Technical Note - Image Resolution and Formats

This post is about images for the 2 books. I will let you know the difficulties I was faced with while working with some of the images and how I tackled them so that they were of print-quality as required by the publisher. I will only cover some of the photos which I edited.

Image Resolution and Formats

There are 47 MB of (JPEG) images for the first book (Research on the Early Malay Doctors).

There was 1.30 GB of images recorded in 3 formats (JPEG, PNG, TIFF) which I submitted for the second book (Biography of the Early Malay Doctors).

Research on the Early Malay Doctors

Photo set 1: King Edward VII School, Taiping

ACQUISITION: The photos for King Edward VII School, Taiping were taken off from many school magazines. 

PROBLEMS: The images were of low quality. Some images were too dark and the structures were not visible. They were B/W and coloured images. 

RESOLUTION: I cut out the images from the magazine pages and stuck them in PowerPoint. In PowerPoint, I was able to adjust lighting and contrast. I then saved the images from PowerPoint as separate free images in JPEG format. 

PUBLISHING: All the images were published as B/W images.

JPEG images of King Edward VII School, Taiping after editing.

Photo set 2: Hospital Melaka

ACQUISITION: The photos for Hospital Melaka were obtained from Facebook.

PROBLEMS: Even though the images looked clear in Facebook, they were of low resolution for printing.

RESOLUTION: I didn't have a program to increase the photo resolution. What I did was to arrange the images as several series of smaller images than those I had received in Facebook. 

PUBLISHING: The photos were printed as B/W images and were smaller than those in Facebook. Since the photos were printed smaller, the resolution turned up alright. 

Properties of images in Facebook

JPEG images of Hospital Melaka from Facebook.

Biography of the Early Malay Doctors

Photo set 1: Dr Abbas 

ACQUISITION: Several images were submitted by the family members. Some were coloured photos.

PROBLEMS: Many good old photos were of low resolution. One photo had plenty of empty white spaces. One photo was very dark with tiny people figures.

RESOLUTION: Each photo had to be tackled individually. The one with lots of white spaces was easy but the kain sampin worn by Dr Abbas had to be re-drawn and re-shaded as the lines appeared broken.

PUBLISHING: The photos came out alright but they are clearer in the ebook compared to printed books.

Edited images for Dr Abbas's biography.

Photo set 2: Dr HS Moonshi portrait

ACQUISITION: Image was submitted as a JPEG B/W image.

PROBLEMS: The image had plenty of cracked lines.

RESOLUTION: I edited the photo in Zoner Photo Studio 14. I first upgraded the resolution to a maximum of 600 dpi and saved the images as 2 separate images. I then worked on one of the images to attempt to minimise or clear up all the cracked lines. The badges had to be outlined so they stood clear against the background. Some of the stripes on the jacket had to be re-drawn and the colours matched. The beard had to be touched up.

PUBLISHING: The portrait is alright but it does look "soft" to me. I don't think sharpening the image will help.

Original B/W image submitted at 200 dpi.

Properties of the upgraded image (600 dpi) before editing.

Portraits of Dr HS Moonshi - edited above, unedited below.

Photo set 3: Sri Kenangan

ACQUISITION: Image was submitted as a 2.45 MB JPEG B/W image.

PROBLEMS: This was a large image but of low resolution. There were plenty of white spaces in various places of the old photo.

RESOLUTION: I edited the image in Zoner Photo Studio 14 (obtained free from Give Away of the Day). I filled the empty white spaces with background colour density, working under 250X image blowup. For lines to fill the missing wooden roof facade, I had to draw in "wooden panels" based on what I know a Malay house looks like. I then coloured in the "wooden panels" to match the roof "bits" in the image. The thatched roof was also done the same way by picking up colour density and patching white empty spaces. The rattan lines had to be re-drawn to match the other rattan pieces elsewhere in the images. I also patched some of the clothes and cleaned up some of the greyed-in spot on the white jackets. I outlined some of the people to make them stand out against the dark background. I outlined some of the shoes so they appeared clearer in the final image.

PUBLISHING: The photo turns up alright. I don't know how to make it a bit darker without losing resolution for the people figures.

Sri Kenangan images - before editing at right, and after editing at left.

Properties of submitted image. No resolution was recorded.

Resolution of submitted image based on a replicate made in Zoner Photo Studio 14.

Final improved resolution of Sri Kenangan image after editing.

Photo set 4: Wanita UMNO

ACQUISITION: Images were captured off a framed photo on the wall of a home gallery.

PROBLEMS: The precious images were unfortunately dark and fuzzy. The fireball from the flash spoiled the images. 

RESOLUTION: I first removed the fireball in PowerPoint by layering with a dark rectangle. I then free-cut the figures and pasted on a white slide. I then adjusted contrast and sharpness. I then used Zoner Photo Studio 14 to turn the dark figures to brighter tones. I saved 2 bright tones. I cleared the fuzzy areas (noise) in the background by using a wavy fill design. I cleared some of the little blur spots on the clothes of the ladies by patching with similar tone and density using a brush function.

PUBLISHING:  (no feedback yet)

Wanita UMNO images

Other software available for increasing image resolution:
http://en.softonic.com/s/image-resolution-increaser

Obituary: Hajah Wan Rohani Wan Husin

My stepmother-in-law, HAJAH WAN ROHANI BT WAN HUSIN (Wae) , passed away this morning at her home in Tanah Merah, Kelantan. She never went to school and could not write her own name. She could not read romanised text but she could read the Quran. She had cared for her 5 stepchildren, her own 7 children and about 50 stray kids who have nowhere to go from entire Malaysia. This was the lady who taught me Malay values, life skills and how to cook good Malay dishes. She will be dearly missed by all. May her soul be blessed. Inna lilla hi wa inna ilai hirojiuun. Al-Fatihah.

HAJAH WAN ROHANI BT WAN HUSIN (Wae)

24 May 1948-26 November 2012

Malay Ghosts

The Malay World as I know it is plagued with ghosts. The first time I heard about ghosts was when I was a teenager living in Malacca. You wouldn't believe it if I said that Malacca is haunted.

After I was born till I was 4 or 5 years old, I lived in a haunted house in Banda Hilir. I didn't know it was a haunted house till I had left the house and returned to visit it as a teenager and then heard the stories about the old house which was possibly more than 100 years old (it was built by my great grandfather).  As a teenager, I also lived in a haunted government bungalow left unoccupied for 27 years after the Japanese war. Most Malays would tell me that double-storey bungalows are often haunted if left uninhabited for long. Similarly with single-storey houses if left unattended for long. It is because ghostly myths are high on the Malay agenda, I decided not to buy a second home but thought to take up the topic of Malay ghosts and myths under research, especially those that have to do with health and living.

I posted earlier about the ocean liner Kunak in this blog, entitled "Kunak and the Black Dragon". To my surprise, the hits to that post was rather high. It further alerted me into thinking that readers could be triggered by either the ship itself or the dragon. Dragons don't exist in real life nor in Malay beliefs or life but they are a big part of the beliefs and lives of the Chinese people. I therefore got the idea that maybe the readers that read that post were possibly mainly Chinese.

I posted two words about ghosts in Facebook on 17 November 2012 to see what the responses would be. It was rather unexpected that many FB-kians responded to "banyak hantu" (lots of ghosts).

Tonight I watched National Geographic Haunted Fridays Ghosts Ships. I then Googled "ghost ships" and read about all the phantom ships ever known in history. Then I saw a link at the bottom of the page that says "Malay" and I clicked that and got here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_ghost_myths

I then returned to my Facebook and copied the responses into this blog:

Faridah Abdul Rashid
17 November
banyak hantu
Aainaa Abdullah, Raudhah Jalilah and Daeng Andak Al Habrah like this.

Ana Abdul Razak hantu galah
17 November at 18:13 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid hantu = ?
17 November at 18:16 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid I've heard of hantu kopek
17 November at 18:16 · Like · 1

Ana Abdul Razak hahaha hantu kopek yang best tu....sexy :P
17 November at 18:17 · Unlike · 2

Faridah Abdul Rashid hahahaha.....!!
17 November at 18:17 · Like · 1

Faridah Abdul Rashid all hantoos are female?
17 November at 18:18 · Like · 1

Faridah Abdul Rashid there's also hantu lompat on tv
17 November at 18:19 · Like · 1

Faridah Abdul Rashid hantu lompat is always a male and chinese (very creative)
17 November at 18:20 · Like · 1

Ana Abdul Razak pocong you mean - bertahun dok depan jerat cina ngan kubur melayu tak pernah jumpa hantu kak, balik campfire selamba jek kami adik beradik hehehehe
17 November at 18:20 · Edited · Like · 1

Faridah Abdul Rashid it takes a hantu to see a hantu...
17 November at 18:20 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid I don't even know what a pocong is .... hahaha!
17 November at 18:21 ·

Ana Abdul Razak antu lompat le kak, hop hop hopping hantu hehehe
17 November at 18:25 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid I think Malays are superstitious and they have a lot of trust in the unseen. I'm learning about Malay beliefs and why they believe in hantu, etc.
17 November at 18:29 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid There is no definition for the Malay word "hantu". Try define that?
17 November at 18:29 ·

Ana Abdul Razak postive thinking kak.... syaitan jin memang ada menyerupai dan suka pada orang yang lemah...hantu memang takde.
17 November at 18:30 · Edited ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid The Qur'an mentions syaitan.
17 November at 18:31 ·

Ana Abdul Razak yes exactly...manusia yang bertuankan syaitan is the hantu....
17 November at 18:31 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Pontianak (vampire) feeds on human blood. In the West, vampires were humans who had a blood disorder and there was no transfusion then, so they invented the term "vampire". In another case, they exhumed corpses of those who died "a strange" disease; today that disease is called TB. For the Malays, there must be a reason why we use the term "hantu".
17 November at 18:35 ·

Ana Abdul Razak tu kena tanya seekers kak hehehehe
17 November at 18:36 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Seekers bertauliah or what?
17 November at 18:40 ·

Ana Abdul Razak hehehehe yg kat tv hari tu dah pencen kot.... sure there must be someone who can explain this.
17 November at 18:42 ·

Ana Abdul Razak the only way is to be near ALLAH, by reading Alquran and follow Rasullullah sunnah In Shaa ALLAH no such thing as hantu.... kan kak.
17 November at 18:44 · Unlike · 1

Faridah Abdul Rashid Seekers are specific for each community. One cannot be a Malay seeker and try to solve a Mat Salleh mystery. it won't work. Same with Malay saka (jin), it won't work in a Mat Salleh body. Mat Salleh are more superstitious than orang Melayu.
17 November at 18:45 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid A hantu has no physical dimensions but has a shadow or cast.
17 November at 18:47 · Like · 1

Ana Abdul Razak saka... is due to what actually
17 November at 18:47 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid A hantu can manifest (show itself) and usually this occurs when alone and in dim light (eg toilet).
17 November at 18:47 ·

Ana Abdul Razak teringat citer hantu askar jepun hehehe yang di citer oleh hostelite dulu
17 November at 18:49 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Saka is an inherited jinn (jin). It is a slave of the human who acts as its master. it must be fed (sambal belacan, cili, etc). When the master dies, a new master needs to take over or inherit the slave (jin). The inherited jinn is called saka.
17 November at 18:50 · Edited ·

Ana Abdul Razak scary nye
17 November at 18:51 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Most sites of Japanese beheadings are known to be haunted.
17 November at 18:51 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Saka is unknowingly inherited by a person. When a person inherits a saka, she becomes insane (gila, mental) and appears crazy to those around her. When she dies, another person needs to inherit her saka. It is usually inherited by the prettiest child among her kids. Some saka are ancient, thousand years old, etc.
17 November at 18:53 · Edited ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Depression is closely related to saka which is inherited. Depression is a big problem among Malay women.
17 November at 18:55 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid maghrib
17 November at 18:55 · Like · 1

Ana Abdul Razak orang dulu2 banyak menuntut konon untuk jaga keturunan mereka, in this moden world masih ada ek bebenda ni
17 November at 18:55 ·

Ana Abdul Razak yes
17 November at 18:56 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid Di Kelantan, mmg banyak benda mcm ni.
17 November at 20:57 ·

Abdul Rahim Abdul Ramzy mereka juga hamba allah seperti kita
19 November at 12:48 ·

Faridah Abdul Rashid This is a link for Malay ghosts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_ghost_myths

Kelantan

Book title: Kelantan: A state of the Malay peninsula (1908)

Download from Open Archive:
http://ia700401.us.archive.org/19/items/kelantanstateofm00grah/kelantanstateofm00grah.pdf

Haji Zul Tiger

The alumni of the King Edward VII School in Taiping, Perak call themselves Tigers. They also use Tiger as a prefix or suffix for their names when addressing their alumni members.

One Tiger who helped me to obtain photos of the historic school is Haji Zulkifli bin Zahari, better known as Haji Zul Tiger in Facebook. I have included those photos in Appendix 9 (pages 287-8). I recently mailed him a copy of my book. Here is a photo he posted to Facebook.

Haji Zulkifli Zahari @ Haji Zul Tiger (from his Facebook, 20 November 2012)
http://www.facebook.com/zultiger

Haji Zul Tiger is well-connected to his relatives and friends. He is also linked to the descendants of Datuk Jenaton who are mainly from Perak. One interesting lady in the Datuk Jenaton group is Insun Sony Mustapha Fenner, who wrote many books about her father.

Insun Sony responded to Haji Zul Tiger's photo above in Facebook. An interesting clue came forth about two Tigers who were the early Malay doctors - Dr IM Ghows and Dr Abbas Alias.

According to Dr Abbas's daughter Dr Siti Fathimah, her father had joined the British administration just prior to the Japanese war. He followed the British till they surrendered in Singapore. Insun Sony informed that her father Mustpha Hussain had provided protection to Dr Abbas when the British surrendered in Singapore.

Insun Sony also informed that she had invited Dr Abbas to her book launch about her father in 1999 but Dr Abbas was frail and could not make it. Dr Stiti Fathimah had informed me and I wrote in my book that Dr Abbas had passed away in 2004. Dr Siti Fathimah also sent me a last photo of her father with Tan Sri Dol Ramli. Dr Abbas was in a wheelchair in that photo.

Dr Abbas is survived by his third wife and 12 children. She is a resident in PJ. Dr Siti Fathimah had retired from Hospital Melaka but continues to offer her services as a consultant radiologist. She is based in Malacca.

New info update:

1. I asked Haji Zul Tiger to help locate Dr Burhanudin al-Helmy's family. He replied Dr Burhanudin al-Helmy's youngest brother is Drs. Norbit Mohd Noor, an active politician. Will try to obtain the whereabouts of Dr Burhanudin al-Helmy family. 

Greater India

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

I feel we are more Indian today than before but our forefathers practised more Indian ways than they knew.

Today, young and old like to watch Indian movies, in particular, Hindi movies, even though the preference has shifted to Korean movies.

Today, we listen to more Indian songs and know a few more Indian words than 50 years ago.

Today, young men prefer the Indian way of dress, with hair made to stand using a hair cream made from coconut oil.

Today, with problems of hair fall from various life and work pressures, women have turned to olive oil (minyak zaitun) to rub olive oil into their scalps to reduce hair fall.

Today, we all prefer to eat nasi briyani as opposed to plain white rice.

We prefer brightly coloured clothers and bangles and decorations that make a sound (bells, beads, etc) as accessories.

We don't realise that maruku/meruku is an Indian delicacy and can be found at the time of Depavali. There is gulap jamun, vade, coconut candy, etc to name a few.

We may not realise it but we are becoming more and more Indian.

1915 Singapore Mutiny

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_Singapore_Mutiny

Indians in Singapore

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

Early History of Singapore

This site has many useful links on the history of Singapore:
http://worldblog.mitrasites.com/early-history-of-singapore.html

Foyles

One book is also available at Foyles. It is classified under history-politics. However, my name is not quite correct as I am listed by half my father's name - Rashid, and my name now becomes Faridah Abdul (just like Paula Abdul). I am not Faridah Abdul.
http://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/history-politics/research-on-the-early-malay-doctors,rashid-faridah-abdul-9781469172439

Restoran Seri Melayu

RESTORAN SERI MELAYU
No. 1 Jalan Conlay,
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: 03 - 2145 1833
Fax: 03-2145 1755
Email: enquiries@serimelayu.com
Website: http://www.serimelayu.com/restaurants/rsm/index.html
Map: http://www.serimelayu.com/images/map2.jpg


This is a good Malay restaurant. I first went there in the 1990s when we had a conference dinner hosted by one of the drug companies. I didn't expect to see a Malay restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. When I first walked in I was really thrilled as it reminded me of my home in Malacca. The interior featured real Malay decor. I think it was more of a royal Malay decor. I ate at one of the tables up on the rear deck opposite the stage. We had to remove our shoes to be seated there. The front side deck was for VIPs. There were dances that night, and the music was too loud (blasting). The roof was very high. The central hall area was packed with dining tables and diners. There was hardly any free floor space. The left hall area was where food was served, among the columns. One thing interesting was that they served delicious tiny Malay desserts on small plates - which I particularly liked. Even kuih lapis was 2cm x 2cm x 2cm (something like that). I remember talam kacang merah (I think it is called that). I had the Malay desserts first and then had some rice for the night.

I'm still amazed that there is a Malay restaurant in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Fatimah bt Hamid Don; Fatimah bt Hamidon

There are two ladies with almost similar names, Fatimah bt Hamidon and Fatimah bt Hamid Don. Both are related to Badariah Baba Ahmad (in Facebook).

Puan Sri Prof Fatimah bt Hamid Don (Prof Hamiddon in Facebook)
b. 10 July 1933 Batu Gajah
- married to Ishak bin Haji Pateh Akhir
- educated at Anglo-Chinese Girls' School (ACGS), Ipoh
- attended University of Malaya (UM)
- attended School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London
- attended UCLA 1971
- career: worked as a lecturer at the Language Institute in Kuala Lumpur; Head of Phonetics Dept
- contributions to society: Member, Central Council Women's Institute; AJK Istilah Pendidikan (DBP)
- first Malay woman to have obtained a PhD degree
- recipient of the Eminent Woman Award 2012
   http://www.nst.com.my/latest/fatimah-hamid-don-given-eminent-woman-award-1.151551
- recreation: represented SOAS (London) in inter-collegiate sports (badminton & table-tennis)
- recreation: cooking, reading, badminton, table-tennis, gardening
- address: 1247 Jalan Changkat, Petaling Jaya
- her daughter is Fawziah Ishak, whose daughters are Dr Dima Marlina (houseman) and Dima Naquira Mohd Rafi

- she is an aunt of Badariah Baba Ahmad (she calls her Aunty Onn)

Biodata of Fatimah bt Hamid Don

Prof Hamiddon in Facebook

Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon
b.1925-d.11 August 2005 (4 Jamadil Awal 1426 Hijrah)

I had mentioned earlier about a lady named Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon in my previous post about the graves at Jelutong Timur in Penang. She was a relative of Badariah Baba Ahmad.

.

Pusara Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon (refer caption below).

Pusara Hjh Fatimah bt Hamidon, a descendant of Ismail @ Nakhoda Kecil.

Contact Badariah Baba Ahmad in Facebook for family tree and info in Geni.

Tun Tan Sri Dr Fatimah bt Haji Hashim

There are two elite Malay girls' schools in Malaysia, Kolej Tunku Kurshiah and Sekolah Tun Fatimah.

Kolej Tunku Kurshiah 
Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC)
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

This college was named after Tunku Kurshiah. It accepts girls from families of the upper class. It also accepted girls from the poorer classes. Many who went there later joined the Malaysian work force as the country's top rung women, if not leaders.

The school moved from its old site in Seremban to its new site in Nilai in 2012.

Sekolah Tun Fatimah
Tun Fatimah School
Johor Bahru, Johor

This school was named after Tun Fatimah, Malaysia's most noted female leader at the time Malaya gained its independence. She was much respected as a Malay woman, the epitome of Malay civilisation.

A graduate of Sekolah Tun Fatimah is Prof Muhaya bt Mohamad, an eye surgeon and Islamic speaker.


BIOGRAPHY OF TUN FATIMAH BINTI HAJI HASHIM

She was born in Kampung Parit Kurma, Muar in Johor on 25 December 1924 to Haji Hashim bin Haji Ahmad.

She was educated at both Malay and religious schools. She was a housewife but was actively involved in politics. Her recreation included gardening. Her last known address was No. 36, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur.

She became the first female to become a Malaysian minister; she was a member of the Parliament for Jitra-Padang Terap in Kedah. She was President of Kaum Ibu UMNO Malaya since 1956. She was a Member of Council, University of Malaya, Chairman Hari Wanita, Committee Member of Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya, Committee Member of Women's Training School in Ipoh, Member of UMNO Executive Committee, Member of Supreme Alliance Council and Social Welfare Lotteries Board.

She married to Tan Sri Abdul Kadir bin Yusoff, PJK a former Malaysian lawyer and Minister of Laws. She passed away of old age on Saturday, 10 January 2009 at 11.35 pm and is laid to rest at Masjid Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

From Who's Who

Text and pic from another blogspot

Panglima Awang (2)

This is my understanding and opinions about Panglima Awang based on my reading of the links given in the first post by Ahmad Fuad on Panglima Awang.

1. Panglima Awang was a Malay warrior at the time of the Malacca Sultanate when Sultan Mahmud was the ruler (sultan). This was around 1509-1511, before the Portuguese attack on Malacca.
2. When the Portuguese attacked Malacca in 1511, they also attacked the palace of Sultan Mahmud and captured the court officials (hamba raja = hambarajas/hambarajes/ambarajes).
3. One of the captured court officials was Panglima Awang. If he was very dark, then he would be known as Panglima Awang Hitam. If he was slightly darker than the Portuguese Caucasians, then he would be just Panglima Awang. Awang is a common call name but it is uncommon to call a youth Awang in Malacca. Awang is used in Kelantan dialect to call a young boy, a youth, or a young man.
4. Even though Panglima Awang was a Malay court official of the Sultan Mahmud's palace, as with many court officials, they could come from any of the nearby regions surrounding Malacca. Most Malay warriors were Bugis if they came from the east (Borneo, Moluccas/Celebes, Papua New Guinea side). Otherwise they would be Minangkabau from Paya Kumbuh, a popular origin of the Malays of Malaysia. However, the Muslim warriors of the Minangkabau palace of Paya Kumboh, Sumatra only arrived in Malaya after the Dutch forces attacked Malacca; ie, circa 1641. So it is most likely that Panglima Awang was a local man from Malacca, and who worked for the court of the Malacca Sultanate under Sultan Mahmud at the time of the Portuguese attack on Malaccca.
5. The Portuguese forces defeated the Malacca Sultanate and captured Malacca and its people, including court officials, eg Panglima Awang. There maybe other court officials who were captured by the Portuguese but we may not have the entire history about the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese under Alfonso d'Albuquerque.
6. European captors such as the Portuguese in Malacca made their captives accept their religion. In the case with Panglima Awang, he was either forced or freely accepted into a new faith, the faith of his Christian conquerors. If he was a slave, he would have been forced and that could be for his own protection and/or safety. If he was not a slave and treated just like a friend, he probably merely followed the 'religion' of his non Muslim masters but never converted to Christianity. Even though Muslims do not convert to any religion, in those times and in times of battle or after losing battles, captives have no choice and follow the instructions of their captors with a heavy heart.
7. Did Panglima Awang accept Christianity and converted to Christianity? No. A Muslim remains a Muslim. Once a Muslim, always a Muslim. A apostate (murtad) would suffer grievous punishment.
8. What language(s) did Panglima Awang speak? He definitely spoke Malay (Bahasa Orang Melayu).
9. Why wasn't Panglima Awang able to communicate with the people in Cebu, Philippines? Cebuans speak their own language or dialect which is different from Malay. Tagalog contains common Malay words but Tagalog is a more recent language, arising from Malay.
10. If Panglima Awang was a Malay Muslim, and if he had died after arriving in the Philippines or Malacca, or anywhere in the Malay Archipelago, where were his siblings? Where is his grave today? If he was a Hindu and not a Muslim, what was his Hindu name?
11. Is it possible to have a small Filipino community in Malacca? Yes. There are Malacca Malay-Filipino marriages. One which I attended in Malacca was that of Mahani Mahabob's eldest brother who married a Filipino lady. She spoke English to us (Malacca children and teenagers).
12. Is it possible to have a small Portuguese community in Malacca? Yes. There is Portuguese Settlement in Malacca today. This is some distance from my village in Banda Hilir. People form that Settlement have assimilated into the larger Malacca mixed society today. These Portuguese descendants appear more Indian than Europeans but they have Portuguese surnames and British first names.
13. Could Panglima Awang come from any of the small communitites? Yes, indicating he was from overseas, most probably Sumatra, a large island in close proximity to Malacca. The passage from Sumatra to Malay is usually from Batu Bara to any of the ports on the Malayan western coastline. In this case Malacca, a popular seaport and famous trade centre.
14. Panglima Awang was said to be derived from a Sumatran lineage and his descendants resided in Rembau, even today. Panglima Awang himself married a Pahang lady. This is common knowledge for people who are descended from the royal household of the Minangkabau princes of Paya Kumboh. There should be approximately the 10th generation or more today in Rembau itself and proximity.
15. Panglima Awang was nicknamed Datuk Laut Dalam (Master of the Deep Seas) to avoid being found by the European captors. Much later, Mat Kilau did the same and used the nickname Mat Siam.
16. Why did his captors name him Enrique or Henry the Black? He was made their affiliate and he worked for them.
17. Was Palingma Awang a loyal servant to his Portuguese captain? Yes. Malay men, especially warriors, are loyal to their masters. They don't defect or they will die as traitors. 
18. Was Panglima Awang a traitor to his Portuguese master and his crew? No idea.
19. Was Panglima Awang murdered in Mactan? No idea. Probably not. He was not an enemy of the locals so they wouldn't kill him. He did no harm to them. Malay communities do not kill unless it was a  feud or battle or something they would stick their neck & life for. Malay men (warriors) are known to be loyal, rational and civilised.
20. Was Panglima Awang the sole survivor of the Mactan Massacre where Magellan died of wounds from (poisoned) arrows? No idea. He was probably the sole survivor of that massacre.
21. Did Panglima Awang plot Magellan's death? No idea. Usually no. It is a yes if the murder was for ransom.
22. Did Panglima Awang collude with Raja Humabon to kill or murder Magellan? No idea. A Malay warrior knows whom to side with, and usually he is loyal to his Malay fellows or countrymen.
23. Was Raja Humabon a Malay? Probably a Bugis and therefore the language was Bugis Malay. Humabon itself sounds like 2 words = Huma (tanah or land) + bon (a place or land called Bone in Sulawesi). I think this is old Malay.
24. Did Panglima Awang meet any Sulu ruler while in the Philippines? No idea. The British Queen was said to have married a Sulu ruler. This could mean that the issues and descendants are all related to the British Crown and nobility. They could pass as locals with black hair or other hair colours, and with black (iris) eyes or with colourful irises (blue, brown, dirty green or hazel).
25. Did Panglima Awang return to Malacca or his village (Rembau in Negeri Sembilan) to take revenge on his captors? No idea.
26. Is Panglima Awang a hero? No idea. He was the first to circumnavigate the globe but this is controversial from the European quarters who contend that Magellan was the first to do so. 
27. Which nation shall claim the famous Panglima Awang as its national hero? No idea. He was a Malay hero shared by 3 nations - Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. He was a hero of the Malay World or the Malay Nation.

Panglima Awang (1)

The search for the real identity of Panglima Awang who accompanied Magellan on his first journey to circumnavigate the globe continues till today. Did Magallen circumnavigate the globe at all? No, he died in the Philippines before the last leg of circumnavigation was completed; someone else completed it. Was he the first person to circumnavigate the globe? No, he did not complete his mission. He died before his misison was completed. If no, who then was the first to do so? It is a mystery till today. There maybe a few names but only one shall concern us. He was known as Panglima Awang in the Malay World (Dunia Melayu). He was known as Enrique or Henry the Black in world history. He was probably of Sumatran origin. Black here may mean he had dark skin and hair; he was probably a dark Malay, a dark Indian or a Black African. We don't know. He was definitely Asian or African, not Caucasian.


I started writing about the Mayans and Malayans in Facebook, and the similarity of the plants they shared. The discussion then moved to Panglima Awang.
http://www.yucatanadventure.com.mx/yucatan-flora.htm

Help on this big maritime mystery was provided by Ahmad Fuad, Dr Abdul Ghani (Pak Din) and Abidin Hussin in the Medicinal Plant Interest Group in Facebook. Here is a re-post of the discussion thread:

Abidin Hussin Maybe Ulam is a Mayan word. Our language is a mixture of many languages. Or it can be by chance.

Faridah Abdul Rashid I don't think it is by chance. A lot of the Mayan fruits are the same fruits we have in Malaysia. Even the flowers are the same ones. Only the people are different. I think the Arabs came to Malaya, and then went to Spain, and then the Spaniards went to Yucatan peninsula, and the Mayan people learned from us in that way. There must be something that we did in the past that we are now in Mayan territory.

Pak Din Prof., my take on this is that the Malays are seaferers by nature and we colonised the tropical belts and build communities along the places we stop over. I study the distribution of plants and found that the Periwinkle is one important plant in our society in the past. The distribution is widespread throughout the tropics from Madagascar to Hawaii and probably across the Panama strip into the Carebbean Islands. The features of the people along this belt is very strikingly similar and the language too contains words almost similar to each other with similar meaning. We were once a great nation and our language was the language of trade through out the tropical belt.

Faridah Abdul Rashid > Pak Din, Yes, the Malays have always been the greatest seafarers and shipbuilders since time immemorial. The Malays have always had the greatest civilisation and an exhaustive materia medica. So most probably, they sailed the equatorial belt and brought along their medicinal plants. Even the Chinese respected the Malays for their skills working with wood, esp intricate carvings of flora. That is how important and great the Malays were and are even today.

Ahmad Fuad Haji Morad The distributional range of the Malayo-Polynesian race stretches from Madagascar to Easter Islands on the western coast of South America. Ain't that far to have some influence.

Pak Din But Che Mat, I think we went further than that, to cross over Panama and into the Caribbean Islands too.

Ahmad Fuad Haji Morad The Malays seafaring adventures definitely more extensive. Thot' Henry The Black atau Enrique (Panglima Awang) played a pivotal role navigating after Magellan's death to complete circumnavigating the globe.

Faridah Abdul Rashid I don't have the full biography of Panglima Awang to be able to appreciate his panglima role in our naval maritime history.

Ahmad Fuad Haji Morad Google the keywords Panglima Awang, Enrique or Henry the Black and you will find some lead about him. In fact there's a novel, Panglima Awang (1957) written by Harun Aminurrashid. "Historians and trivia buffs have often speculated that Enrique was the first to circumnavigate the world" not Sebastián Elcano after Magellan's death in the Philippines.
Here's some links to appreciate him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_of_Malacca
http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/port3.htm
http://tulahan.blogspot.com/2011/09/sejarah-panglima-awang-atau-henry-black.html ;
http://ulasbuku.blogspot.com/2007/04/panglima-awang-1957-harun-aminurrashid.html .

Faridah Abdul Rashid Thanks. Will follow the links. He maybe a Sulu Malay.

Ahmad Fuad Haji Morad Claimed from Sumatra, and if you run thru the Malay Annals the whole Malay archipelago were interconnected w' many Sultanates and regarded all alike.

Faridah Abdul Rashid Yes, I saw the illustration where the sea level was lower than that today, and one could walk throughout the Malay lands. Sailing & boat-building came much later when the water level rose.

New Bedford, MA, USA (photo by Alan Tan, 13 Oct 2012, Facebook)

Prof Aishah bt Abdul Latiff

Prof Aishah bt Abdul Latiff
(from Tripod Sept 1998)

Biography
N/A
- her name was mentioned to me by 2 people, my father and my uncle (both deceased)
- she maybe connected to the early Arabs who arrived in Penang (I can't quite remember the details)
- noted as an intelligent Malay female
- married

Achievements and Contributions to Society

1. Malaysia's first female pharmacy lecturer
2. Established Doping Control Centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang which became a reference and doping testing & control centre for the Commonwealth Games.

From left: Prof Aishah Abdul Latiff, Prof Dzulkifli Abdul Razak and Prof Asma Ismail
at USM Doping Control Centre, Penang. (USM photo 2010). Prof Aishah is the Director of Doping Control Centre in USM, Penang. Tan Sri Prof Dzulkifli Razak was Vice-Chancellor USM. He left to join Albukhary University in Alor Setar, Kedah. Prof Asma Ismail is Deputy Vice Chancellor R&D. She is related to the first Malay doctor, Dr Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Razak. Prof Asma's father, Ismail bin Abu Sittee, had worked with Tan Sri Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin bin Raja Shahbuddin in Jitra, Kedah. Ismail bin Abu Sittee then worked in Penang, alongside Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos. Both Dr Che Lah and Tan Sri Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin were early Malay doctors. Tan Sri Prof Dzulkifli's father, Cikgu Razak was a Malay schoolteacher who survived WWII. He was a sponsored student at the time and miraculously survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb in Japan. He was at the epicentre. He lived to tell his story.

Photo sources:
http://bcme.tripod.com/sept98/isibcme1.htm
USM DOPING CONTROL CENTRE

Prof Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Rahman

Prof Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman

Biography
N/A
- born in Singapore
- migrated to Malaysia
- medical lecturer in Pharmacology
- initially led the usrah group for USM medical school lecturers in Kelantan
- moved to head the USM Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (IPPT) in Bertam, Penang
- later moved to head the Cyberjaya Medical College

Photo source: http://bcme.tripod.com/sept98/isibcme1.htm

Business card

I made this business card with a software which I downloaded from Giveaway of the Day.

Universiti Malaya

I first heard of the word 'varsity' from my aunt, Mak Bedah @ Zabedah. I was probably in primary school. She was one of my 2 aunts who could speak English. She told me about the schools and universities during her time. She said girls didn't go to school during her time. She was one of the few Malay girls who went to school, breaking the Malay taboo of not letting girls go to school. She was my mentor when I was young till I started working and could think for myself. I also borrowed 4 sets of her clothes to go to work for the first time. It was from her that I learned the words Lembah Pantai and Masjid Varsity, Kolej, etc. I had thought she was a strange woman, talking about something I had not seen nor visited. She took me for a drive past the university mosque but I found it strange that a mosque was a university (I didn't see other buildings but just jungle). I was really confused. She was talking to my mother and Lembah Pantai was mentioned. I didn't see a beach at Lembah Pantai, just dry land! For a long time I didn't know what Universiti Malaya was about. I didn't know what a university was.

In 1974/75, I visited Universiti Malaya for the first time as a class excursion. We visited the library and bookshop and the Physiology Dept. I was happy at the library and bookshop but I felt intimidated at Physiology Dept - I didn't like the spirometer.

In 1982/83, I wrote to Univeriti Malaya to ask about the possibility of lecturing there. Universiti Malaya re-posted by letter back to my Vice Chancellor's office. The Vice Chancellor's office returned my letter. I was 23 and felt upset about the way Universiti Malaya handled my letter.

Computers invaded Malaysia in late 1990s and I went into computers for the sheer reason that computers didn't have to do with people and attitude. I didn't have to face people. So I stuck to computers, trying to adjust to a better life. Universiti Malaya always stuck in the back of my mind for what it did to me. I got busy with Teleheath. At the time too research grants were big and the amount was in the millions. I too got a RM3 million grant but I shared that with others and worked with just a small amount to buy 10 PCs. Telehealth was doomed from the beginning for many things but I was focused on laboratory computerisation, which was manageable and feasible in Malaysian hospital labs.

When I started researching and writing on The Early Malay Doctors, there were many contributors from Universiti Malaya. They were good and supporting. However, it did not change my stand on Universiti Malaya and its administration. I was bitter about Universiti Malaya.

There was a call for setting up the Primary Care Database by Universiti Malaya. The minute I saw the Universiti Malaya logo on the letterhead. I put down the letter and forgot about it till I was contacted to ask for input. I helped out by supplying data as it was part of my JD (job description). Furthermore, I was in charge of Telehealth operation for my university.

One fine day, I put up at one of the hotels in Kuala Lumpur with my family, just to see how things have changed in Kuala Lumpur. We visited Universiti Malaya (my second time). We first arrived at Dewan Tunku Chanselor, a big dirty grey building with a strange architecture. I had heard of the fire that destroyed it long ago. A colourful mural covered the damaged part. The hall is adjacent to the chancellory. All the words I saw were in Malay. I asked my husband why Universiti Malaya used Malay words when I knew it was a university that chose English as its medium of instruction, and for which another university (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM) was build by then prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak. I looked at the nearby building up on the hill and it too had a Malay signboard. That didn't make me happy because I had expected to see everything in English to fit its British Malayan history. We also drove around a bit but we didn't see a tourist info centre or a place we could ask our way around on campus. We returned to the hotel, totally upset about our visit to Universiti Malaya.

This morning, I was looking for a Blogger logo and reading about Kerabat diRaja Kelantan. I chanced to click and read about Universiti Malaya in Wikipedia (Malay version). The Universiti Malaya logos are copyrighted even in Wikipedia. I'm just wondering why official logos are copyrighted. There is also blue-yellow logo for the King Edward VII College of Medicine. I haven't checked that against other documents published with the KE VII logo. I didn't have this KE VII logo when my books went to print.

http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universiti_Malaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Malaya
http://www.um.edu.my/
http://www.facebook.com/UniversityOfMalaya

Approach to MPH

This is the first time I visited MPH Clicks in Facebook, and also saw my former classmate's name (from 1972/3). I also visited the website tonight.

http://www.mphclick.com
http://www.twitter.com/mphclick
http://www.youtube.com/mphclick
http://www.mphonline.com
http://www.esp4u.com

I stayed up after Isya' until now, just to study MPH, both the physical store and its online MPH Clicks. The store displays book covers and has all the terms laid down. Meanwhile, MPH Clicks is more interactive with its customers, and often they are registered MPH members. The level of interaction is casual. The MPH moderator is good and the language used is good too.

After 2.5 hours, I think I have learnt something from MPH. Something I could not have learned from elsewhere. Here's what I learned about MPH and its approach to its book sales and customer relations. The CRM (customer relations management) is good, for a Malaysian company. Thumbs up for MPH Malaysia.

MPH Clicks has these as its strong points:

• Facebook current account (ie active)
• high level of MPH-customer interactivity
• several approaches used:
• book fairs (pesta buku)
• meet and greet the authors for signing/autograph (author appearance; also saw Awang Goneng)
• features book launch
• interesting book titles
• books cover all age groups (Islamic books included and current)
• children are welcome
• books and activities for children (colouring, FIMO clay modeling & play, reading)
• storytelling for autistic children
• English vocabulatory and grammar books, English language activities highlighted
• featured images of book art, paper models, book racks (some for laughs)
• talks, seminars, courses are advertised
• string a story (everybody continues and contributes to a given story)
• read & reap contest
• book giveaway
• great giveaways (eg iPhone 4)
• many Malaysian titles
• many good foreign books
• authors are highlighted (birthdays, deaths, visiting authors, etc)
• authors are highlighted with their books or inventions (eg AA Milne for her Winnie the Pooh)
• real stories are brought to the fore (eg the female author who helped the poor in San Francisco)
• good deeds are highlighted and hammered into the minds of readers
• important dates are noted, made known to readers and celebrated (eg World Book Day)
• has a bunch of die-hard readers/fans; they respond actively and comment on everything, big and small
• quite relaxed ambiance, not upsetting the reading mood of its readers
• only 1 negative comment from someone who responded to Tun's book
• only a few irrelevant remarks in Malay
• its readers are generally civic-minded and polite
• not using abusive language; the ones who commented used good language
• very good book summaries (I love these; eg Kay Hooper's book)
• the fans also highlighted their favourite authors, and slowly I began to see who the good authors are
• many different offers, great discounts and unbelievable freebies
• gadgets are advertised (e-book reader, handwire cable manager and e-reader promo, Harry Potter book rings, pop phone bear)
• free gift wrap service (with MPH paper)
• free delivery on many occasions (eg Merdeka Day) and seasons (school holiday, school begins, etc)

I emailed MPH to ask whether it would sell my book. I gave some lead to my 2 books. I have to wait for it to reply.

I don't know where the MPH stores are exactly in Malaysia but the ones I saw while going through MPH Clicks are:

• MPH Megastore 1Utama
• MPH The Curve
• MPH Subang Parade
• MPH Mid Valley
• MPH Bukit Raja
• MPH Alamanda
• MPH @ KLIA
• MPH Johor Bahru
• MPH Gurney Drive, Penang
• MPH Mydin Mall, Malacca

I guess MPH is strategically located in Penang, Klang Valley, Malacca and Johor. Even USM sells its books via MPH (but I didn't see any USM titles on the monthly favourite list).

Anyway, I will need to wait for MPH's reply. Then I can inform readers where in Malaysia they can purchase my books on The Early Malay Doctors.

I have not had any detailed discussion with Singapore. I will inform in this blog if there is a bookstore that is willing to take up my books there.

I have not seen MPH in Kota Bharu. There is Popular Bookstore in KB Mall, Kota Bharu but I have not searched that.

Update 7 November 2012
MPH replied and asked that I get a distributor. It asked me to contact its sister company MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd at 03-7958 1688.

Update 9 November 2012
I forgot to contact MPH Distributors. I am not in the business line and I am unsure how to proceed or deal. I would appreciate if someone can help me here so my books can be available at MPH bookstores and online at MPH Clicks, apart from Xlibris.com, Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Update #2, 9 November 2012
Because as an academic, I am not allowed to do business transaction, I wrote to the USM lawyer to ask. The lawyer advised: "Yes, it is ok for you to contact the distributor. No problem at all. The main thing you can't do is to establish a distributorship's business to distribute the book. That is not allowed."
So that's clear.

Boxbe Ends

Notification

To all TEMD readers,

Boxbe has sent notice that it will end the Boxbe service. I will therefore remove my Boxbe email at all my blogs. You can write to me in the Blogger Comments under each post or in my Facebook.

Prof Faridah

http://www.facebook.com/faridah.abdulrashid
http://www.facebook.com/EarlyMalayDoctors
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Research-on-the-Early-Malay-Doctors-1900-1957-Malaya-and-Singapore

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Turks, Turkey, Turkiye and Turkish

Many of us have seen the familiar tall red Turkish hats called fez; we call them tarbus. Have you? The red fez signifies a Turk. P Ramlee used to adorn a tarbus and he would smile in the early Malay movies he made. Was he a descendant of the Turks? Have you also seen the swirling dervishes or heard about them? Did you also notice that these men swirl and could enter a trance? When they swirl, one hand is pointed upwards and the other downwards? Why? Have you heard about the Turkish soldiers fighting alongside the Sumatrans against the Dutch army? What about the Turkish graves in Aceh? Have you heard about Malay-Turkish people and mixed marriages? What about Turkish shop owners in this region? Have you heard of Turkish Mosque (Masjid Turki) in Western Australia?  What about the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul? Have you tasted Turkish Delights? There is also a Turkish family restaurant called Tarbus within the proximity of Billion Shopping Centre in Kota Bharu. How did the Turks happen to be in Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra and Australia? What happened in our history?

BBC News: In pictures: Istanbul, Spice Bazaar, swirling dervishes

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