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| Entrance to Muzium Islam Kelantan. |
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| Muzium Islam Kelantan poster |
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| Structure of the Muzium Islam Kelantan - the Rumah Limas Bungkus. |
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| A typical long window of a Malay house |
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| Singgora roof tiles |
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| Wooden louvres |
External links
Friday, 5 April 2013
Muzium Islam Kelantan
We visited Muzium Islam Kelantan for the first time on 30 March 2013, after we left Prof. Datuk Mafauzy bin Mohamed's wedding reception party for his first son (Dr Mustaqim Mafauzy) at Hotel Grandriverview. We parked right in front of the muzium, which is beside the Muhammadi mosque in Kota Bharu. The muzium is a light green old wooden building, formerly the house of one of the Malay nobility. The muzium display is housed on 2 storeys. The groundfloor has an old mimbar, incense burners, medicine bowls, history of Islam in the region and wooden wall calligraphy. The upper floor houses several displays including cave findings, traditional Malay musical instruments, textiles, pottery, gold ornaments and findings from shipwrecks of the region.
Gold Ornaments
I am attracted to the large gold bangles worn by women on their feet. In the old days, Indians and Straits Chinese wore large bangles on their feet. I don't see them anymore nowadays but only in old photos and in museums. They may look like heavy objects and which would interfere with walking. Quite the contrary, these bangles are light hollow tubes and have a hinge.
Another type of bangle is worn on the wrist or the upper arm. In the old days, women wore sarong to cover the breasts downward. The bare arms and chest were adorned with much gold ornaments such as big gold bangles and arm bands. They look stunning as worn by Tiara Jacquelina in the legendary dance drama, Puteri Gunung Ledang.
Another type of bangle is worn on the wrist or the upper arm. In the old days, women wore sarong to cover the breasts downward. The bare arms and chest were adorned with much gold ornaments such as big gold bangles and arm bands. They look stunning as worn by Tiara Jacquelina in the legendary dance drama, Puteri Gunung Ledang.
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| A small golden arm band and 2 large pewter bangles for the feet. |
Belindan
Belindan is the grave frame. In the old days, people used wooden belindan for Muslim graves. Some belindan are plain and simple while others are ornately carved. The ornately carved belindan are from Kancanaburi in Thailand. The ornately carved wooden belindan have given way to the less ornate concrete belindan but the overall design has remained. The ornate belindan is used for the graves of nobility and Muslim scholars.
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| Ornate wooden Kancanaburi belindan for Muslim graves. Photo from Muzium Islam Kelantan, 30 March 2013. |
Sistem Pondok
Traditional Pondok System
The traditional educational system for learning about Islam is the sistem pondok (the hut system). In the traditional sistem pondok, there is a central building that houses the Tok Guru (the head teacher) which is surrounded by small pondok (huts or chalets) of the students. All the students go to learn from the Tok Guru and then return to rest and eat at their own huts. This has been going on since time immemorial. The pondok system is affordable and convenient for Islamic teaching. Students who graduate from the pondok system often continue their studies in Islam or Medicine in Egypt, Syria and Jordan. When they return, they work at the government hospitals or private hospitals. Almost all states in Malaysia have produced students from the pondok system who are now doctors or in allied health. Some are from the more recent Islamic schools operated by each state. The students complete Form 5 and continue to local university for 2 years before they go overseas for further degrees. These students are good and more rounded. They also become good leaders and are much prized for their honesty and sincerity as community leaders. They are not easily swayed by money, high post and corruption.
New Pondok System
The traditional pondok system has some setbacks in terms of building safety. We have heard many fires razed many pondok and taken many innocent lives, year after year. A new move by the government is to set up more a modern and organised pondok system with a masjid as a central learning institution and surrounded by more modern housing for the students. This is a welcome move but it should be noted that if the rental rates of the huts become too expensive, poor students will not be able to afford to study at such pondok and therefore lose out altogether on all chances of learning.
The traditional educational system for learning about Islam is the sistem pondok (the hut system). In the traditional sistem pondok, there is a central building that houses the Tok Guru (the head teacher) which is surrounded by small pondok (huts or chalets) of the students. All the students go to learn from the Tok Guru and then return to rest and eat at their own huts. This has been going on since time immemorial. The pondok system is affordable and convenient for Islamic teaching. Students who graduate from the pondok system often continue their studies in Islam or Medicine in Egypt, Syria and Jordan. When they return, they work at the government hospitals or private hospitals. Almost all states in Malaysia have produced students from the pondok system who are now doctors or in allied health. Some are from the more recent Islamic schools operated by each state. The students complete Form 5 and continue to local university for 2 years before they go overseas for further degrees. These students are good and more rounded. They also become good leaders and are much prized for their honesty and sincerity as community leaders. They are not easily swayed by money, high post and corruption.
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| Traditional Malay pondok system for Islamic teaching. |
New Pondok System
The traditional pondok system has some setbacks in terms of building safety. We have heard many fires razed many pondok and taken many innocent lives, year after year. A new move by the government is to set up more a modern and organised pondok system with a masjid as a central learning institution and surrounded by more modern housing for the students. This is a welcome move but it should be noted that if the rental rates of the huts become too expensive, poor students will not be able to afford to study at such pondok and therefore lose out altogether on all chances of learning.
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| A modern Malay pondok system for Islamic teaching. |
Examples of pondok establishments
Some pondok establishments have received a lot of publicity while a few are not known to many. The famous ones are Pondok Terusan, Pondok Lubok Tapah and Pondok Jaal.
Pondok Terusan is adjacent to Pasir Tumboh, at the end of a canal (terusan). It is attended by young Muslim students from Kelantan, Thailand and neighbouring regions. Elderly single men, women and couples also live here and attend daily lessons held at the mosque. An unfurnished wooden pondok rents for RM250/month and a brick unit rents for RM300/month. Clean water and electricity is supplied to all rental units. Commercial drinking water vending machines are available nearby at the shops across the road - ROS water costs 50 sen for 25 gallons. There are a few shops on site which sell packed food and freshly cooked food. Some double as a coffee shop (kedai kopi). There is a small fresh market near the mosque that sells vegetables and fruits. Life is quite relaxed at this place.
Pondok Lubok Tapah is adjacent to Pasir Mas. Its founder has passed away. It is attended by local young Muslim students. This is a true kampung setting, among the coconut trees and a lovely village scene.
Pondok Jaal is in Jertih and is attended by elderly women (above 60s). The ladies here prefer locally made products as opposed to imported products, eg locally made facial powder from the skin of the young custard apples (kulit buah nona).
More modern Islamic schools are like the one at Pulau Melaka and the Muslim orphanage at Dermit (on the way to the airport).
The Pulau Melaka Muslim school is a modern school complex and is operated privately by the son(s) of Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat, the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. The school is open to international students. Some previous students were 4 Somali siblings from New Zealand and a Chinese female student from China. Arabic, English and Malay are taught and used at the school. The teachers comprise local ustaz and ustazah, and ustaz from Egypt and other Islamic centres of learning. The school has a website. Meals are cooked daily on site by a group of housewives and the students get 3 complete meals a day. The students here get free time for recreation in the evening - the boys usually enjoy playing football by the river.
The orphanage at Dermit runs a Muslim school for boys in a modern complex. Meal are sometimes sponsored by outsiders and generous donors. An ustaz is usually around on duty on site should a visitor drop by. Here, the boys will be fed rice and will later make doa (supplication) for the donor. On weekends, the boys are free and they sit by the staircase to play quietly in the hot afternoons.
External links
http://www.e-mosque.com.my/kenalipondok/hajiyaakub.html
External links
http://www.e-mosque.com.my/kenalipondok/hajiyaakub.html
Early Muslim Scholars
There were a number of early Muslim scholars in Kelantan and its vicinity. I first came to know about them from the Kelantan people when I started research on The Early Malay Doctors. I also saw some of the names being mentioned at an exhibition at Pusat Islam in Kuala Lumpur. At the time, I hadn't known who they really were and what were their contributions to society. There is very little known about them at our medical school but we had the other Muslim scholars from West Asia whose portraits now hang in our school's meeting room. I don't know why we studied about the foreign scholars but not our own Muslim scholars on our soil. They were familiar with prevailing ailments and diseases and were also good at some medical practices. Many wrote important health advice and medical notes.
Tok Kenali (2)
Also refer to Search 23 and MAIK
Tok Kenali was born Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad in 1868. He grew up and married and had family in Kubang Kerian. Tok Kenali walked from Kubang Kerian to the Muhammadi Mosque in Kota Bharu where he taught the religion. He walked barefoot and walked fast; there were sightings of him in Kubang Kerian and he had arrived in Kota Bharu soon after that. These sightings were typical of people who were close to Allah SWT. After assisting with MAIK to make Islam a state religion and to focus life around its tenets, Tok Kenali finally died in 1933, aged 65. I figured he had died of diabetic complications, probably of advanced diabetic neuropathy as he didn't feel an injury on the sole of his foot. Tok Kenali was finally laid to rest at Tanah Perkuburan Tok Kenali, a Muslim graveyard in Kubang Kerian which was named in his honour. The graveyard is close to the water storage towers in Kubang Kerian and some distance from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). We visited Makam Tok Kenali on 5 December 2012.
We visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013 and saw 2 posters on Tok Kenali and a big wall poster of the other religious teachers of Islam.
Tok Kenali
Real name: Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad (1868-1933)
Contributions to Kelantan: religious teacher, thinker, intelligent holy man, sage
Tok Kenali was born Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad in 1868. He grew up and married and had family in Kubang Kerian. Tok Kenali walked from Kubang Kerian to the Muhammadi Mosque in Kota Bharu where he taught the religion. He walked barefoot and walked fast; there were sightings of him in Kubang Kerian and he had arrived in Kota Bharu soon after that. These sightings were typical of people who were close to Allah SWT. After assisting with MAIK to make Islam a state religion and to focus life around its tenets, Tok Kenali finally died in 1933, aged 65. I figured he had died of diabetic complications, probably of advanced diabetic neuropathy as he didn't feel an injury on the sole of his foot. Tok Kenali was finally laid to rest at Tanah Perkuburan Tok Kenali, a Muslim graveyard in Kubang Kerian which was named in his honour. The graveyard is close to the water storage towers in Kubang Kerian and some distance from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). We visited Makam Tok Kenali on 5 December 2012.
We visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013 and saw 2 posters on Tok Kenali and a big wall poster of the other religious teachers of Islam.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Malay House
It is well-known that Malay houses in the old days did not use any metal nails but only wooden pegs. Some of these old house still stand today and visitors can view them while passing through villages.
There is one Malay model house on display called the tiang 12. I'm uncertain what tiang 12 refers to. I took photos underneath the model house but it had more than 12 stilts. I didn't take any photos of the model interior as I don't know whether visitors can take the roof off and count how many posts there were inside the house. So, tiang 12 remains a mystery.
The roof tiles are made of thick baked clay. There are 2 sources of this clay tiles, one is Malacca and the other is Singgora in Thailand. The Malacca clay roof tiles were of high quality and were also preferred when the builders made Captain Francis Light's bungalow, Suffolk House, near Jalan Air Hitam in Penang. The Singgora roof tiles were also superior to other roof tiles at the time.
There is a small bangsal (bamboo shed) adjoining the main house at one side, usually nearest the bathing area and bathing well, and near the kitchen entrance. This shed is important for privacy and serves as a most private quarters for the house owners - this is where mating occurs. Malay couples do not mate inside the master bedroom of the main house but inside the bamboo shed. After all the children are born and the couple no longer needs to use the shed, the shed is then demolished.
Malay families are known to have a dozen babies or so, year after year or two years apart, till the mother reaches menopause.
I don't know whether the bamboo shed is the practice of other Malay couples but that's the story narrated by my father about his parents' lifestyle. His father Walid mated with his wife Inche, in a bamboo shed adjacent to the main house and the shed was later demolished, well before I was born. I only saw the main house before it too was demolished. According to my late father, surviving aunt and uncle, it was a flimsy shed, not as good as the main house.
There is one Malay model house on display called the tiang 12. I'm uncertain what tiang 12 refers to. I took photos underneath the model house but it had more than 12 stilts. I didn't take any photos of the model interior as I don't know whether visitors can take the roof off and count how many posts there were inside the house. So, tiang 12 remains a mystery.
The roof tiles are made of thick baked clay. There are 2 sources of this clay tiles, one is Malacca and the other is Singgora in Thailand. The Malacca clay roof tiles were of high quality and were also preferred when the builders made Captain Francis Light's bungalow, Suffolk House, near Jalan Air Hitam in Penang. The Singgora roof tiles were also superior to other roof tiles at the time.
There is a small bangsal (bamboo shed) adjoining the main house at one side, usually nearest the bathing area and bathing well, and near the kitchen entrance. This shed is important for privacy and serves as a most private quarters for the house owners - this is where mating occurs. Malay couples do not mate inside the master bedroom of the main house but inside the bamboo shed. After all the children are born and the couple no longer needs to use the shed, the shed is then demolished.
Malay families are known to have a dozen babies or so, year after year or two years apart, till the mother reaches menopause.
I don't know whether the bamboo shed is the practice of other Malay couples but that's the story narrated by my father about his parents' lifestyle. His father Walid mated with his wife Inche, in a bamboo shed adjacent to the main house and the shed was later demolished, well before I was born. I only saw the main house before it too was demolished. According to my late father, surviving aunt and uncle, it was a flimsy shed, not as good as the main house.
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| The main house with an open platform or verandah (anjung) attached to the central part of the house. The bamboo shed is at the rear portion of the house. |
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| Rear aspect of the house. The main house is at left. The bamboo shed is at right. |
Malay Medical Manuscripts
There were 2 Malay medical manuscripts displayed in Muzium Islam Kelantan. The manuscripts were written in Jawi script.
This 80-page manuscript contains medical knowledge, tip and amulets for a variety of diseases. It is written on 40 pieces of paper which is folded into 2.
This 40-page manuscript contains supplications and amulet on various types of diseases and magic spells. It is written on a bark (kulit kayu) using ink extracted the roots of plants.
Jebak
I had interviewed the late Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail on 11 May 2007 for his life story to write his biography. It was Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid who informed me about the jebak which he used to catch birds when he was a young boy. Even though Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid has passed on, I still remember the jebak story he told me about at the interview, which I have included in his biography. He tried his very best to describe the jebak but I still didn't know what it looked like.
I saw the jebak for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013. It is a bird trap made from bamboo pieces strung together to make a cage. Another piece forms the front gate for the bird trap. Two big metal rings hold the gate trap to the cage. A narrow white plastic water bottle is fixed near the entrance to the jebak. Please read about the jebak in Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's biography.
I saw the jebak for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013. It is a bird trap made from bamboo pieces strung together to make a cage. Another piece forms the front gate for the bird trap. Two big metal rings hold the gate trap to the cage. A narrow white plastic water bottle is fixed near the entrance to the jebak. Please read about the jebak in Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's biography.
Incense
There are reasons to burn incense. The Malays burn incense to shoo away mosquitoes that fly at dusk (waktu maghrib). They smoke the entire house and compound to kill the mosquitoes. If done correctly, there should not be any mosquitoes after dark. Still, we find people dying of malaria. But that was long ago when we were British Malaya.
Malaria is non existent today in modern Malaysia. However, haemorrhaging dengue is here to stay. Many Malays have stopped burning incense at dusk today. My grandmother burned incense but I don't, even though I went to Bukit Uhud to buy my incense. I keep the incense for teaching purposes. Will burning incense kill mosquitoes?
The Indians and Chinese also burn incense.
Malaria is non existent today in modern Malaysia. However, haemorrhaging dengue is here to stay. Many Malays have stopped burning incense at dusk today. My grandmother burned incense but I don't, even though I went to Bukit Uhud to buy my incense. I keep the incense for teaching purposes. Will burning incense kill mosquitoes?
The Indians and Chinese also burn incense.
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| Incense burners |
Malay Weapons
Keris
There are several weapons unique to the Malay world. The keris is already known as a weapon that is uniquely Malay. It is carried in the waist belt (bengkong) of the ruler and also the groom during a Malay wedding. The keris is often not much talked about or a range of collection open for public viewing. Even though we may have seen a few keris, the Malay keris collection is very large and varied among the Malay rulers who own them. Almost all Malay rulers have a keris that represents their kingdom or rule. Malay males have inherited the keris from their noble forefathers. My father also inherited a few Minangkabau keris from his forefathers but he went to Sumatra to return them to their rightful owners. Usually, females do not own a keris as they don't need to.
Sundang
The keris sundang is a long keris with a round tip.
Kapak kecil
In the early 1970s, there was a young Malay male who showed up at our front door one fine evening. My father answered the door. His face was covered with blood and his clothes were stained with blood from a sustained head injury.
My father had let in the injured man live with us for the night. After much interrogation, it was made known to us kids that this young man had sustained severe head injuries after he was attacked with a kapak kecil (kapak kechil, kapak kecik, kapak kechik). I was made to nurse him! I didn't like the unwelcome injured visitor. We didn't have a telephone in the house then. My father went to 'work' the next day and reported him to the police. He was taken away by the police while I was in school. I didn't see him after school. It was good that he was gone but the memories of that incident remained.
The man's name was Abdul Rashid, just like my father's. What happened to him? This injured young man was a bogus doctor at GH Kota Bharu. He had tried to woo and date a Malay kampung girl from Pengkalan Chepa, a seaside village well-known for numerous kapak kecil attacks back then. The girl refused to marry him and he went to the girl's village to pick a fight with the villagers. Of course the villagers attacked him with their infamous weapon, a kapak kecil. The detailed nature of the attack was unknown but the villagers had used the girl to con him to the village. They spilled little stones on the narrow village road. He road a scooter and had fallen off from his scooter when he came to the spilled stones. The villagers then attacked him with a kapak kecil and he bled. He got away and came to our house. He found our house in Pengkalan Chepa after asking around for my father, then a lecturer at Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu (MPKB), now Instiutut Perguruan Kota Bharu (IPKB).
At age 12, I didn't know what kapak kecil was but I was curios to find out what kind of weapon it was. I saw kapak kecil for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 28 March 2013. It was displayed along with the other Malay weapons, many are deadly weapons. The kapak kecil is a small light hammer that is carried in the back pocket of a man's trousers. It is meant to knock a person on the head (katok kepala).
Badik
The badik is a curved weapon for stabbing (senjata untuk menikam). It is similar to the sickle (sabit) used to cut grass.
Kerewang
There was a big ornate weapon that I never knew and never heard about - the kerewang. The kerewang looks like it was made for a play or drama, and has ornate carvings, 'Mak Yong' designs. I don't know what they used it for but it serves to knock a person on the head (katok kepala). I have not heard about injuries sustained from a kerewang attack. I do not know where they make the kerewang.
Other Malay weapons
There are other Malay weapons which have not made their way to museums. One is the parang. In Kelantan, the parang is narrow and straight, with a bound handle made of stiff nylon rope, and an 8-in long narrow blade. In Malacca, the parang is a wide and with a curved blade, and the entire parang and handle are one moulded piece made of cast iron. Almost every Malay home will have a parang, mainly to crack open a coconut (for obtaining santan for cooking) and to clear bushes around the house or cut small stems and to chop small trees.
There have been incidences of Malay men running amok (from the Malay root verb amok and the verb mengamuk). Amok happens all of a sudden, when anger ticks a man and he turns to a killing spree, and the parang is used to chase after victims. Of course the outcome of such amok is fatal. The amok man may turn upon himself and kill himself in the end. Amok is not well researched in Malaysia. It may run in families. It probably relates to extreme uncontrollable anger that has to vent at some point. It could be due to many reasons - excessive pressure (amat tertekan), excessive jeering (banyak diejek), loss of a wife to another man (bini diambil orang), disturbing another man's wife (kacau bini orang), loss of money or land (kehilangan duit atau tanah), family feud (perkelahian antara ahli keluarga), fight with another man in the village (berkelahi dengan orang kampung), someone stole another man's possession (mencuri), etc. It could be revenge or some other causes.
There are several weapons unique to the Malay world. The keris is already known as a weapon that is uniquely Malay. It is carried in the waist belt (bengkong) of the ruler and also the groom during a Malay wedding. The keris is often not much talked about or a range of collection open for public viewing. Even though we may have seen a few keris, the Malay keris collection is very large and varied among the Malay rulers who own them. Almost all Malay rulers have a keris that represents their kingdom or rule. Malay males have inherited the keris from their noble forefathers. My father also inherited a few Minangkabau keris from his forefathers but he went to Sumatra to return them to their rightful owners. Usually, females do not own a keris as they don't need to.
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| Malay weapons. The keris is at far left. |
Sundang
The keris sundang is a long keris with a round tip.
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| Keris sundang |
Kapak kecil
In the early 1970s, there was a young Malay male who showed up at our front door one fine evening. My father answered the door. His face was covered with blood and his clothes were stained with blood from a sustained head injury.
My father had let in the injured man live with us for the night. After much interrogation, it was made known to us kids that this young man had sustained severe head injuries after he was attacked with a kapak kecil (kapak kechil, kapak kecik, kapak kechik). I was made to nurse him! I didn't like the unwelcome injured visitor. We didn't have a telephone in the house then. My father went to 'work' the next day and reported him to the police. He was taken away by the police while I was in school. I didn't see him after school. It was good that he was gone but the memories of that incident remained.
The man's name was Abdul Rashid, just like my father's. What happened to him? This injured young man was a bogus doctor at GH Kota Bharu. He had tried to woo and date a Malay kampung girl from Pengkalan Chepa, a seaside village well-known for numerous kapak kecil attacks back then. The girl refused to marry him and he went to the girl's village to pick a fight with the villagers. Of course the villagers attacked him with their infamous weapon, a kapak kecil. The detailed nature of the attack was unknown but the villagers had used the girl to con him to the village. They spilled little stones on the narrow village road. He road a scooter and had fallen off from his scooter when he came to the spilled stones. The villagers then attacked him with a kapak kecil and he bled. He got away and came to our house. He found our house in Pengkalan Chepa after asking around for my father, then a lecturer at Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu (MPKB), now Instiutut Perguruan Kota Bharu (IPKB).
At age 12, I didn't know what kapak kecil was but I was curios to find out what kind of weapon it was. I saw kapak kecil for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 28 March 2013. It was displayed along with the other Malay weapons, many are deadly weapons. The kapak kecil is a small light hammer that is carried in the back pocket of a man's trousers. It is meant to knock a person on the head (katok kepala).
Badik
The badik is a curved weapon for stabbing (senjata untuk menikam). It is similar to the sickle (sabit) used to cut grass.
Sengat Pari
The Malays eat sting rays (ikan pari). The ivory is used as a weapon for stabbing called sengat pari (sting ray). Steve Irwin, in the TV serial Crocodile Hunter, died after he was accidentally pierced by a sting ray.
Kerewang
There was a big ornate weapon that I never knew and never heard about - the kerewang. The kerewang looks like it was made for a play or drama, and has ornate carvings, 'Mak Yong' designs. I don't know what they used it for but it serves to knock a person on the head (katok kepala). I have not heard about injuries sustained from a kerewang attack. I do not know where they make the kerewang.
Other Malay weapons
There are other Malay weapons which have not made their way to museums. One is the parang. In Kelantan, the parang is narrow and straight, with a bound handle made of stiff nylon rope, and an 8-in long narrow blade. In Malacca, the parang is a wide and with a curved blade, and the entire parang and handle are one moulded piece made of cast iron. Almost every Malay home will have a parang, mainly to crack open a coconut (for obtaining santan for cooking) and to clear bushes around the house or cut small stems and to chop small trees.
There have been incidences of Malay men running amok (from the Malay root verb amok and the verb mengamuk). Amok happens all of a sudden, when anger ticks a man and he turns to a killing spree, and the parang is used to chase after victims. Of course the outcome of such amok is fatal. The amok man may turn upon himself and kill himself in the end. Amok is not well researched in Malaysia. It may run in families. It probably relates to extreme uncontrollable anger that has to vent at some point. It could be due to many reasons - excessive pressure (amat tertekan), excessive jeering (banyak diejek), loss of a wife to another man (bini diambil orang), disturbing another man's wife (kacau bini orang), loss of money or land (kehilangan duit atau tanah), family feud (perkelahian antara ahli keluarga), fight with another man in the village (berkelahi dengan orang kampung), someone stole another man's possession (mencuri), etc. It could be revenge or some other causes.
Bewah Cave Dwellers
This is the first time that I heard about Bewah Cave. Bewah Cave is a limstone cave near Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu. It has fossil remains.
There was a human skeletal remains (replica) of a Bewah Cave inhabitant who was buried in foetal position, the legs were not straightened as with the Egyptian mummies.
The Bewah Cave dwellers were quite skilled and had used some of the most unique tools known in the history of man. Some of these tools were well formed (well made). They looked really good and functional.
There was a human skeletal remains (replica) of a Bewah Cave inhabitant who was buried in foetal position, the legs were not straightened as with the Egyptian mummies.
The Bewah Cave dwellers were quite skilled and had used some of the most unique tools known in the history of man. Some of these tools were well formed (well made). They looked really good and functional.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Medical Inscription Bowls
Bowls inscribed with different Jawi scripts were used to treat diseases, disorders and problems in the Malay society. They are still being used today.
There are stone or porcelain bowls with reddish Jawi scripts, presumably written with the red ink of the za'faran stamens (saffron).
Water is poured into the inscribed bowls and verses read. The water is then poured from the inscribed bowls into cups or bottles for patients to take home for consumption.
This water from the inscribed bowls is used for many reasons which are worth studying.
Batu Bersurat Terengganu
PART 1
The Terengganu Inscription Stone is a wonderful archaeological find. It provides evidence that Islam reached Terengganu very early in Malay History - some 700 years ago. Who brought Islam to Terengganu? He was known as Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi.
PART 2
I happened to pass by Hulu Terengganu where the Terengganu Inscription Stone was initially discovered and unearthed from the river. The area is a flood plain and low-lying.
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| Hulu Terengganu where the Terengganu Inscription Stone was discovered. This view was taken from my car (while in motion) while crossing the bridge. The river can be seen beneath the signboard. |
The area surrounding the river and flood plain is built-up and much higher. There is dual carriage-way on the bridge that stretches over the river. It is hard to stop on the bridge to get a good photograph of the river and flood plain. There is a road-sign that gives the direction to the location of the Terengganu Inscription Stone. But I did not go down that path as the tiny road led farther away from the highway and I was on my way to Kuantan for a function. I thought of visiting the Terengganu Inscription Stone site on the way back but I had taken another route home and therefore did not have the chance to visit the place to find out more. I have planned to return some other time, insya Allah.
PART 3
Stone inscription is common everywhere in this region - the Malay World. However, in Malaysia, there is one inscription stone that stands out above the rest which we have seen so far. This is the Terengganu Inscription Stone. It is charcoal black with white Jawi inscriptions, much like using white chalk to write on a blackboard.
It was discovered in Hulu Terengganu in the 14th Century, in 1303, as stated by Prof. Syed Naguib Al-Attas as cited in The Genius of Malay Civilisation (Asmah Haji Omar 2003:50).
The stone tells of Islamic regulations and provides an early evidence of Islam in Terengganu and the vicinity. Many have not seen the Stone but have heard about it. I saw the replica Stone for the first time at Muzium Islam in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The real stone is at Muzium Negeri Terengganu.
This is a black stone cut into an irregular pedestal with 4 flat surfaces. It has an unusual geometry - much like a tall columnar headgear. There is Jawi writing on each rough cut surface. Since this is a replica stone, the Jawi inscription appears 'pasted' on the surface and not cut into the stone surface. The real stone has Jawi inscriptions inscribed into the stone surface (dipahat) and the stone has the original granite surface, like that of the usual batu tumbuk and batu giling. It is also known as Batu Berukir Terengganu as the Jawi inscriptions are inscribed or carved onto the stone surface.
Reference:
Asmah Haji Omar (ed.). 2003. The Genius of Malay Civilisation. A publication of the Institute of Malay Civilisation, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.
PART 4
The following are photographs of the replica Terengganu Inscription Stone, which I took when I visited Muzium Islam in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
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| Surface 1 |
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| Surface 2 |
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| Surface 3 |
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| Surface 4 |
Update from Anonymous:
This is a replica of the real stone. The real stone is in the Muzium Negeri Terengganu. Here's the link to the museum http://museum.terengganu.gov.my/.
PART 5
The Terengganu Inscription Stone was written by a clergy known as Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi, whose real name is Muhammad bin Abdullah. His grave is located in Kg Jenagor in Kuala Brang, Ulu Terengganu.
He is descended from Nabi Muhammad SAW from his father via Saidina Hasan and from his mother via Saidina Husin. He is therefore, an Ahlul Bait.
He was said to have abdicated the throne in Baghdad and went to Makkah, then Hadramaut in Yemen, before coming to Ulu Terengganu.
In Ulu Terengganu, he preached Islam and established an Islamic Government, which replaced the existing Hindu Government. Many Hindus converted to Islam under his guidance. He established an administrative centre named Kota Tamir on a 300-acre plot.
- Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi was succeeded by his son Syarif Abdul Qahar bin Syarif Muhammad (Tok Paloh).
- Tok Paloh in turn was succeeded by his son Syarif Abdullah bin Syarif Abdul Qahar (Tok Pauh).
- Tok Pauh was in turn succeeded by his son Syarif Abdul Malik @ Syeikh Abdul Malik (Tok Pulau Manis).
Tok Pulau Manis was the most outstanding of the descendants of Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi. He established Kota Pulau Manis and an Islamic institution of learning, which was famous in the Malay World at the time.
http://hanputra.blogspot.my/2011/10/sharif-muhammad-al-baghdadi.html?m=1
PART 6
Tok Pulau Manis's daughter, Siti Zubaidah bt Abdul Malik, married to Tun Zainal @ Tun Jenal, who later became the ruler of Tanjung Baru in Ulu Terengganu, and became known as Sultan Zainal Abidin I. This started the Terengganu Sultanate.
Sultan Zainal Abidin I was the first ruler of Terengganu, who ruled from 1725 to 1733. He was succeeded by Sultan Mansur Shah I (1733-1793).
- 1725–1733: Zainal Abidin I
- 1733–1793: Mansur Shah I
- 1793–1808: Zainal Abidin II
Pokok Bunga Emas
The pokok bunga emas is an artificial ornamental tree made with gold or golden leaves, trunk, branches and flowers. Either all the parts are made of gold or are painted golden. The golden ornamental tree was used by the Kelantan to pay to the Siamese Kingdom in return for protection from warring Malay states or quarters.
Kelantan was a rich gold producer that once supplied gold to other neighbouring states. Kelantan started paying gold to Siam since 1817, for 92 years, every 3 years, and 30 times. That enslavement ended with the signing of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 (Bangkok Treaty of 1909), following which Kelantan was handed over to British Malaya. Siam and Britain have been allies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Siamese_Treaty_of_1909
Kelantan was a rich gold producer that once supplied gold to other neighbouring states. Kelantan started paying gold to Siam since 1817, for 92 years, every 3 years, and 30 times. That enslavement ended with the signing of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 (Bangkok Treaty of 1909), following which Kelantan was handed over to British Malaya. Siam and Britain have been allies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Siamese_Treaty_of_1909
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| Pokok bunga emas |
Pitis
The Malay children's play term for 'money grows on trees' is pokok duit when they play beli-beli (buy and sell) or masak-masak (children's cooking) in the backyard.
Kelantan used its own metal coins called pitis. These coins were round with either a round hole in the centre or without a hole. They were made with a hole in the centre so they that they could be stringed together. They were made to resemble a money tree, pokok duit.
Pokok duit and pitis may not be of any significance today, but if we look around, we will see that many people take this concept into consideration when they deal with money, be it a bank, design for a bank, or other.
What role did the pitis play? What does pitis look like? What does pokok duit look like?
Kelantan used its own metal coins called pitis. These coins were round with either a round hole in the centre or without a hole. They were made with a hole in the centre so they that they could be stringed together. They were made to resemble a money tree, pokok duit.
Pokok duit and pitis may not be of any significance today, but if we look around, we will see that many people take this concept into consideration when they deal with money, be it a bank, design for a bank, or other.
What role did the pitis play? What does pitis look like? What does pokok duit look like?
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| Kelantan's pokok duit and loose pitis coins |
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Friday, 29 March 2013
Hijrah Calendar
Many old documents in Malay history used the Hijrah calendar.
I'm putting up the Hajj month of the Hijrah calendar in this post so it will be easy to find the link and to refer to the dates in both the Islamic and civil calendars.
Hirah calendar
http://www.hijracalendar.com/
International dateline
http://www.hijracalendar.com/dateline.htm
1936 AD is 1354 Hijrah: The Hajj was 2-6 March 1936.
1962 AD is 1381 Hijrah: The Hajj was 13-17 May 1962.
Saturday, 1 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 5 May 1962
Sunday, 2 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 6 May 1962
Monday, 3 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 7 May 1962
Tuesday, 4 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 8 May 1962
Wednesday, 5 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 9 May 1962
Thursday, 6 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 10 May 1962
Friday, 7 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 11 May 1962
Saturday, 8 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 12 May 1962
Sunday, 9 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 13 May 1962 ........ Hajj begins at Arafah at noon
Monday, 10 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 14 May 1962 ..... Hajj begins
Tuesday, 11 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 15 May 1962 ---- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Wednesday, 12 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 16 May 1962 ---- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Thursday, 13 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 17 May 1962 ----- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Friday, 14 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 18 May 1962
Saturday, 15 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 19 May 1962 .... completion of Hajj (Sai'e)
Sunday, 16 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 20 May 1962
Monday, 17 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 21 May 1962
Tuesday, 18 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 22 May 1962
Wednesday, 19 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 23 May 1962
Thursday, 20 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 24 May 1962
Friday, 21 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 25 May 1962
Saturday, 22 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 26 May 1962
Sunday, 23 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 27 May 1962
Monday, 24 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 28 May 1962
Tuesday, 25 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 29 May 1962
Wednesday, 26 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 30 May 1962
I'm putting up the Hajj month of the Hijrah calendar in this post so it will be easy to find the link and to refer to the dates in both the Islamic and civil calendars.
Hirah calendar
http://www.hijracalendar.com/
International dateline
http://www.hijracalendar.com/dateline.htm
1936 AD is 1354 Hijrah: The Hajj was 2-6 March 1936.
1962 AD is 1381 Hijrah: The Hajj was 13-17 May 1962.
Saturday, 1 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 5 May 1962
Sunday, 2 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 6 May 1962
Monday, 3 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 7 May 1962
Tuesday, 4 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 8 May 1962
Wednesday, 5 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 9 May 1962
Thursday, 6 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 10 May 1962
Friday, 7 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 11 May 1962
Saturday, 8 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 12 May 1962
Sunday, 9 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 13 May 1962 ........ Hajj begins at Arafah at noon
Monday, 10 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 14 May 1962 ..... Hajj begins
Tuesday, 11 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 15 May 1962 ---- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Wednesday, 12 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 16 May 1962 ---- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Thursday, 13 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 17 May 1962 ----- Hajj day (Hari Tasyriq)
Friday, 14 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 18 May 1962
Saturday, 15 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 19 May 1962 .... completion of Hajj (Sai'e)
Sunday, 16 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 20 May 1962
Monday, 17 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 21 May 1962
Tuesday, 18 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 22 May 1962
Wednesday, 19 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 23 May 1962
Thursday, 20 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 24 May 1962
Friday, 21 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 25 May 1962
Saturday, 22 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 26 May 1962
Sunday, 23 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 27 May 1962
Monday, 24 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 28 May 1962
Tuesday, 25 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 29 May 1962
Wednesday, 26 Zulhijjah 1381 Hijrah is 30 May 1962
Imam Masjid Semabok
Masjid Semabok is an old mosque in Malacca. The imam there once was Cikgu Yusof bin Buntal. He left Malacca for his Hajj in Makkah on 10 June 1954 (about 2 months before the Hajj). Imam Yusof was the Qadhi for several Malay marriages which he conducted at Masjid Semabok. Some of the Malay couples have migrated to Western Australia and I met some of the couples while doing my PhD at UWA in 1986-89. They still remembered Imam Pak Ji Usop which was his call name. I don't have the date when Imam Yusof passed away. Will ask my Malacca cousins.
These photos below were taken by my father after the Japanese war, after he returned to Malacca from Kirkby, England, and before he got married. They were retrieved from his collection of printed photos. Other photos of Imam Yusof's family (mainly his children) are in my Facebook.
These photos below were taken by my father after the Japanese war, after he returned to Malacca from Kirkby, England, and before he got married. They were retrieved from his collection of printed photos. Other photos of Imam Yusof's family (mainly his children) are in my Facebook.
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| Cikgu Yusof standing in the anjung of his small wooden Malay house in Semabok, and facing the villagers who came to see him at home before he left for Makkah. |
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| A young Cikgu Yusof bin Buntal, Imam of Masjid Semabok in Malacca, before he went for Hajj. |
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| My father's handwritten notes on the back of Cikgu Yusof's photo. Cikgu Yusof was my father's elder brother-in-law and mentor, after his own father had passed away. |
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| Hijrah calendar. The Hajj was 7-11 August 1954. http://www.hijracalendar.com/ |
Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar
Here is some update for Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar, an early Malay doctor.
29 March 2013
I have managed to trace and contacted his eldest son's family in KL. I have sent a copy of my book Biography of the Early Malay Doctors to one of his granddaughters, Idora bt Abdul Rashid. Idora will get her father, Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Aziz, to check his father's biography which I have written before I knew the family and had any family contact.
There is a younger daughter, Hjh Rashidah bt Abdul Aziz who lives in the family home at 3955 Jalan Telipot in Kelantan. I have the address as provided by Idora's mother but I haven't had the time to visit the house. I checked my photos of Telipot homes, and I have in my collection a 2011 photo of the entrance (opened gates) to the home. I will wait till I get corrections from Idora's parents and then try and make a visit to Telipot and also (in sya Allah) to KL to meet with Idora and her parents. Idora has not met her grandfather as he passed away before she was born.
A reader also wrote comments about Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar's Penang relatives somewhere in this blog. The reader knew the family members.
I hope to be able to correct and edit the biography of Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar and also insert better photos once I get them from his son and family, in sya Allah. I visited Hjh Rashidah at home on Telipot in 2018, and got a few photos of Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar.
Please write to me if you know Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar or know him.
Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar was with Rotary Club in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in 1962/63. He was the immediate past president (in 1962).
Dr. TINKER: DISRUPTIVE FORCES NO WORRY
The Straits Times, 22 January 1963, Page 7
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes1963
Dr Hugh Russell Tinker, Reader in Politics and Government in the University of London, said here that territories wishing to join Malaysia should not worry too much about forces trying to disrupt the move. He was speaking at a weekly Rotary Club luncheon on the common ties of South-East Asia. Good move. The immediate past president of the club, Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar, asked what he thought of Malaysia. Dr Tinker said: "I feel it is a good move that the countries proposing to join Malaysia can stand as a solid body. Countries joining Malaysia should not worry too much on outside forces aiming to stop the formation of Malaysia. These forces will get nowhere if you unite and achieve your aims."
29 March 2013
I have managed to trace and contacted his eldest son's family in KL. I have sent a copy of my book Biography of the Early Malay Doctors to one of his granddaughters, Idora bt Abdul Rashid. Idora will get her father, Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Aziz, to check his father's biography which I have written before I knew the family and had any family contact.
There is a younger daughter, Hjh Rashidah bt Abdul Aziz who lives in the family home at 3955 Jalan Telipot in Kelantan. I have the address as provided by Idora's mother but I haven't had the time to visit the house. I checked my photos of Telipot homes, and I have in my collection a 2011 photo of the entrance (opened gates) to the home. I will wait till I get corrections from Idora's parents and then try and make a visit to Telipot and also (in sya Allah) to KL to meet with Idora and her parents. Idora has not met her grandfather as he passed away before she was born.
A reader also wrote comments about Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar's Penang relatives somewhere in this blog. The reader knew the family members.
I hope to be able to correct and edit the biography of Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar and also insert better photos once I get them from his son and family, in sya Allah. I visited Hjh Rashidah at home on Telipot in 2018, and got a few photos of Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar.
Please write to me if you know Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar or know him.
Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar was with Rotary Club in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in 1962/63. He was the immediate past president (in 1962).
Dr. TINKER: DISRUPTIVE FORCES NO WORRY
The Straits Times, 22 January 1963, Page 7
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes1963
Dr Hugh Russell Tinker, Reader in Politics and Government in the University of London, said here that territories wishing to join Malaysia should not worry too much about forces trying to disrupt the move. He was speaking at a weekly Rotary Club luncheon on the common ties of South-East Asia. Good move. The immediate past president of the club, Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar, asked what he thought of Malaysia. Dr Tinker said: "I feel it is a good move that the countries proposing to join Malaysia can stand as a solid body. Countries joining Malaysia should not worry too much on outside forces aiming to stop the formation of Malaysia. These forces will get nowhere if you unite and achieve your aims."
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