 

Produced by Lensa FINAS, 23 July 2021

This video covers the Hajj pilgrimage of the DYMM SPB YDP Agong ke-3 (Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis) and his visit to the Malayan Hajj Mission Hospital in Makkah, which shows Dr Che Lah beside the Agong.

Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Malaysia dan Rombongan Kesihatannya.

Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis.
Senarai Agong, Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia

YDP Agong melawat Malayan Medical Mission hospital di Makkah. Agong (kanan bersongkok) dan Doktor Haji Dr Hj Che Lah bin Md Joonos (kiri baju putih & tie). 1965.

YDP Agong (kanan) dan Dr Che Lah (kiri).

Dr Hj Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos.

Dr Hj Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos, Malayan Mission Hospital in Makkah, 1965.

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

Dr Mohamed Ibrahim's lineage

This is a YouTube video on Prof Ahmad Ibrahim, the eldest son of Dr Mohamed Ibrahim bin Shaik Ismail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG3PyCAUki8&feature=related 

These are the male names known in Dr Mohamed Ibrahim's lineage: 

First generation (G1)
Shaik Ismail Ballah (c1843-1928) - an archivist with the German Embassy in Singapore since 1892 till his death; his details are published in The Straits Times. 

Second generation (G2)
Dr Mohamed Ibrahim bin Shaik Ismail (1892-1962) - a medical doctor; his details are published in The Straits Times. 

Third generation (G3)
Prof Ahmad bin Mohamed Ibrahim (1916-1999) - a lawyer; served Singapore and Malaysia; popularly known as Prof Ahmad Ibrahim, founder of law faculties for UM and UIAM; his details are widely published. He was involved with the talks for the creation of Malaysia between 1960 and 1963, merging Singapore with Malaysia. 
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_529_2005-01-07.html 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Mohamed_Ibrahim

Fourth generation (G4)
Dr Mohamed Tahir bin Ahmad Ibrahim - medical doctor; popularly known as Dr Mohamed Tahir bin Ahmad or Dr Tahir. He is not the oldest Malay doctor in Singapore today (born 26 April 1944). There are 5 others who are older than him who are practising in Singapore. He still practices at the Crescent Clinic and Surgery, Eunos Crescent, Singapore. 
http://www.sma.org.sg/membership/DirectoryDoctorDetail.aspx?ID=1814 
http://www.darul-arqam.org.sg/embracing-islam/circumcision/  http://www.accordingtopatients.org/singapore/22056/medical-doctors/mohamed-tahir-bin-ahmad/

Fifth generation (G5)
Iskandar bin Mohamed Tahir - a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur
Ibrahim bin Mohamed Tahir - an editor and bookstore owner (Wardah Books in Bussorah St) in Singapore

Sixth generation (G6)
Sons of Iskandar and Ibrahim Tahir.

Seminar Kesultanan Melayu Melaka

Sent: Monday, October 3, 2011 11:30:25 AM
Subject: Seminar Kesultanan Melayu Melaka
 
Dato'/Datin/Prof./Dr./Tuan/Puan,

JEMPUTAN MENGHADIRI ‘SEMINAR KEBANGSAAN SEJARAH KESULTANAN MELAYU MELAKA’ ANJURAN PUSAT PENGAJIAN ILMU KEMANUSIAAN

Poster

Seminar Kesultanan Mlyu Melaka.jpg

Read more at: http://www.hum.usm.my/sejarah/index.html
____________________________
Roslina Hanoum Osman Marican
Secretary
School Of Humanities
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 Penang
MALAYSIA
Tel : 604 6533888 [ext: 3372]
Fax : 604 656 3707
Email: roslina@usm.my
www.hum.usm.my
 

Ulek Mayang

I thought to write you about Ulek Mayang. This is an old song about a sea princess or mermaid who fell for a fisherman or a prince and she cast a spell to get this man for herself. The stories are written in Malay and English in YouTube (copied, pasted & edited below). The lyrics are in Terengganu Malay or Kelantan Malay.

It took me many years to understand the lyrics and the story behind the song and the trance and supernatural stuff involved. Some say not to sing this song or the same spell will befall on the singer. Some say not to act the song in plays or dance to its tune as slipping into a trance is possible. There are many things mentioned about this song that I stayed away from it for very long. 

So here it is .... Ulek Mayang, for whatever truth there is in the song and what it stands for in the Malay community. 

YouTube - Ulek Mayang
YouTube - Ulek Mayang (floral bath) 
YouTube - Ulek Mayang (sea spirits) 
Wikipedia 

VERSION 1

Tarian ini berasal dari upacara kuno merawat oleh seorang bomoh Melayu pada badan seorang nelayan yang berada dalam keadaan tidak sedar. Nelayan itu dipercayai telah dipukau oleh salah seorang puteri yang jatuh cinta padanya. Percubaan bomoh untuk membawa balik roh nelayan itu menyebabkan puteri itu memerintah salah seorang dari adik-beradik perempuannya untuk memukau nelayan. Perang di antara bomoh dan keenam-enam puteri berlanjutan hingga puteri yang ketujuh dan sulung bermuncul dan menamatnya.

"Sayu tahu asal usul kamu” berkata puteri sulung dan beliau memerintah semua orang, "Biarkan mereka yang berasal dari laut kembali ke laut, dan mereka yang berasal dari darat kembali ke darat".
Bomoh yang terhutang budi dan rakan-rakan nelayan menyampaikan puteri itu dengan nasi berwarna sebagai pengorbanan, suatu upacara amal yang berlanjutan diamal sehingga ketibaan Islam, untuk berhutang budi kepada semangat-semangat laut.

VERSION 2

The Ulek Mayang that I created is kind of a new version. Instead of saving the lives of fishermen that the Puteri Duyung always do, this time circa 1511, the 7th Puteri Duyung at the time she was a budding Puteri Ulek Mayang but had not reached the age of the Puteri Ulek. The young Puteri Duyung on a stormy night, saved the life of a Malay prince. For seven days and seven nights, the seven Puteri Ulek Mayang mengulek to revive the spirit of the Malay prince and his hulubalang that had been lying uncouncious. The Puteri Duyung, secretly on her own, danced the Ulek Mayang to save the life of her new found love. And on the 7th night, the prince and his hulubalang finally revived. The prince could not forget the glimpse of Puteri Duyung. The moment he recovered he immediately fell in love with Puteri Duyung. Thus the forbidden love germinated between the two lovers of different worlds against the will and the liking of the oceanic spirits. The hulubalang soon returned bringing with them the 7 Wasiat, while the prince decided to stay and marry his beloved Puteri Duyung. They stayed there for a long period until one day...the prince told his lover...."sudah tikanya kanda pulang....." (it is time for me to return). - More at GEMPAMELAYU!!!

Conclusion

This song is ancient, and before the arrival of Islam to the Malay lands (Tanah Melayu), circa 1511, when the Portuguese arrived in Malacca. It involves summoning spirits from the sea. I think now we are aware of the origin of this phrase "Hei, jembalang tanah jembalang laut, jembalang angin..."? It is pre-Islamic.

As doctors, you will see patients who complain of these spirits and you should know where they are coming from .... infested by stray ancient spirits. How do you then cure such patients?  You can look up cures for sihir (sihr) or Malay black magic, or mystics of the ancient Malay world and words like saka which have to do with the spirit of reincarnation (an element of Buddhist belief). For modern day Muslim doctors, most practise syifa' which invloves reciting verses from the Quran. We have not integrated syifa' with allopathy (western medicine). Once we do that, psychological and psychiatric problems will be easier to treat, hopefully.

Lagu Zaman

I'm finalising a few more chapters for TEMD submission - struggling with the difficult chapters.

I have a writing workshop at Park Royal Hotel, Batu Ferringhi, Penang on 7-9 October 2011.

Here's an old song for your ears ...

YouTube - SM Salim, Jamal Abdillah and one more person - Lagu Zaman

Lyrics for Lagu Zaman

Lyrics
Bagai sireh pulang dalam gagang, seri cemerlang
Bukanlah sebarang siapa jua boleh menyanyikan
Hamba pun menumpang sama menyanyikan
Lagu zaman yang berzaman
Lagu lama dengan rasa
Cara kita orang timur
Tak mengapa asal suka budaya kita

Maafkalah hamba andai ada terkurang adatnya
Begini suara hasrat hati ingin bersama
Hamba mengerti hasrat yang murni
Kayakan lagi adat sendiri

Hamba pun menumpang sama menyanyikan
Lagu zaman yang berzaman
Lagu lama dengan rasa
Cara kita orang timur
Tak mengapa asal suka budaya kita

Lyrics www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/jamal_abdillah/
Maafkalah hamba andai ada terkurang adatnya
Begini suara hasrat hati ingin bersama
Hamba mengerti hasrat yang murni
Kayakan lagi adat sendiri

Malayan Emergency

British and Commonwealth Units that participated in the Malayan Emergency

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/malaya/reg.html

Anthem of Malayan Union

God Save The King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTQnZGVEpMM&feature=related

History of KE VII

KE VII in history: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1087_2011-01-21.html

KE VII: Milestones in Medicine

Milestones of KE VII:
http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/corporate/abtus-milestones.html

The practice of the Malay bomoh

 Bomoh means doctor and is also a verb, meaning to treat.

This post is about the scene of a Malay doctor (bomoh) driving out evil spirits from an adult male. The venue is either the patient's or the bomoh's home and the living-room is preferred. The adult male is dressed in Malay dress called baju Melayu which comprises a white top (baju Melayu) and a cotton cloth (kain sarung or kain pelikat). The patient lies down on the carpet or vinyl covered floor. A pillow is used for the head. No particular direction is fixed. A fan provides good ventilation as most Malay homes are hot especially if the procedure is done in the afternoon. Many such procedures are done at night when it is much cooler inside the house, usually after the last prayer for the night (solat isya').

The bomoh beckons the evil spirits (jin), curse them/it and asked them/it to leave the patient's body through the legs. The spirits dwell in the abdomen (perut) and the shoulder (bahu). The bomoh says these words "Hei makhluk yang Allah laknat, keluar kamu dari tubuh pesakit" which translates to "Hey you whom Allah cursed, get lost from this body". He repeats these lines several times and also tells which legs (kaki) to exit from, whether the right (sebelah kanan) or left leg (sebelah kiri). The movements of the evil spirits can be observed in the abdomen, shoulder, thigh and legs. He firmly shouts "Keluar ikut perut" (come out from the abdomen) and "keluar ikut bahu" (come out from the shoulder). The call subtly shifts to "Hei makhluk dilaknat Allah" (whom Allah has cursed).

The Malays have a lot of faith in their bomohs. Bomoh is a thriving business among Malay communities in West Malaysia. Almost every Malay community has a few bomohs is its vicinity. The video below may have been filmed half way through as usually the start is quite elaborate with supplications (baca doa). The closing itself is considered successful after the evil spirits are caught or trapped in bottles which are then disposed off in a body of water, either in a river or at the sea. In this respect, casting off evil spirits at sea/river shares many similarities with other belief systems and Asian religions. Though varied communities, the Malays are largely of Muslim faith today but a large part of the traditional and cultural beliefs are derived from the vestiges of Hinduism which once dominated this region for centuries.

For many who have not witnessed such a scene first hand, it maybe hard to believe or accept that eveil spirits do indeed leave the ill/sick body. I have not seen the actual procedure myself as females are not allowed to watch males being treated. But I guess this video will suffice to convey the information about how a bomoh conducts his session. Most bomohs will not allow any filming when they conduct sessions. Whether the bomoh or pesakit (patient) fakes it is left to you to decide. You be the judge. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMwnCzJaQo&NR=1



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