100 Years MAIK 1334-1434 Hijri / 1915-2012

MAIK (Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat-Istiadat Melayu Kelantan)

MAIK was established in Kelantan on 24 December 1915. It was headed by 4 noble men who worked together at that time: Sultan Muhamad IV, Tok Kenali, Dato Perdana Menteri Paduka Raja and Dato' Laksamana. MAIK publishes its own magazine entitled Pengasuh, with Tok Kenali as its chief editor (ketua pengarang). The first issue of Pengasuh was on 11 July 1918 and it still continues to be published today. It is therefore the oldest and longest running Malay Islamic magazine in Kelantan (written in Jawi script). As such it is also the oldest running magazine in Malaya, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and globally. MAIK will be celebrating its 100th anniversary according to the Muslim calendar (1334-1434 Hijri) on 24 December 2012.

Kebun Ketereh.com blog
KebunKeterh.com in Facebook
Sekilas Pandang Tokoh Penulis Kelantan
Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan

Road divider bunting at the junction of Pejabat Pelajaran, near Sultan Ismail School.

Founders of MAIK

Sultan Muhamad IV
(b.23 May 1870 Kota Bharu; s. 17 June 1899; r.9 February 1900-d.23 December 1920)
Contributions to Kelantan: He named Kelantan Darulnaim and established the Muhammad Order of royal awards.

From Wikipedia: Sultan Muhammad IV ibni Sultan Muhammad III ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad III, Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of the State of Kelantan Da’ar ul-Na’im, KCMG (1.1.1913). b. at Kota Bharu, 23 May 1870, eldest son of H.H. Paduka Sri Sultan Muhammad III ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ahmad, Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan Besar of the State of Kelantan, by his first wife, H.H. Tengku Sofia binti al-Marhum Tengku Putih, Tengku Ampuan, eldest daughter of Tengku Puteh ibni al-Marhum al-Marhum Sultan Phaya Long Muhammad, Raja of the State of Patani, educated privately. Granted the title of Tengku Sri Indra, 23 September 1890. Appointed as Heir Presumptive with the title of Raja Muda 25 July 1898. Granted the tile of Phaya Bpakdi Sri Sultan Muhammad Ratna Nuchit Siti Santun Wiwangsa Pia Kelantan by the King of Siam. Succeeded on the death of his childless uncle, 17 June 1899. Installed as Raja Kelantan and Yang di-Pertuan, with the style of Yang Teramat Mulia, 9 February 1900. Granted the title of Phaya Deja by the King of Siam in 1897, and promoted to Phaya Bipitpakdi in 1900. Kelantan was transferred to British Protection, 19 July 1909. Crowned as Paduka Sri Baginda Sultan Muhammad IV with the style of Duli Yang Maha Mulia, and granted a permanent salute of 17-guns, 22 June 1911. Altered the name of the state to Negeri Kelantan Dar ul-Naim, July 1916. Founded the Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat di-Hormati (Royal Family Order) and the Paduka Mahkota Kelantan al-Muhammad (the Order of the Crown of Kelantan of Muhammad), 1916. Received: GC Order of the Crown of Siam (1905). m. (first) 1888, Nik Wan Zainab binti Nik Wan Muhammad Amin [H.H. Sultana Zainab] (b. 1877; d. at Kota Bharu, 23 July 1928, buried Royal Cemetery, Kampung Langgar), crowned as Sultanah at Istana Balai Besar, Kota Bharu, 15 February 1916, daughter of Nik Wan Muhammad Amin bin Wan ‘Abdu’l gelaran Ngah. m. (second) Cik Jarah binte Encik Yusuf. He died at the Istana, Kota Bharu, 23 December 1920 (buried Royal Cemetery, Kampung Langgar) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_of_Kelantan

Tok Kenali

Real name: Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad (1868-1933)

Contributions to Kelantan: religious teacher, thinker, intelligent holy man, sage

Translated from Wikipedia: He was regarded as a foremost clergy (ulama' ulung), a great Islamic teacher (guru agama Islam yang agung), a global developer of Islamic thinking (tokoh pembangunan pemikiran umat Islam di dunia) and a trigger of Islamic learning in Malaysia and Southeast Asia specifically (pencetus ilmu pengajian Islam di Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara khususnya), in the early 20th century (di awal abad ke-20). He was a a pious clergy (alim rabbani), whose life was guided by the holy book Al-Qur'an and the Traditions (Sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad SAW. He chose to live moderately and was a sage (wali keramat) and was inspired by Allah SWT and obtained intuition from God without learning (ilmu laduni, ilmu kurniaan Illahi tanpa belajar). - http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yusuf_bin_Ahmad

Dato Perdana Menteri Paduka Raja 

(b. 1880 Kota Bharu)

Real name: Dato' Haji Nik Mahmud bin Haji Nik Wan Ismail

Contributions to Kelantan: served as Perdana Menteri Paduka Raja (Perdana Menteri Kelantan) 29 April 1921-1944 (23 years)

Translated from Kebun Ketereh: He was born into a nobility family (keluarga bangsawan) in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in 1880. His parents were Qadhi Haji Nik Wan Ismail bin Haji Nik Wan Mahmud and Wan Aishah. After his father passed away in 1989, his mother brought him and his 3 other siblings to Makkah. Nik Mahmud had received his early education from his own father in Kelantan. In Makkah, he was taught under the tutelage of Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani, who was his father's friend. Both men (Qadhi Haji Nik Wan Ismail & Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani) were great clergies (ulama besar). In Makkah, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani taught 4 men - 2 were from the Riau-Lingga government, Raja Ali Kelana and Raja Khalid Haitami (grandson of Raja Ali Haji), while the other 2 were from Kelantan, Nik Mahmud and Haji Muhammad bin Muhammad Sa'id (he later became Dato' Laksamana). Dato Nik Mahmud served under 3 sultans and resigned on 27 December 1945 and was succeeded by his son, Nik Ahmad Kamil till 1953. He married and had 3 sons - Tan Sri Nik Ahmad Kamil (MP Kota Bharu Hilir, ex-MB Kelantan), Dato' Nik Mustapha Fadzil (Dato Sri Amar Diraja, ex-Dato' Maharaja Lela Istana Negeri KL), and another son (unknown). Dato Nik Mahmud died in 1964 at home in Atas Banggol, Kota Bharu. He was 84. His died a mysterious death which was thought to arise from black magic (sihir) by quarters who hated him. The title Perdana Menteri was no longer used replaced with Menteri Besar when the Federated Malay States (FMS or Persekutuan Tanah Melayu) was formed. - http://kebunketereh.com/?p=1459  

Summarised from comments in Kebun Ketereh: Perdana Menteri Paduka Raja had written 4 books including Cetera Kelantan, Kitab Pati Rahsia and Tajuk Kemuliaan. Cetera Kelantan was said to be altered after his demise, and he was slandered (difitnah) which caused a clash between 2 Kelantan royal households, that between Long Ghaffar and Long Yunus etc. He is survived by his great grandchildren.  

From TEMD Research: Dato Perdana Menteri Paduka Raja was buried in Kubur Banggol, a long distance behind Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubur Banggol. 

Dato' Laksamana

Real name: Haji Muhammad bin Muhammad Sa'id
(b.1889 Kota Bharu, d.20 March 1939)

Contributions: intellectual, literary figure, journalist and prolific writer, writer for Pengasuh magazine and other, famed as Father of Malay Journalism in Kelantan
Sources:
http://tiapdetik.blogspot.com/2009/06/tokoh-penulis-kelantan-dato-laksamana.html

From TiapDetik blogspot: He was the eldest son of Dato' Haji Muhammad Said, Dato' Sri Diraja and Khatib Masjid Besar Kota Bharu or Masjid Muhammadi in Kota Bharu. The mosque is adjacent to a big green mansion (now disused). It is across the road from 2 palaces, Istana Balai Besar and Istana Jahar. He received his early education in Kota Bharu before he went overseas in 1902 to study in Makkah and Egypt for a total of 12 years (8 years in Makkah and 4 years in Cairo). He studied under the tutelage of 3 brilliant religious masters such as Tok Wan Ali Kutan, Sheikh Wan Ahmad bin Wan Muhammad Zain al-Fatani and Sheikh Nik Mat Kechik al-Fatani. When in Cairo, he was influenced by the reformation (tajdid) movement there which was led by famous Egyptian reformists such as Muhammad Abdul and his student, Rashid Ridha. He returned to Kelantan in 1914 at the height of the First World War (WWI). Along with 3 others, they set up MAIK on 23 December 1915. He was the first MAIK Secretary till 1919 (ie till after WWI). He was the Assistant Secretary of Kelantan State (Penolong Setiausaha Negeri Kelantan) on 1 January 1917, and subsequently was the Deputy Chief of MAIK (Naib Yang Dipertua MAIK) on 13 August 1919. He was made Dato' Laksamana in July 1921. On 12 September 1925, he was appointed as State Secretary of the Kelantan Government (Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan). He was actively involved with writing and journalism. He was not only a writer for Pengasuh (October 1919-December 1933), he was also a co-writer of al-Kitab (1920) monthly magazine. He was also the writer of books such as Rampai-Rampaian (2 terms), a translated novel entitled Kecurian 5 Million Ringgit (January 1922), and 5 titles in Arabic which were not published before his demise. He wrote numerous articles in Pengasuh using the penname Pengarang Pengasuh, Hashim bin Muhammad and Patriot. He passed away on 20 March 1939 at age 50. - http://tiapdetik.blogspot.com/2009/06/tokoh-penulis-kelantan-dato-laksamana.html

Wiley Asia Blog linkup

We have made another new progress after this blog managed to publish 2 books this year (check out Xlibris, Amazon and Barnes & Noble). The Wiley Asia Blog (based in Singapore) has indicated its interest to link up with this blog on The Early Malay Doctors and another of my blog, Medicine Newbie. I have prepared a short description for each of the blogs as requested by the Wiley rep to facilitate the linkup.

THE EARLY MALAY DOCTORS 
http://theearlymalaydoctors.blogspot.com/

Description of blog:

This is an academic as well as a research blog that aims to cater to the needs of various levels of readers, students, lecturers and researchers. The posts within contain articles, reports, interviews, feedback, cases & case reports, census reports, issues, news articles, opinions, conference calls, email re-posts, reviews, research findings, useful links and many other resources including biographies which maybe relevant to your needs. The contributors for this blog comprise academics, the general public, retired government servants, medical practitioners, historians, local museums, archives and various special interest groups. Topics covered range from Malay medical history, Malay herbs and herbal medicine, Malay traditional medicine, modern medicine, Malay political history, Malay political science, telehealth, bioethics, and various other topics about the Malay people which are rarely covered in medical textbooks and books on the Malay people, their lives, culture and civilisation.

Language used: English (UK). Expect some Malay words.

Mode of access: Free access

Download of photos: Restricted for photos which are owned by contributors, readers, govt agencies, institutions and other publishers. Some contributors will not allow reproduction of their online photos.

Citation: Encouraged. Follow any established format for blog post.

Copyright: The Early Malay Doctors

Blog administrator & owner: Faridah Abdul Rashid

Main author: Faridah Abdul Rashid

Guest authors: 10

MEDICINE NEWBIE
http://medicinenewbie.blogspot.com/

Description of blog:

This is an academic as well as a research blog that aims to provide simple, current and brief information to new students in medicine, dentistry and health sciences. Lecturers and researchers who are new to medicine and health sciences may also find this blog useful for writing their first research proposals. Medical students who plan to apply for scholarships may find this blog useful for ideas and suggestions. This blog covers topics and materials covered in lectures, small group discussion (SGD), cases used for problem-based learning (PBL), contents covered in fixed-learning modules (FLM), simple cases for class use, data interpretation, links to relevant YouTube videos to enhance learning, and various other resources to help with initial learning (head start). Questions posed during lecture, SGD, PBL, FLM, etc are discussed where possible. Textbooks, image databases and examination questions are discussed in detail where possible. Exam marking schemes are shown and students' mistakes are highlighted where possible. Learning difficulties, confusing matters and uncertainties are highlighted where relevant.

Language used: English (UK). Expect some Malay words.

Mode of access: Free access

Download of photos: Links are provided to the original image source.

Citation: Encouraged

Copyright: Medicine Newbie

Blog administrator & owner: Faridah Abdul Rashid

Main author: Faridah Abdul Rashid

Guest authors: 1

Conference Call

 From:
"Catherine Arokiasamy"
catherine_arokiasamy@imu.edu.my

To:
rogayah@kb.usm.my
Cc: "Victor Lim" <victor_lim@imu.edu.my>, "Azura Jamalludin" azura_jamalludin@imu.edu.my
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 5:24:54 PM GMT +08:00
Subject: RE: MEDICAL EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM

 

 

Dear Prof Rogayah,

In conjunction with our 20th Anniversary of the establishment of IMU, I am happy to inform you that we will be organizing a Medical Education Symposium themed ‘Medical Education in Malaysia’ on Saturday 3 November 2012 in our IMU Bukit Jalil Campus. We wish to invite you and members of your organization to this event and we enclose herewith the programme for your reference.

 

 

The main objective of the symposium is to highlight and document aspects of the history of medical education in Malaysia and to discuss issues pertaining to the direction medical education in Malaysia should take with regard to meeting Malaysia’s health needs for the 21st century. In conjunction with the symposium, an exhibition will be held on the Life and Times of the Late Professor Tan Sri Dr T J Danaraj, who as you are aware was the foundation dean of our first medical school.


We hope as many of your academic staff and senior corporate managers would be able to attend the symposium to share their views and opinions on this important topic.


Please RSVP your attendance in the enclosed form and forward this to Azura at azura_jamalludin@imu.edu.my or Catherine at catherine_arokiasamy@imu.edu.my . 

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you and your staff at this event.

Best regards,

Professor Victor Lim
Vice President, Education
--
Dr. Rogayah Jaafar
Professor, Department of Medical Education
School of Medical Sciences
Universiti Sains Malaysia
16150, Kubang Kerian
Kelantan, MALAYSIA
Tel: +60-097676555 (office)
     +60-0129008235 (handphone)
Fax: +60-097653370

3 attachments

image001.jpg 13K

flyer 4 (2) (2).pdf 217K

Attendance Form.doc 635K

The HABHAL Story

Do you ever believe in miracles? I do. Let me tell you the story of the soy sauce (kicap, kichap) that bound an early settler's family, one that opened trade in early Singapore. This story covers Malacca, Johor, Sungai Buloh and Singapore. Here's the miracle story ...

When I was a child of 11, my family lived in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan. Our house was in the grounds of Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu, Kelantan. My father taught there as a lecturer. We lived in a bungalow, made by the British administration in Malaya, which was later occupied by the Japanese officers during World War II. When we moved into our house it was haunted and had bottles of alcoholic beverages strewn on the pangkin (wooden platform) in one of the back rooms. We were told not to go near the big black bottles as they contained something HARAM (mostly whisky). The garage was messy and was also haunted. We didn't keep our car in there since it stunk of petrified corpses. The house was unoccupied for 24 years since the war ended in 1945; we moved in in 1969. The other bungalows also appeared haunted. Our nearest neighbour was Pak Cik Jamaluddin and his family. I got to know him and his family from my father. My father was fond of Pak Cik Jamaluddin and I wondered why. Pak Cik Jamaluddin was my father's uncle. I didn't know the lineage at that time back in 1969-1971 except that we were somewhat related.

Pak Cik Jamaluddin had a few kids who came over to our house for birthday parties and to play with us in the evening. I don't know how many kids he had. The ones I remember are Noni, Sabariah Faezah and Fuzi. There was a boy, but I don't recall ever seeing him. Even if I had met him I can only remember someone with curly hair. Pak Cik Jamaluddin had a lovely fair wife whom I called Mak Cik. I don't know her name but she made pretty Hari Raya cookies and stacked them in bottles that filled the shelves in one room. For me, it was a child's dream to see that many Raya cookies made ahead of the festivities.

As kids, we all went to play on the field at the side of our house, near my bedroom window, and that of my parents. We played rounders in the shade of the coconut trees and climbed trees. The flame of the forest was a beautiful tree to climb. I can remember the evening breeze and it would pick up and the air would turn from cool to cold and I would run inside to keep warm, watching the other kids from my bedroom window.

Sabariah Faezah was a thin girl, like Twiggy. She was known to me as Faezah. She told me she had two names and I wondered why. I asked my mother why she had two names. Faezah was very different from the other kids I played with. She was a happy and noisy kid, a chatterbox and a tomboy. She showed me a photo when she was younger and lived in England. That photo has since stuck in my mind. I still can remember her standing next to a house in that photo. It was that photo that inspired me to study very hard so I too could go overseas and live overseas. Faezah spoke fluently, loud and clear. I could hear her voice when she approached our house to play. Sometimes I didn't have the mood to go out and play, but when I heard her voice, I would jump up and go to the door to look for her. She would ask me to come out to play, "Mai lah, mai lah main." When my periods were heavy, I couldn't even walk properly, never mind going out to play and run with the boys. It was a turning point in my life. I was a big girl now. That was what our maid said, but I was still my small girl frame. I had to refuse Faezah's call to come out and play when I had my period. It was a rather sad moment that I was transforming. I had to stay home because of my heavy periods.

After many weeks of not going out to play, I later heard that Pak Cik Jamaluddin was to be transferred out of Kelantan. I didn't know where he went. After he and his family left the Maktab quarters, the area around his house looked deserted and unkempt. The lalang grew so tall. There was once a young Malay couple who kena tangkap basah among the tall lalang near the garage, under the big tree (that reminds me of the movie, Summer '42). It was very sad when I looked in the direction of Pak Cik Jamaluddin's house from my bedroom window. That sadness went on for a long time, each time I remembered Pak Cik Jamaluddin and his family. Sometimes I would take a walk around his empty house and came home feeling a bit happier.

Come January 1972, I was shipped out to Malacca with my eldest brother Sharif and my elder sister Sharifah. We boarded the train from Wakaf Bharu in Kelantan and got off in Gemas. It was a dark, cool foggy night and the street lamps had orange light that lit the space between the trees and the road. It was eerie and very frightening for me. I kept close to my brother, asking him, "Abang, kite nak pegi mane ni? Abang tau ke dekat mane rumah Mak Sarah?" My brother said he knew Malacca and how to get to our aunt's house, but we got lost before we found transport to get to her place in Banda Hilir. I had to report for school that morning as instructed by our father. I didn't know why he had shipped us on the night of the first day of school in Kelantan. Kelantan schools opened on Sunday. I was in my school uniform when I travelled by train overnight to Malacca. I was supposed to report to the headmistress of my new school, Malacca Girls' High School (MGHS) at Durian Daun on Monday morning. It was a cruel but urgent transfer or I would have missed the first day of school at MGHS. My parents came to join us in Malacca in February. We lived at Maktab Perguruan Perempuan Melayu (MPPM) - another haunted house and haunted place. Pak Cik Jamaluddin was not in Malacca. I don't know where his family went.

I later met Faezah at Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) when I joined Form 4T in 1974. At first I thought it was the wrong person because she didn't look the same. But I kept track of her to see it she was the same Faezah I had known at Maktab in Kelantan. One day there was a grave news on campus and in the midst of it, there was this same mysterious girl. I looked at her features and listened to her voice. Yes! That's was the same girl I played with when we were much younger. I was overjoyed but she had her own group of friends. I kept to my group of friends and we drifted apart somewhat. I don't recall speaking to her at TKC. Maybe I did, but I can't recall. I took the MCE in 1975 and then left TKC in May 1976 to go to Methodist Boys' School in Penang with (Prof) Asma Ismail and (Assoc Prof) Umi Kalthom Ngah, and then went to study in California for 6 straight years. Pak Cik Jamaluddin was nowhere near and unheard of. I wondered what happened to him and his family.

My father died in Penang in March 2009. My elder sister cleared his drawer and saved all his loose-paper diary and jottings. She also saved his many pendrives. It was a good thing that my sister did not toss out anything from our father's belongings. I was in Penang 2 years after my father died. I went through some of his stuff, his pendrives and lots of papers from his drawer. Pak Cik Jamaluddin's photo was in my father's pendrive. It featured him and a group of Malaysians at his home in England. It must be in the early 1960's, about the same time Dr Ungku Omar was in England for his postgraduate studies. After going through some papers, I found a handwritten letter of gratitude and at the bottom was signed Jamaluddin Mohd Ali. I didn't know whether that was Pak Cik Jamaluddin. I decided to locate Faezah to see if that was her father. I wrote in my blog and in Facebook. Nothing positive came for a long time and I too forgot about trying to find out what was Pak Cik Jamaluddin's surname.

One day, I received an email from Dr Farid (A&E USM). He informed me that Dr Sabariah Faezah was the Head of A&E at Sungai Buloh Hospital. I found it strange that Faezah would be in medicine. When we were kids we never spoke of becoming doctors. So I was a bit surprised and almost unsure whether I had got the right person. I was given her handphone # and I SMS-ed her. True! It is the same Faezah. She's married and has kids. With that I surfed to see what she looked like. The Internet pictures showed a big lady and again, my heart sank. Maybe it is not the same Faezah whom I knew. Maybe she is a different Faezah. I was very sad again as I was unsure. I forgot about her again.

Yesterday (31 October 2012), I received a call from Dr Farid, A&E HUSM. He said there's someone who wanted to speak to me. It was Dr Sabariah Faezah! I almost fainted. Her voice was inaudible. However, she had informed me earlier that she would be coming to USM in April 2012. I had waited the entire month of April to see her, but she did not show up as communicated in our emails.

I had just returned to have lunch and received my books from the DHL courier service. I had ordered many copies of my book, in the hope to distribute them to faithful hands who would read my book. I could not meet with Faezah as I was too exhausted to get dressed and come to see her. I slumped in front of my laptop to write to my printer (in Bloomington, Indiana, USA, despite the storm Sandy) that I had received 20 copies of my book. I decided to SMS Faezah later in the evening to see if there is a chance for us to meet up and to see for myself whether she is the same Faezah whom I had met when we were much younger. We agreed to meet up in USM the following morning, her last day in USM this time around. I kept hope all night that we could meet tomorrow.

Today, on Thursday, 1 November 2012, I made a prayer that I would get to meet a long lost friend, Faezah. I brought along 3 copies of my book (Research on the Early Malay Doctors) for distribution at my workplace. I placed them in my rattan basket (bakul rotan) since I no longer carry a backpack. I stopped by the library to deposit a copy of my book there and gave them my card after the staff requested my contact address. I then headed to the Dean's office to deposit a copy but Prof Aziz Baba was away; he had gone back to his kampung in Malacca and would only be back on Sunday. I left a copy in the hands of a girl who knows a lot about my book from Penerbit USM and news of the book and its contents. I was very surprised that she would take so much interest in my writing but it made me happy to know that people like to read what I write. That is what I call active self-paced learning (by reading what you like). I then quickly headed down to A&E. Since I have not been to A&E for a long time, I forgot where the entrance door to that dept was. My husband Affandi showed me which doors to pass through and we got to the A&E dept just in time to catch Dr Farid. Dr Farid recognised me and I asked him, "Mane saudara saya?" He smiled and asked around his staff and replied she's gone. Oh! No! I missed her again. Actually, Faezah had gone upstairs to the exam venue, not off to the airport. Dr Farid walked us up to the second floor, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. As we turned to walk into the corridor, Dr Farid said to me, "There's Dr Sabariah Faezah." I didn't recognise her at first. He must be joking I thought. In the meantime, a lady ahead of us turned round and greeted us. She was Dr Sabariah Faezah, the same Faezah I had been looking for all these years (41 years to be exact). You wouldn't believe it! Faezah and I hugged each other. She was bigger and taller than me. I was very happy to see her again. The effort to meet up was worth it. I still have tears as I write you this post. It is a happy feeling indeed to be able to meet up with a dear friend. Now my tears have rolled down my cheeks and my eyes are all wet. Alhamdulillah, my wish to meet with her has been answered today. Allahu Akbar.

Faezah and I sat at BPSP (I don't know what the long name is) lobby, HUSM while waiting to enter the exam vetting venue. I asked her how we are related. She said we are related through HABHAL, the soy sauce. I asked her how. She said Haji Ahmad (Haji Ahmad bin Haji Abdul Latiff or HABHAL) was Pak Cik Jamaluddin's uncle. I informed her that HABHAL married Amnah, my father's aunt. And that is how we are related. She asked to update my post at my blog. So that is the link between my family and her family, through the humble HABHAL soy sauce which her granduncle made. Isn't that lovely? It is a miracle that 2 close families can remain bound for so long just via that extraordinary soy sauce. Don't you think so? It feels really great to finally find this missing link in both our family trees and family history. Faezah may have more on the HABHAL story so you can ask her.

Please serve HABHAL soy sauce (that's my father's request). I hope you will like this story and take the unassuming kicap seriously. I still don't know if HABHAL is connected to the reconstruction of Masjid Sultan in Singapore. I don't know if Faezah still has her father's photos of early Singapore. I didn't ask her. It will be a great gem to our medical history if she can find more information about HABHAL soy sauce industry and update us on its beginning and development. She may have early pictures of Geylang, before it became Eunos. I don't know but I believe there is still much history to be unearthed by HABHAL's people.

I showed her my book and asked if she wanted a copy. She asked me to sign it as she was called to enter the exam venue. Dr Farid offered me his ink pen and I quickly signed my book for Faezah. I handed back Dr Farid's pen and requested him to hand the book to Faezah. It was a beautiful feeling to give my book to her. I will always remember our chanced meeting today. Thank you Dr Farid for helping me to meet with Faezah. Thank you everyone for helping in one way or another. Silaturrahim is not to be missed or broken.

Link to Eunos and Geylang

Salasilah Kesultanan Kedah

Oldest Malay Sultanate ...

The Kedah Sultanate existed long before the Kelantan and Malacca Sultanates. It is the oldest Malay sultanate known in Malaysia.

The Sultanate of Kedah was the earliest sultanate on the Malay Peninsula and one of the oldest Sultanates in the world, founded in 1136. - Wikipedia
Who's Who ...

The royal marriages and family tree are here:
http://gambargambarpelik.blogspot.com/2012/06/salasilah-kesultanan-kedah.html

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedah_Sultanate

What is interesting is that, many of the country's pioneers and record holders involved royal family members from Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, etc.

Let's see ...

First Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federated Malay States/FMS):
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Muhammad (Yang di-Pertuan Besar NS). His eldest daughter Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah married to Sultan Abdul Halim (Kedah).

Sultan Abdul Hamid (Kedah) had 2 illustrious princes: Sultan Badlishah and Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj

First Prime Minister of Malaysia: Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj Sultan Abdul Hamid (Kedah)

14th Agong: Sultan Abdul Halim Sultan Badlishah (Kedah)

Kings of Kedah ...

1. Merong Maha Wangsa @ Sultan Mudzaffar Shah (r. 1136-1179)
2.
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24. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah @ Halim Shah (r. 1854-1879; 2 wives
- Wan Jah Long Nik Abidin and Wan Hajar Wan Ismail)

25. Sultan Zainal Rashid Muadzam Shah II (r. 1879-1881; son of Wan Jah)

26. Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (r. 1882-1943; his younger brother was Tunku Mahmud; he was the grandfather of Tuanku Abdul Halim; married 8x to Siamese and Sharifah ladies; 45 children - 23 princes & 22 princesses). The 8 wives were:
Che Spachendra
Che Laraseh
Che Samanirat
Che Manjalara
Sharifah Meriam*
Sharifah Seha*
Sharifah Fatimah*
Che Sofiah - her sons were Sultan Badlishah and Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj (first PM); she was the niece of Tunku Abdul Hamid

* Note: (a) The 3 Sharifah ladies mentioned above were also connected to the earliest Arab clan of Kampung Batu Uban in Penang. These Arabs were there before Francis Light arrived in Penang. Sharifah Seha was also connected to the Malacca Arab people in the vicinity of Masjid Tengkera (Tranquerah Mosque) where Sultan Hussein Shah (the last Singapore-Johor Sultan) was interred. Today, her descendants can be found in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan. Some of her descendants/relatives included Syed Sheikh Alhadi (tutor to the Riau ruler Raja Haji Ali), Syed Alwi Alhadi (eldest son of Syed Sheikh), Dr Mohamed bin Alwi Alhadi (an early Malay doctor; an eminent gastrosurgeon), Prof Syed Mohsin Syed Sahil Jamalullail, etc. Some of the graves can be found at Tanah Perkuburan Islam, Masjid Jamek Mukim Jelutong in Jelutong Timur, Penang.

27. Sultan Badlishah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (his mother was Che Sofiah; his son is Sultan Abdul Halim - 14th Agong).

1. Married Tunku Asma Sultan Sulaiman (T'ganu)
7 children:
Tunku Husna
Tunku Kamariah
Tunku Annuar - Tunku Bendahara, Datuk Seri Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah (deceased May 2014)
Tunku Bishariah
Tunku Badriyatul Jamil
Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani - Tunku Laksamana, Datuk Seri Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani Sultan Badlishah
Tunku Sallehuddin - Tunku Temenggong, Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah

2. Married Tunku Sofiah Tunku Mahmud, 1943, Istana Anak Bukit
5 children, 3 princes and 2 princesses:
Tunku Abdul Hamid
Tunku Abdul Halim
Tunku Mansor
Tunku Hamidah
Tunku Sakinah

28. Sultan Abdul Halim Sultan Badlishah (b. 28 November 1927 Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Setar; succeeded Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin as Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ke-14 on 11 April 2012, r. 13 December 2011-present). His uncle was Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

Siblings of Sultan Abdul Halim ... (12 siblings)

Tunku Bendahara, Datuk Seri Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah - deceased May 2014
Tunku Temenggong, Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah
Tunku Laksamana, Datuk Seri Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani Sultan Badlishah

Marriages of Sultan Abdul Halim ...

1. Almarhumah Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah, m. March 1956, Istana Seri Menanti, NS.
She was the eldest princess of Yang di-Pertuan Besar NS, Tuanku Abdul Rahman Muhammad, first Agong. Deceased 26 August 2003, Istana Kuala Chegar, Anak Bukit

2. Che Puan Haminah Hamidun (b. Bagan Serai, Perak), married Tuanku Sultan Abdul Halim 25 December 1975, new Sultanah Kedah, name styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Sultanah Kedah.

Princesses of Sultan Abdul Halim ...(daughters of Sultanah Bahiyah)

Tunku Soraya
Tunku Sarina (mangkat)
Tunku Panglima Besar, Datuk Seri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Sultan Abdul Halim

Doctors without work

This year is my 30th year teaching at the USM medical school. I have not been to or seen other medical schools except that at UniKL in Ipoh where I was an external examiner for the first year students. So my impression below is a rather closed one (like katak bawah tempurung). Anyway, it is good to read.

When I first joined as a lecturer in June 1982, there were many PhD lecturers and very few medical lecturers. There was at least one medical lecturer per discipline. In my department (Chemical Pathology/Medical Biochemistry/Biochemistry), we had a medical doctor as HOD (Dr Mohamed Said bin Hashim Tahir, MBBS UKM), Dr Kalavathy Jayavant (MBBS India), and 4 basic science (non MBBS) lecturers - Musalmah (MSc Reading), Akmal (MSc Hull), Nadiah (BSc UK) and myself (MSc California).

While in Penang, as lecturers, we helped out at the USM Specialist Clinic beside GH Penang. I spent a lot of my time at the clinical lab upstairs as I was interested to learn about the chemistry analyzers and all the other machines which was my first time working in a clinical lab. I even wrote my first clinical lab manual for my department which was used to train our medical lab technologists. I then made further versions as the machines changed and new knowledge came to the fore. I enjoyed my clinical lab work. (I was from a pure science research lab in California.)

When I was transferred to work at Hospital USM (HUSM) in Kubang Kerain, Kelantan, I worked in the admin side and did purchasing for the hospital. I did not do medical teaching as only the 4th and 5th year were at HUSM while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students were still based in USM Penang. I worked at HUSM from September 1983 till mid-February 1985, and then left to do my PhD in Australia.

When I returned to Malaysia, I was directed to go straight to USM based in Kelantan and report there. I was back at my old workplace but had lost my job as HOD in Chemical Pathology at HUSM. A female medical specialist was now the new HOD. I was told they preferred an MBBS since it was a hospital.

Time passed and I matured with my job. When I learned to read my pay slip correctly with the codes deciphered, there was hardly any money to my name. I paid my taxes to LHDN, first to the Penang branch and later to the Kota Bharu branch after my income tax file was transferred.

Along the line, there was a big argument about how PhD-holders should be addressed, ie differently from the MBBS lecturers, ie to alienate them. The tall order came from the Dean's office in B/W. My name became DR Faridah Abdul Rashid (if I was an MBBS doctor, it would have been Dr Faridah Abdul Rashid). For a long time, DR and Dr did not bother me because I just typed all the names with Dr and that was that. I didn't follow the rule because it was a stupid rule.

Somewhere down the line, another phenomenon struck the PhD-holders. This time USM paid all its medical lecturers what is called a clinical allowance. This clinical allowance is for medical doctors (also called specialists) to do clinic. They get this special allowance for being involved in clinics, handling patients, dealing with patients face to face, prescribing medicines for patients, etc. The PhD-holders did not get any clinical allowance as they don't have clinics and are not involved with clinical duties. Fine.

But, not all specialists have clinics! Many medical doctors become lecturers so they are medical specialists but many do not have clinics or see patients. Would they qualify for clinical allowance? Outright NO! So what did these doctors do? They fought for a critical allowance as opposed to clinical allowance. What is this critical allowance? When I first heard of that term, I was lost! I had thought that critical allowance was meant for critical injuries suffered by lecturers during their line of duty. But I was wrong. I went to ask at the medical school registrar (Pendaftar). The critical allowance is paid to medical specialists who are not involved in clinics and have no clinical duties. I was really lost when I found this out. Just because they are medical specialists and don't have any clinics, they get the critical allowance (which is 75% of clinical allowance).

Recently, the medical specialists went to KKM or some other, to fight for an additional perk called the teaching allowance. I first heard about it when I was in my car and headed to Kota Bharu to get some groceries. My husband informed me about teaching allowance for medical specialists. I laughed because to a PhD-holder, the idea was ridiculous.

So now, medical specialists with a postgraduate degree have a lot of money - basic salary + clinical allowance/critical allowance + teaching allowance. If they run clinics they are paid clinical allowance. Otherwise, they get a critical allowance.

PhD-holders (like me) get only a basic salary. Our work is the same as that of a medical specialist. PhD-holders also have to teach clinical sessions such as problem-based learning (PBL) in Phase 2 Medicine (year 2 & year 3), which is actually clinical discussion. Some have to do IDA (interdisciplinary discussion which is also a clinical session). PhD-holders are not paid critical and teaching allowances. So that alone makes the PhD-holder a second class citizen within the medical school. It is bitter to be paid less than our medical counterparts but that is a fact of life. The medical specialists are greedy, that's all I can say. They are very greedy indeed and all that they care for is getting more money for doing nothing (no clinic).

Many medical specialists retired but immediately returned to the medical school or other, to continue to hold their old posts (usually some high posts). When they rejoin, they are paid a pension plus a salary (their old salary). I don't know whether they are still paid the clinical/critical and teaching allowances because I haven't approached anyone to ask. I will when I have some time.

Now that the 4 old universities are research universities and being such the proof is to have the elderly lecturers stay on their jobs till they drop. So, the emeritus will remain till death do us part. The young retirees will continue to 'work' for blind money till they also drop. However, the PhD-holders usually return to work but soon leave. The PhD-holders find it useless to return for long. There is no point to work after early retirement (at 55 or 56) for the PhD-holders. The last 2 PhD-holders who left my department didn't consider to work after 60 (or till they drop); they left quietly. One retired at 56, rejoined for 5 years and left for good at 60. I asked him why he wanted to leave and not return - he said "malas lah". The other left at 56 and never returned. I asked him why he wanted to leave and he said he wanted to busy himself with his own business. He went on into the goat herding and milk industry.

I guess, the PhD-holders are playing a losing game by joining and staying on in medical school. We are made to believe that our presence is heart-felt and much desired but the truth is, we are second class citizens and down-trodden (macam hamba abdi). The medical school can do without us. They don't need us. Because universities have General Orders (GO), they cannot easily hire and fire lecturers. However, when we were forced to accept the more recent work & pay scheme (SSB, SSM, etc), the hire and instant fire are realities. Thus, if a medical school is to fire its lecturers (down-sizing), the elderly PhD-holder will go first.

People have choices and they can either support the medical specialists who have and get everything or they can support the poor PhD-holders who have nothing and get nothing. The PhD-holders are honest lecturers but I can't say the same of the medical specialists. I don't see their names on the time-table where I think their names should be.

Gaji buta is a new term that I learnt very late in my career. It means a lecturer can be paid for no work done. How is that possible? Ask the medical specialists how they do it. Most medical specialists hold a job that does not require them to do anything! Would you believe that?! Yes, it is true. Nowadays, HODs are paid RM600/mo. A program head is also paid RM600/mo. Any head of anything for that matter is paid RM600/mo. In an autonomous university, any post can be created and a person can be paid for holding that post. Some posts are redundant and ridiculous but they exist because someone needs to be paid - usually a medical specialist. So it is not surprising to see many posts being held by medical specialists when I feel they should be seeing patients in clinics (that's what they were trained for). Why have they left their clinical duties? Isn't it a waste of national resources and funds when medical specialists leave clinics altogether and assume non-clinical functions? Why have we let these things happen right in front of our eyes? Why has no one spoken about such ill practices at our medical school? We need the doctors in the clinics so our patients don't have to wait so long in the stuffy humid corridors.

To keep the ledger straight, I came across one instant where I asked my graduate student (who became a medical specialist) how much she was earning. It turned out that my own postgraduate medical student (with a Master of Medicine degree) is earning close to what I earn as a PhD-holder! I almost cried when I found out but I promised myself not to cry in front of my student. I hope this post will make PhD-students think twice if they think it is fun to work at a medical school. It is fun in the first year but trouble will strike when others get increment for even the smallest job in medical school. I still feel that today's doctors are mean and greedy, especially the ones whom I have seen at my workplace. Aren't they ashamed of the gaji buta that they get? Don't they know that they are draining our national funds? Don't they feel guilty at all? Will our doctors ever stop from begging the government for higher pay and bigger allowances (for no work)? Will our government stop to think or ask the PhD-holders of the truth about all this terrible mess?

I don't know what will happen in future but it is my worry that if things are  left unchecked, doctors will become super rich and patients and PhD-holders will become ordinary poor. Many patients are already fakir and wajib dibantu. Why are we helping the doctor and not the poor patients and PhD-holders? The medical doctors and specialists have an avenue and they complain to the medical council and association (MMC and MMA) but the PhD-holders have nowhere to complain, vent their grievances or let their voices be heard. So nobody knows the real situation in medical school, the place where I worked for more than 30 years. I still have another 6 years to work in this medical school unless I also want to leave early.

School within a hospital

Projek Sekolah Dalam Hospital (SDH) was recently officially opened at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. I went to have to look at the place when I passed by it on my way to Anjung Cafe. There was a Datin in-charge of the place. USM ENT specialist Prof Dinsuhaimi Sidek is the person in-charge at HUSM. He is with the School of Health Sciences.

The project looks exclusive to me. I don't agree with the idea of a school within the hospital and hinging on just one medical doctor. Children who are hospitalised long enough have a severe enough disease, problem or condition that I feel, rest and some light walkaround and reading are all that they need. There are many electronic gadgets today that children admitted to hospitals don't need a school while they are hospitalised. Give them the gadgets and that should make them study. Have e-learning for all school levels. That should take care of their study needs. Give them chat function or activate their handphones to enable them to call or speak to their teachers right from their hospital beds.

Personal tution for hospitalised children has pros and cons. It is expensive and deployment needs staff who are bound to that work and they do nothing else. They only teach at the SDH class. So that alone is a waste of educational resources. With kampung schools or rural schools having so  many problems, especially lack of space and classroom, yet the proposition of SDH was rolled out this year (close to PRU-13), complete with desktop computers (which is a setback now that we are in this digital age and children prefer fancier gadgets - laptops and tablets).

It does not mean that one great idea top-down is a great idea for all that saves the hospitalised children. I would rather have that money go to the rural schools which don't have proper classrooms or classes (insufficient classes). Misappropriation of money is what I see and I don't think such a project will work in the long run; it will work in the short term. How much money are we wasting for the SDH? For how long are we having the SDH? When is the first review of the SDH? Will the review be made public? What are the expected benefits of the SDH? Will the hospitalised children see other specialists at the hospitals who may have a positive effect on their learning? Aren't psychologists and paediatricians better for these children?

What are the priorities set for such children? Universities are tertiary education centres. They teach and educate, students, postgraduates and patients. Why did the SDH not contact the lecturers who are already in such field? Why didn't the SDH go through the same gruelsome rigorous research process as we all lecturers have to, like it or not? It seems strange and looks like a cut-and-paste job order. That is what it looks like to me. It kills the peace when something like this comes and by-passes the usual strict ethical research protocol which we already have in place. What's the point of having so many research platforms (we have 4 at USM) when top-down projects can just by-pass all barriers?

The SDH now occupies the previous nursing hall, Dewan Rufaidah.

What would happen if a poor kampung kid was hospitalised and has never used or owned a computer or handphone? When he is discharged from the hospital, he will miss the SDH. So it is better to create the SDH facilities at all local schools, especially rural schools. Kids pay for the computers at school but they don't get to use the computers. Isn't this true?

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Projeksekolahdalamhospitalditerus/Article/index_html

--
Email from the unit re the program called PRINCE:

[staf] Penawaran Jawatan Guru di PRINCE
Mon Dec 03 2012 17:00:55 GMT+0800 (Malay Peninsula Standard Time)
From: adilah@kk.usm.my
To:   staf@groups.wargakk.usm.my; akadppsk@groups.wargakk.usm.my
Cc:   suhaimi@kb.usm.my; adilah@kk.usm.my

Saya mewakili pihak PEMANCAR (di bawah Prof Dinsuhaimi) ingin membuka tawaran jawatan guru kepada lepasan Diploma atau Degree in Child Early Education untuk berkhidmat di PRINCE (Program for Inclusive Children's Excellence).

Jika ada sesiapa yang berminat, sila hubungi saya atau Prof Dinsuhaimi untuk maklumat lanjut.

Terima kasih

Dr. Nik Adilah Binti Nik Othman
Lecturer & Otorhinolaryngologist- Head&Neck Surgeon
School of Health Sciences, Health Campus
Universiti Sains Malaysia
16150 Kubang Kerian , Kelantan
Malaysia
Office no: +609-767 7571
Handphone no: +6019-9377080
Email: adilah@kk.usm.my
------------
Email

Subject: [staf] RUJUKAN PELAJAR KE KELAS SDH
Sent By: "Sekolah Dalam Hospital, HUSM" <sdh_husm@kk.usm.my>  
On: January 7, 2013 3:14 PM
To: staf
Cc: "zaidun" <zaidun@kb.usm.my>; "drmas" <drmas@kb.usm.my>; "rusnah" <rusnah@kck.usm.my>

Salam tahun baru. Sekolah Dalam Hospital(SDH) HUSM telah bermula pada 01/01/13.  Terima kasih atas kerjasama semua wad yang terlibat dalam menjayakan program SDH.  Kebelakangan ini kehadiran murid ke kelas SDH kurang memuaskan. Mohon jasa baik semua wad yang terlibat agar dapat menasihati semua pelajar yang layak mengikuti sesi pembelajaran di kelas supaya turun ke kelas semasa sesi pembelajaran.  Bermula tahun 2013, Pembantu Pengurusan Murid akan menjemput dan menghantar pelajar ke wad bagi tujuan pembelajaran di kelas.  Mohon kerjasama dan tindakan dari pihak tuan. Harap maklum.  Terima Kasih.  Penyelia SDH HUSM, Muhizulahfaz bin Ariffin
------------
Email


Subject: Re: [akadppsp] Now PRINCE is expanding! Pendidikan anak at the USM doorsteps,
Sent By: Nor Hayati Othman  
On: December 21, 2012 3:07 PM
To: Akademik
Cc: "adilah" <adilah@kk.usm.my>; "Zuraida Zainun" <zuraida@kb.usm.my>; "Mohd Fadzil Nor bin . Rashid" <fadzil@kk.usm.my>; "ppsk" <akadppsk@groups.wargakk.usm.my>; "ppsk" <ppsk@warga.kck.usmnet>
Reply To: Akademik

Din, Congratulations for good work!


Professor Dr Nor Hayati Othman
Dean, Clinical Science Research & Chairman, Pathology Postgraduate Education,
Universiti Sains Malaysia , 16150, Kubang Kerian , Kelantan , MALAYSIA
Tel : 609 7663117 (office), 609 7663417, 609 765 8371 fax: 609 7656291

http://www.crp.kk.usm.my


----- Original Message -----
From: "Prof. Dr. Dinsuhaimi Sidek" <suhaimi@kb.usm.my>
To: "ppsk" <akadppsk@groups.wargakk.usm.my>, "ppsk" <ppsk@warga.kck.usmnet>, "akadppsp" <akadppsp@groups.wargakk.usm.my>
Cc: "adilah" <adilah@kk.usm.my>, "Zuraida Zainun" <zuraida@kb.usm.my>, "Mohd Fadzil Nor bin . Rashid" <fadzil@kk.usm.my>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 4:16:28 PM GMT +08:00 Beijing / Chongqing / Hong Kong / Urumqi
Subject: [akadppsp] Now PRINCE is expanding! Pendidikan anak at the USM doorsteps,

Salaam to all

Looking towards a new year and a better future for our children...

As all friends and colleague can remember, it was just a year and the half ago that we started PRINCE (PRoram Inklusif aNak CEmerlang), whereby our staff kids are taken cared, educated holistically and at the same time they help to educate and support the OKU's (deaf children and children with autism)...i.e our child growup in a very OKU friendly environment and at the same time get a maximum enhancement from the experts.

Fantastic improvement results achieved for our OKU colleagues....very loving children of our staffs supporting them...

Our Dato' VC visited our place and gave a lot of encouragement and support, hoping that it will be an outreach national project (the only inclusive school for deaf and autism starting at 2 yrs old.) Next year we hope to expand to other hospitals and states.

For PRINCE USM now we will expand further... to a bigger place in USM .
We are opening to the 4 to 6 year olds as well...but only for limited places.

For registration (normal children open to anak staff USM KK only):
1. Pls reply to my email & all the cc: stating a) Child's name &  b)DOB.
c)Parents name, d) dept & contact no.
2. All parents must agree to be interviewed (educating is a shared responsibility)
3.All parents must know that their children will have OKU friends and they should be proud of that.

Fees is still the old fees i.e RM 200/- for half day and RM 300 till 5pm.(to be reviewed in June 2013)
OUR TEACHERS ARE VERY LOVING AND MOSTLY GRADUATES.

/info: pls contact:
 En Fadzil Nor (Audiologist PPSK) 0123094142, Dr. Nik Adila (audio PPSK) 0199377080, Dr. Zuraida (0179427395)

Chairman, Audiology Program
School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
16150 Kubang Kerian , Kelantan

Professor,
Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS),
School of Medical Sciences, USM

Senior Consultant ORL-HNS,
Hospital USM

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Dinsuhaimi Sidek" <suhaimi@kb.usm.my>
To: "Hasmah Abdullah" <hasmah@kck.usm.my>
Sent: Monday, July 4, 2011 7:08:55 AM GMT +08:00 Beijing / Chongqing / Hong Kong / Urumqi
Subject: Re: [ppsk] Cepat, Hanya untuk yang berminat! l: QUality Early Education Centre (TASKA) at USM doorsteps for 2-4 yr olds

Salaam,

Pls confirm about your child's place in PRINCE,
kami mula pagi ini Isnin4hb., because of your enquiry we have put your name in.Jika tidak berminat harap maklum sbb we are oversubscribed.

Dr Dinsuhaimi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hasmah Abdullah" <hasmah@kck.usm.my>
To: "Dr Dinsuhaimi" <suhaimi@kb.usm.my>
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 11:28:08 AM GMT +10:00 Canberra / Melbourne / Sydney
Subject: Re: [ppsk] Cepat, Hanya untuk yang berminat! l: QUality Early Education Centre (TASKA) at USM doorsteps for 2-4 yr olds

Ok. terima kasih.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr Dinsuhaimi" <suhaimi@kb.usm.my>
To: "Hasmah Abdullah" <hasmah@kck.usm.my>
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 11:26 PM
Subject: Re: [ppsk] Cepat, Hanya untuk yang berminat! l: QUality Early
Education Centre (TASKA) at USM doorsteps for 2-4 yr olds

> Salam.
> Program akan mula pada Isnin 4 hb July ini di bangunan baru PPSK.
> Sila confirm kalau betul perlu tempat sbb limited space.
> Dr Din
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jun 29, 2011, at 9:21 AM, "Hasmah Abdullah" <hasmah@kck.usm.my>  wrote:
>
>> Salam Prof Din,
>>
>> Prog ni nak start bila?
>>
>> Hasmah
>> PPSK
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dinsuhaimi Sidek" <suhaimi@kb.usm.my
>> >
>> To: "ppsk" <ppsk@groups.wargakk.usm.my>; "ppsk"  <ppsk@warga.kck.usmnet>;
>> "ppsk" <ppsk@warga.kck.usmnet>; "akademik"  akad"
>> <akademik@warga.kck.usmnet>; "akadppsp" <akadppsp@groups.wargakk.usm.my
>> >
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 6:13 PM
>> Subject: [ppsk] Cepat, Hanya untuk yang berminat! l: QUality Early
>> Education Centre (TASKA) at USM doorsteps for 2-4 yr olds
>>
>>> As-Salam,
>>>
>>> Dengan kejayaan program " D' Kecek" (Deaf Kids Excellence Centre,
>>> Kelantan) dimana budak-budak yang pekak teruk dengan bantuan alat
>>> pendengaran dan sistem pembelajaran yang excellent, pada umur  seawal 2
>>> tahun mereka sudah boleh bercakap dan membaca, bersosial  dll.
>>>
>>> Sekarang dengan pendekatan inklusif dan holistik, kita akan membuka
>>> satu lagi program iaitu "PRINCE" - "PRogram for INclusive  Children's
>>> Excellence" atau Program INklusif aNak Cemerlang
>>> berteraskan kepada early education yang  holistik termasuk  kognitif,
>>> fizikal, sosial, spiritual dan leadership. Anak di beri  kebebasan
>>> memilih untuk belajar mengikut keinginan sendiri secara  exploratory,
>>> dibimbing oleh para profesional mengguna segala potensi.
>>>
>>> Beberapa anak istimewa juga akan di-inklusifkan dalam program ini,  bagi
>>> membiasakan anak-anak kita mempunyai keprihatinan yang tinggi  dan kerja
>>> kumpulan serta kasih-sayang.
>>>
>>> Anak-anak ini akan mempunyai bimbingan oleh profesional yang  terlibat
>>> seperti occupational therapist, speech pathologist, early  educationist,
>>> audiologist dll memakai kaedah yang terkini dan  canggih.  Mereka juga
>>> berpeluang untuk mengikuti kajian-kajian  terkini dan tercanggih dan
>>> bergaul dengan pelajar-pelajar Universiti.
>>>
>>> Hanya 20 tempat disediakan, sekarang tinggal 13 lagi....siapa cepat  dia
>>> dapat tetapi ibu-bapa akan melalui interviu ringkas terutama  tentang
>>> komitmen ibu-bapa utk meneruskan strategi-strategi  pembelajaran di
>>> rumah. Penglibatan ibu-bapa merupakan keperluan  untuk kejayaan anak
>>> cemerlang.
>>>
>>> Bahasa utama 1. Bahasa Inggeris, 2. Bahasa Malaysia dan 3. Bahasa  Arab.
>>> Beberapa anak postgrad international sudah mendaftar.
>>>
>>> Beberapa Detail seperti di bawah ini:
>>>
>>> Tempat Sementara: Blok Bangunan Baru PPSK (Bersebelahan rumah  Haiwan
>>> dan Makmal Penyelidikan Haiwan)  (tempat kekal "ISTANA atau  InStitut
>>> ANAk) dijangka mula dibina tahun ini di USM dgn bantuan NGO)
>>>
>>> Umur 2-4 tahun
>>> Yuran Bulanan : RM 200/- 8.00am -12.30am (tea break disediakan)
>>>               RM 260/- ( jika disambung dengan daycare/mengaji  hingga
>>> 5.00pm    (extra hours RM5 per hr.) (tambahan RM 40/- untuk  makan
>>> tengahari dan petang jika tidak disediakan oleh ibu-bapa).
>>>
>>> Yuran tahunan dan pendaftaran: semasa pendaftaran (tahunan RM200  DAN
>>> PENDAFTARAN RM !00)
>>>
>>> Anjuran Utama: Persatuan Membantu Orang Cacat Pendengaran Kelantan
>>> (PEMANCAR)
>>>
>>> Penasihat: 1. Prof Dr. Dinsuhaimi Sidek
>>> 2, Puan Azlinda Abd Ghani
>>> 3. Dr. Ramiza Ramzan Ramli
>>> 4. Prof Madya Siti Hawa Ali
>>>
>>> Yang berminat sila sms kpd Prof Dr. Dinsuhaimi 0139208980 sila  catat
>>> Nama anak, umur dan HP: ibu-bapa + tempat bekerja (USM).   Atau email:
>>> suhaimi@kb.usm.my
>>>
>>> Drp Dr. Dinsuhaimi...
--

Mubin Sheppard (1905-1994)

Dato Jasa Purba Di-Raja, Haji A. Mubin Sheppard

Born: 21 June 1905, Kent, England

Mubin Sheppard was instrumental in guiding 2 early Malay doctors to become doctors. They were Dato'Dr Abbas bin Haji Alias and Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Said bin Mohamed.

http://www.mbras.org.my/monograph42.html

From Who's Who in Malaysia 1971-1972

British Officers

There were many British officers in British Malaya and in the Federation of Malaya and later Malaysia till the early 1970s. When I lived Sabah, I saw many British families residing in Sabah. They were in Tanjong Aru, near the coast. They were near the airport. They were at the hospital (Queen Elizabeth II Hospital). At the airport, I saw quite a number of white kids who wore leg braces - they had polio. At that time I did not know polio and I had thought the metal braces were a higher societal standard! On the airport flashback, I think polio was a big problem in Sabah then. I had suffered from elephantiasis while living in Sabah; maybe because I was out hiking a lot in the jungle nearby where we lived.

There was one white man who worked with my father at Gaya College. Maybe he was the principal? He was Mr Todd. I don't know his full name but he was already very old when I met him. I didn't see any British officers at the school I attended (Tanjong Aru Primary School). There were many missionary schools in Sabah. The priests also came to our school to preach. They were in big white robes with a red band at the waist. They looked Indian to me. The Muslim students had a choice of either following the missionary classes or leave class. As for me, my father came to see the principal, Mr Regis, and informed him that we are a family of Muslims and that he didn't want my sibs and me to follow the missionary classes. So while the other students followed the missionary classes, Mr Regis and my eldest brother would come and call me out from my class. Mr Regis was a kind Indian man - he spoke very softly to students, and always smiled. I went out to play in the sunshine and enjoyed every minute of it while the other students followed the missionary classes.

My late father mentioned a lot of British names which have stuck in my mind since my childhood despite my intolerance of history as a subject per se (I didn't hate history but I didn't know what it was about). Some of the names were Lord Mountbatten, Mubin Shepard, Henry Gurney, etc. He mentioned their importance in our history but I have forgotten a lot of what I heard from him. He would put up slide shows at home and as kids, my sibs and I had to sit still and watch the slides quietly while he narrated (sometimes very boring). But we were obedient kids and did not object to watching slide show after slide show. That is what I call brain-washing or propaganda. But I was a little girl then and "No" was a forbidden answer. What remains in my mind are his words, "They were great men." Sometimes I ask myself, "How great were these men? What great deeds did they do for us? Who were they?"

Today, I have pictures of people in our history and have to write the stories without my father by my side. My stories about the British officers are from my childhood and from reading up about them. I have still not sorted the photos my father left me; where do I begin?

I am still looking for a British doctor named Mr Gideon, who served as a gastrosurgeon at GH Kota Bharu in 1969/70. I don't know his full name. He was my doctor when I was 12. Where is he today?

British officers were allowed to go on overseas leave for 3 months every 3 years.


External links

The Straits Times Singapore, Fri, Aug. 12, 1949. Malayan Tory
The Straits Times, 12 August 1949, Page 4

Batu Road School, Kuala Lumpur

I don't know the history of the school. I have only heard of the school from 2 people - Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid and my late mother.

So far, I have Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid who stated in The Who's Who in Malaysia 1965 that he attended Batu Road School (refer to my previous post on him).

I went to Kuala Lumpur many times to search for the school between 2007 and 2009. However, when I passed in front of the school, I was confused because the plaque read as shown below. It seems the school is now 3-in-1. It is a special school for the blind, an integration program and a boys' school. Just across the road is the Batu Road Girls' School.

Pendidikan Khas (Cacat Penglihatan) Jalan Batu
Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur
(Special School for the Blind)

Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi

Sekolah Kebangsaan Lelaki Jalan Batu
Jalan Raja Laut
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Tel/Fax: 03-2692 7297

Recently, my eldest daughter also took pictures of the same old school. She emailed me the photos without any text or caption but I noticed the bright yellow and brown colours, and instantly knew it was the same school I had photographed before.

These photographs were taken from my moving car (so some photos are blur) (7 June 2009):

GH Kota Bharu 2012 (2)

The government hospital in Kota Bharu has undergone much renovation since I wrote in my last post about the hospital. This hospital is important in our medical history because initially Kuala Krai was the seat of the British officers and doctors in Kelantan, before that adminstration was shifted to Kota Bharu. The hospital in Kota Bharu was at a different site in Kota Bharu before it was shifted to its present site.

Many of our early Malay doctors served at GH Kota Bharu and the various clinics in Kota Bharu. I came to live in Kelantan in early 1969 (after the May 13 incidences) and left Kelantan on 1 January 1971 (before first day of class). So I can remember a bit of GH Kota Bharu at that time. I remember the walk from the road to the X-ray unit and some of the services then.

Photos of GH Kota Bharu on 26 October 2012 (Aidiladha 1433 Hijrah):
Ambulatory Care & Haemodialysis Centre
(site of previous TB ward and parking lot nearest Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV)

The new buildings which replaced the TB ward and surrounding areas were ready in 2013. It is a multistorey day ward.

En Abdul Rahman bin Haji Talib (1916-1968) [4], Biodata and Family

Abdul Rahman bin Talib

Introduction
Born: 1916, Temerloh, Pahang
Early education: Temerloh, Pahang
Higher education: Sultan Idris Training College (SITC), Tanjung Malim, Perak

Career Path
Career sectors served: Politics, education, health
1940-45: Teacher, Sekolah Abdullah, Kuantan
1945: Penolong Nazir Sekolah-sekolah Melayu Pahang
1952: Pioneer for the establishment of Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama, within the Education Dept, Pahang
Political involvement: Active in Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu (PKMB/UMNO)
Member, National Council
1956: Deputy Minister, Natural Resources and Local Govt
1957: Transport Minister
1959: Trade and Industry Minister
1960-62; 1964: Education Minister

Honours and Awards

1. 1962: Awarded Ijazah Kehormat Doktor Undang-undang, UM
2. Eminent MBSKL Alumni

Contributions to Society

1. National language. Proposed Bahasa Melayu as the national language (bahasa kebangsaan)
2. Rahman Report 1960. Proposed improvement of the educational system of the Federated Malay States (FMS). Greater emphasis for use of the Malay language in schools. To make Malay language compulsory. Teachers were rewarded. Also known as Laporan Rahman 1960.

Resignation
1965: resigned

Death
Deceased: 18 October 1968, Cairo, Egypt
Name when deceased: Allahyarham Abdul Rahman Talib

Family
Wife: Rahmah bte Musa
Children: 10 (6 boys and 4 girls)

1. -
2. Ahmad Fauzi
3. -
4. -
5. Ahmad Fadzil
6. Dato Ahmad Fuad
7. -
8. -
9. -
10. -

Sources

1. Malaysia Merdeka http://www.malaysiamerdeka.gov.my/v2/en/my-malaysia/heroes-and-leaders/national-hero/77-abdul-rahman-talib Accessed on 26 October 2012 (Aidiladha 1433 Hijrah)
2. Abdul Rahman Talib family. Contacted 25 October 2012
3. Sejarah Malaysia http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBM/sm10_all.htm Accessed on 30 November 2012
4. http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rahman_Talib. Accessed 8 February 2013.

Malacca History (5)

I'm thankful to readers who dropped by to read some of the pages in this blog. I'm most grateful to those of you who cared to pen a line or two in the comments. The comments are useful as any small piece of information creates another big area of search and further research in a more defined direction. Nothing goes to waste. The comments are precious especially to this type of research that digs far back into our history.

For now, I have managed to go back into our history. The ancient Malay graves are in Semabok, in an enclosed low perimeter thick brick wall. I haven't been back to see the ancient graves in Semabok since university teaching has just begun for the new academic session 2012/2013. I have vivid memories of the graves there - the gravestones resembled the large Minangkabau ones. Whether the people buried there were from Pagarruyung or descended from their Pagarruyung ascendants is not known. But evidence from a Penang clan may shed some light that these graves could be Minangkabau; they could also be mixed Arab. Could also be Chinese Muslims.

Other questions arise; if there was a marriage of the Chinese Muslim princess to the Sultan of Malacca, where would she be buried? Where would he be buried? So, the graves at Semabok are important to Malacca history. Maybe the anthropologists and archaeologists missed that place as they don't have connection.

But as far as I know from my late father, Datuk Prof Dr Zuraina Abdul Majid is related to my father; therefore she should know. I only met her twice but can only recall the second time I met her. According to my father, she attended my wedding in Penang. But because I didn't know her at the time, I didn't talk to her and took no notice of her. The second time I met her, she was in the panel that interviewed me for my Associate Professor post at USM in Kelantan; I didn't know she was in the panel, so it was a surprise for me and probably for her too. I have not met her after that interview but I met her husband a few times.

A visit to the graves at Semabok should be worth a visit. I don't know the grave digger or graveyard caretaker at all as usually my late father and Imam Haji Yusof went there; they knew who were buried there. I only visited the graves once with my father and he pointed to our family plot (so very ancient).

Another small ancient Muslim burial plot actually lies beneath Masjid Banda Hilir, now renamed to Masjid an-Nur. As far as I know, only babies were buried there and the adults were buried in Semabok.

There are other ancient graves in Malacca, at Kampung Hulu and somewhere near the Malacca High School (if I'm not mistaken).

The last Sultan of Singapore is buried behind Masjid Tengkera? He went to live in Banda Hilir, Malacca first. Did he live in my grandfather's house? Whose house did he live in at Banda Hilir?

There were no other Malay houses in Banda Hilir at the time except my grandfather's (and his ascendants); the Malays lived farther down the road in Ujong Pasir and Umbai (according to my father and his uncle Coco). Banda Hilir or Banda Ilir is also in Dutch maps. Who was the last Sultan of Singapore? Was he related to the Malacca Sultanate?

Why did Coco and my paternal grandmother tell me that we are related to the Chinese princess? Did she really exist? Did the Malacca sultan marry her? Did they have issue? Nobody has tried to explain how our family is related to the Chinese Ming princess.

My mother said most of the Chinese wooden furniture (black) were used as firewood during the Japanese war, and she had bought modern furniture for our house in Malacca when she married to my father in 1955.

So there are none of the ancient Chinese furniture left today. I had seen some of the Chinese furniture when I was growing up in Malacca; most resembled the dressing tables and cabinets at Penang Museum. The European cupboards are also familiar to me. I haven't searched the thousands of photos my grandfather and my father left behind. A lot of photos are still missing. Both my grandfather and my father were avid photographers. They documented a lot of our history in B/W photos.

External links:
http://khleo.tripod.com/tour.htm#tor2
http://www.expatgomalaysia.com/article/1773/revenge-conquest-and-a-murder-plot-learn-more-about-melakas-turbulent-history