Chong Nyet Lin: Nursing in early Kuala Lumpur

Chong Nyet Lin was born in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 1 June 1915. She grew up in Kuala Lumpur and attended schools in Kuala Lumpur from 1922 onward when she turned 7. She completed schooling in 1931, possibly at Grade IX, and completed Senior Cambridge.

Two family photographs showed her big Chinese family. The family members appeared appropriately dressed and they seemed quite wealthy and influential for the late 1920s to early 1930s era. 

Chong Nyet Lin continued her studies at a nursing school at (possibly) General Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The building was wooden and had many windows. It is not known how long the nursing course was but only two group photographs of her exist; which indicates that the nursing course was probably for two years.

The group photographs showed her nursing instructors who were White women, either British or Australian, I can't tell. There were many Malay nurses in the nursing course, judging from the two photographs.

Chong Nyet Lin graduated in the early 1930s and worked as a registered staff nurse at Bangsar Hospital, also referred to as the European Hospital. She worked at the Maternity Hospital of the Bangsar Hospital complex and was promoted to Matron. She was known as Matron or Mariah and sometimes Madam Chong.

After she married, she followed her husband overseas and returned to Kuantan before residing in Penang.

NURSING IN KL

Chong Nyet Lin in first-year nursing. She is standing in middle row at extreme right.

Chong Nyet Lin in second-year nursing. She is standing in hind row, 3rd from right.

Matron Maria in Kelantan after the war, 1948

Farewell for Dr Che Lah and Mariah at the Malayan Railway in Kuala Lumpur, 1951-52. They married in 1953. Dr Che Lah left the Malayan Railway to go to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in 1953-55. He returned to Kuantan, Pahang.

Farewell for Dr Che Lah and Maria in Kuantan, Pahang, June 1958

Matron Maria at the Maternity Hospital in Penang, June 1958 onward.

Gathering in Port Dickson

I don't know this occasion but it seems that the doctors gathered at this wooden quarters at Port Dickson where Dr Che Lah lived with his family. His daughter can be seen carrying a child up on the verandah. According to his daughters Esther and Daisy, the house at Port Dickson and Maxwell Road in KL look similar, with verandah all around the wooden government quarters.

House in Port Dickson. Dr Che Lah is standing 6th from right.
His wife Matron Mariah is seated 3rd from right.

Conference of State Medical & Health Officers and Ancillary Department Heads 1957

Office of the

State Medical & Health Officer,

Negri Sembilan,

Seremban, 2nd December, 1957.

To:
Dr. Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos
SM & HO
Pahang

Dear Dr.

     I am sending herewith group photograph taken at the recent Conference of State Medical & Health Officers and Ancillary Department Heads. 18 copies were ordered at $3/= each. Please remit $3/= on receipt of this photo.

Yours sincerely,

(DR. C. NADARAJAH)

Ag. State Medical & Health Officer,

Negri Sembilan.

Conference of SM&HO and Ancillary Dept Heads, Seremban 1957.

Dr Abdul Karim bin Nawab Din (dentist, seated 3rd left), Dr Mohamed Din bin Ahmad (first DG, seated 2nd right), Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos (SM&HO Pahang, seated far right), Dr Hj Abbas bin Hj Alias (Dy Health Director, standing 4th left) and Dr Abdul Ghani bin Muhamad (SM&HO KL, standing far right).

Tumpat: The last train stop up north

Started from home: 9:50 am
Reached Tumpat: 10:24 am
Pushed off for home: 11:00 am
Reached home: 11:35 am

Tumpat is a small town and has many attractions. It is unlike Kuala Lumpur or Kota Bharu. Tumpat is an ancient town. Its history goes back to the Ming Dynasty of China. The Ming Chinese traders stopped here either to trade or to take shelter from the forceful monsoon rains and strong winds before they could sail safely back to China. Tumpat is a strategic sheltered port for the onward leg or the return leg for ancient Chinese vessels.

Tumpat still has the remains of the early Chinese traders who were here before Siamese rule in Kelantan. A drive around the little town in the quiet Friday morning gives some hint of Tumpat's ancient past. There's is a big ancient Chinese bungalow or godown, like the houses we see in ancient Malacca. The roof styles here  in Tumpat, in Malacca and in China have the same characteristic ancient Chinese architecture. I have mentioned about the early Chinese in Tumpat in my previous post in Facebook about Kg Laut in Tumpat.

Apart from hunting for ancient Chinese remains, Tumpat has many Siamese temples or wat Siam where Buddhist architecture and animal sculptures dominate the landscape and decorate the main entrance - elephants and tigers with colourful floral garlands. Bangla gardeners go about their daily chores, undisturbed by what goes on beyond the low perimeter wall of wat Siam. Ugly slim hound dogs can be seen walking the grounds of wat Siam. 

The main wet market is Pasar Besar Tumpat, a modern building that resembles the lower levels of our Parliament or RTM building in KL. It is packed with lady shoppers on Friday morning.

We came across a clearing at the end of a row of shops. There were slim bamboo poles with bird cages hanging at the top, in the warmth of the rising sun. Poor birds, they must be hot trapped in the bird cages. They are to compete later today, and win if they sing their best songs. Their masters trained them to sing. Poor birds. They sell for approximately RM2,000.00 each, depending on their voice quality.

We went to see the trains at the train station in Tumpat. The train station is perched high since Tumpat is on a lowland, a flood plain, and floods easily in the monsoon season late in the year and over the New Year holiday. The old train station has been renovated but feeling the old atmosphere is instant. The old wooden poles and beams are still intact but painted over cream and blue. The train service and repair yard is in front, across from the present railway station. There was one blue coach being serviced in the train shed. I could see glimpses of it. The brickwork of the old parts of the railway yard buildings and lighthouse are from the times of British Malaya, before independence. The Portuguese and Dutch never came this far up north. The sea is beyond the railway yard and train station, in the direction where the rail lines end at 527.75 km. Looking around at the old parts of the railway yard, it reminds me of the tram yard in Adelaide, where trams are serviced before they are rolled out onto the tracks again. Back at the main train station building, traders have just arrived with their wares for the day's trading - fresh groundnuts, bottles of freshly collected golden honey, and other forest produce. This is a typical 'weekend' scene on Friday morning.

We visited the modernised old fishing village where the signboard says Kg. Baru Nelayan, near the irrigation gates or sluice. It is an old fishing village but with a modern built-up bay and a small wooden jetty -- quite dangerous without railing. I was clicking away, totally forgotten there was no railing. A good thing I didn't fall into the river at the jetty. The view from the jetty is superb with tiny coconut trees in the distant background and colourful fishing boats by the water's edge. There were plenty of baby ikan todak in the murky waters beneath the jetty. They are probably hungry and darting about looking for food. The story "Singapura dilanggar ikan todak" is fictitious as ikan todak is only a small narrow pencil-like fish and can't attack humans. Affandi said when they grow big, the snout grows shorter, just like the other fish. Anyway, there were no banana trees in sight to support the story, "Singapura dilanggar ikan todak". Ikan todak is swordfish but it doesn't look like a sword at all. 

Tumpat train station on raised platform

Renovated old British train station at Tumpat. The square poles are wooden.

Toilet for handicapped persons

Modern train platform at Tumpat

View of the old British rail service yard

The train line ends here in Tumpat. The sea is beyond the houses and the horizon.

The longest train line in Malaysia is 527.75 km and ends in Tumpat

Old British Malayan buildings with exposed brickwork in the service yard

Malaysia's train lines

Bags of fresh groundnuts, bottles of honey ...

The trains go down to Gua Musang, Kuala Lipis, KL Sentral and Woodlands in Singapore.

Chinese bungalow or godown.

Wooden shophouse with ornate carvings

Fresh market

Bird competition and Chinese building.

Fishing village

Irrigation gate

Wooden jetty

River scene at the jetty in the fishing village in Tumpat.

Penang Malay Governors 1957-2013

The Malay Governors of Penang are known as Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang.
The following is the list of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang:

	Yang di-Pertua Negeri	Took office	Left office
1	Raja Uda Raja Muhammad Family tree	August 31, 1957	August 30, 1967
2	Syed Sheh Shahabudin Photo	August 31, 1967	January 31, 1969
3	Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah	February 5, 1969	February 5, 1975
4	Sardon Haji Jubir	February 5, 1975	May 1, 1981
5	Awang bin Hassan	May 1, 1981	May 1, 1989
6	Hamdan Sheikh Tahir	May 1, 1989	May 1, 2001
7	Abdul Rahman Abbas	May 1, 2001	present

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yang_di-Pertua_Negeri_of_Penang

Kedah Governors 1948-2013

Kedah Governors are Malay Menteri Besar. The first was Haji Mohamad Sheriff bin Osman, brother of Dr Mustapha bin Osman, an early Malay doctor who graduated from the University of Hong Kong.

NAME	POST HELD
Haji Mohamad Sheriff bin Osman [ First MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Pertama ]	1948–1954
YTM Tunku Ismail bin Tunku Yahaya [ Second MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kedua ]	1954–1959
Tan Sri Syed Omar bin Syed Abdullah Shahabuddin [ Third MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Ketiga ]	1959–1967
Tun Dato' Seri Utama Syed Ahmad bin Syed Mahmud Shahabudin [ Fourth MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Keempat ]	1967–1978
Dato' Seri Syed Nahad bin Tun Syed Sheh Shahabuddin [ Fifth MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kelima ]	1978–1985
Tan Seri Haji Osman bin Haji Aroff [Sixth MB/ Menteri Besar Kedah Keenam ]	1985–1996
Y.B Tan Sri Sanusi bin Junid [ Seventh MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Ketujuh ]	1996–1999
Dato' Seri Haji Syed Razak bin Syed Zain Barakhbah [ Eigth MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kelapan ]	1999–2005
Dato' Seri Haji Mahdzir bin Khalid [ Ninth MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kesembilan ]	2005–2008
Tan Sri Ustaz Haji Azizan bin Abdul Razak [ 10th MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kesepuluh ]	2008–2013
Datuk Mukhriz bin Tun Mahathir [ 11th MB/Menteri Besar Kedah Kesepuluh ]	2013-present

Source:
http://mmk.kedah.gov.my/index.php/kerajaan/menteri-besar/mantan-menteri-besar

Tun Syed Sheh Al-Haj bin Syed Hassan Barakbah

BIOGRAPHY

Tun Syed Sheh was born on 10 November 1906 in Alor Star, Kedah.

He received his education at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College (SAHC) in Alor Star, Kedah before continuing his studies in England on a Kedah State Government's scholarship. He was accepted to read law at the Inner Temple. He graduated with a LL.B degree in 1934.

Tan Sri Syed Sheh Al-Haj bin Syed Hassan Barakbah was a judge and senior official in Malaya, starting his career under British rule and continuing in independent Malaysia.

He was an Arab descendant in Malaya. He was the first Arab-Malay to lead as chief judge (ketua hakim) in independent and modern Malaysia. He was the second chief judge after the Englishman, Tun Sir James Beveridge Thomson.

YAA James Beveridge Thomson, Tun Sir
S.S.M, P.M.N., P.J.K.
16.9 1963-31.5.1966
(Ketua Hakim Negara Pertama)

YAA Tun Syed Sheh bin Syed Hassan Barakbah Al-Haj
S.S.M., P.M.N., D.P.M.K., P.S.B.
1.6.1966-9.9.1968
(Ketua Hakim Negara Kedua)

YAA Tun Dato' Mohamed Azmi bin Haji Mohamed
S.S.M., P.M.N., D.P.M.K., P.S.B., P.J.K.
10.9.1968-30.4.1974
(Ketua Hakim Negara Ketiga)

YAA Tun Mohamed Suffian bin Haji Mohamed Hashim
S.S.M., P.S.M., S.P.C.M., D.I.M.P., J.M.N., S.M.B. (Brunei), P.J.K.
LL.D., D. Litt
1.5.1974-12.11.1982
(Ketua Hakim Negara Keempat) ... Note: He was mentioned in Dr Megat Khas's biography in Biography of the Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore. 

YAA D.Y.M.M. Sultan Azlan Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah
S.S.M., D.K., P.M.N., P.S.M.,
S.P.C.M., S.P.T.S., S.P.M.P., S.I.M.P.,
D. Litt, LL.D.
12.11.1982-2.2.1984
(Ketua Hakim Negara Kelima) ... Note: He passed away on 28 May 2014.

YAA Tun Dato' Mohamed Salleh bin Abas
S.S.M., P.M.N., P.S.M., S.P.M.T. D.P.M.T., J.M.N., S.M.T.
3.2.1984-8.8.1988
(Ketua Hakim Negara Keenam)

YAA Tun Dato' Seri Abdul Hamid bin Haji Omar
S.S.M., P.M.N., P.S.M., S.S.M.T., S.I.M.T, S.I.M.P. S.P.M.S., D.P.M.P. P.M.P.
9.8.1988-9.11.1988
(Acting Lord President)
10.11.1988-24.9.1994
(Ketua Hakim Negara Ketujuh/
Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan Pertama) ... Note: refer to Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's biography.

YAA Tun Dato' Seri Mohd Eusoff bin Chin
S.S.M., P.S.M., S.P.C.M., D.P.M.J.
D.P.M.K., J.S.M., S.M.J.
25.9.1994-19.12.2000
(Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan Kedua)

YAA Tun Dato' Seri Mohamed Dzaiddin bin Haji Abdullah,
S.S.M., P.S.M., S.P.C.M.,
D.S.P.J., D.P.M.P, D.M.P.N.
20.12.2000-14.3.2003
(Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan Ketiga)

YAA Tun Dato' Sri Ahmad Fairuz Bin Dato' Sheikh Abdul Halim
Age: 62 years
Appointed as Judicial Commissioner: 1.12.1988
Elevated to the High Court: 1.8.1990
Elevated to the Court of Appeal: 1.12.1995
Elevated to the Federal Court: 1.9.2000
Appointed as Chief Judge High Court of Malaya: 1.9.2001
Appointed as President of The Court of Appeal: 1.12.2002
Appointed as Chief Justice of The Federal Court: 16.3.2003
(Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan Keempat)

YAA Tun Abdul Hamid Bin Hj. Mohamad
Age: 62 years
Appointed as Judicial Commissioner: 1.5.1990
Elevated to the High Court: 1.3.1992
Elevated to the Court of Appeal: 1.9.2000
Elevated to the Federal Court: 1.8.2003
Appointed as Chief Justice of the Federal Court: 2.11.2007
(Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan Kelima)

YAA Tun Dato’ Seri Zaki Bin Tun Azmi
SPCM, SPMK, SSM, PSM, SSDK,
PJN, DSMT (Terengganu), DSDK(Kedah), JSM, KMN
Ketua Hakim Negara Mahkamah Persekutuan Malaysia
18 Oktober 2008 - 09 September 2011

Career

• April 1946: Special Magistrate
• 1948: President, Kedah Sessions Court in the Colonial Legal Service
• October 1955 – June 1958: Judge, Seremban Court
• 1962: Judge, Court of Appeal
• 1963: Chief Judge of Malaya
• 1 June 1966 – 10 October 1968: Lord President of the Supreme Court Government 
• 1 June 1966 - 9 September 1968: Ketua Hakim Negara Ke-2
• Government Administrative Officer in Penang
• 1968: Senator
• 27 January 1969: Yang di-Pertua Dewan Negara (Governor) - appointed by Agong
•  Feb 1969-Feb 1975: 3rd Governor of Penang - he served two terms.

Awards

S.S.M.

P.M.N.

D.P.M.K.

P.S.B.

Name style
His name was styled in 2 ways.

1. Tun Syed Sheh Al-Haj bin Syed Hassan Barakbah
2. YAA Tun Syed Sheh bin Syed Hassan Barakbah Al-Haj, S.S.M., P.M.N., D.P.M.K., P.S.B., 1.6.1966-9.9.1968, (Ketua Hakim Negara Kedua)

Demise
Tun Syed Sheh passed away on 8 October 1975 in Alor Star, Kedah.

Relatives
His grandchildren and relatives are in Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/syarifah.barakbah
https://www.facebook.com/shareenabarakbah
https://www.facebook.com/zira.barakbah
https://www.facebook.com/sharyfah.sara
https://www.facebook.com/groups/177511132269056/ (Rangkaian Ahlulbait)

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Sri_Syed_Sheh_Al-Haj_bin_Syed_Hassan_Barakbah
http://www.mykedah2.com/e_20hall_fame/e201b_1.htm
http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/?q=node/60
http://kedah.kehakiman.gov.my/
http://kedah.kehakiman.gov.my/index.php?
http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/?q=node/535
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kompleks-Mahkamah-Alor-Setar/157376824311110

Kedah courthouses

The high court is situated in Alor Setar.
The session courts are situated in Alor Setar and Sg Petani.
The magistrate courts are situated in Alor Setar, Sg Petani, Jitra, Langkawi, Baling, Kulim, Gurun, and Kuala Nerang.

Kompleks Mahkamah Alor Setar
05150 Alor Setar
Tel: 04-735 2900
http://kedah.kehakiman.gov.my/

Kompleks Mahkamah Sungai Petani
Jalan Lencongan Timur
08000 Sungai Petani
Tel: 04-448 1770
http://kedah.kehakiman.gov.my/node/36
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kompleks-Mahkamah-Sungai-Petani/

Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Nerang
06300 Kuala Nerang, Kedah Darul Aman
Tel: 04-786 6628
Fax: 04-786 8224
http://kedah.kehakiman.gov.my

Other related links
http://lib.kedah.uitm.edu.my/psblibrary/Orang Asli land rights.pdf
http://jati-dseas.um.edu.my/filebank/Dutch VOC vs Malay Courts in Tanah Melayu.pdf

Syaikh 'Abdul Qadir ibni Husein Syah 'Alirah

This is the first evidence of the existence of Islam in Kedah's history in 904 AD (291 Hijrah). This was 280 years after Prophet Muhammad SAW passed away in 10 Hijrah, ie, Islam reached Malaya before the 3rd Century Hijrah.

Who was Syaikh 'Abdul Qadir ibni Husein Syah 'Alirah ('Alam)?

The plaque of Makam Syaikh 'Abdul Qadir ibni Husein Syah 'Alirah ('Alam)

Source:
http://usrah-jamadilkubra.blogspot.com/2009/08/manaqib-syed-jamaluddin-hussin-al-akbar.html
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=508442349174992&set=gm.399708856768215&type=1&theater

Future Research Projects

So far I have 2 research projects in the pipeline. They are very difficult to do. The difficulty lies in the fact that they touch on history, something that is retrospective, and as such searching for the correct information and survivors of the historic past is bleak. Many of the old people who could help have passed on. There are a few of the elderly left but they too are too frail and interviewing them can be stressful for them. There is a paucity of information in our archives and I'm practically using all possible means and modes to get credible evidence before I can write something useful. 

The 2 projects are (by their tentative book titles):

1. The Malayan Hajj Doctors 1900-2013

2. Nakhoda nan Intan Opens Singapore, Malacca and Penang 1720-1734

I have written parts of both projects online.

The Malayan Hajj Doctors is covered in The Early Malay Doctors blog (this blog). I will move it to another blog when I have time.

The Malayan Hajj Doctors 1900-2013 will also be my paper and presentation at "Penang and the Hajj 2013" conference and workshop on 17-18 August 2013 at the E&O Hotel, Penang.

Nakhoda nan Intan is covered in my family blog at 262 Banda Hilir.

Royalty for 28 May 2013

Royalty

I received USD$38.36 (ending 31 March 2013) and AUD$76.76 (ending 28 May 2013) - JP Morgan cheques.

The currency is either USD or AUD, depending on where the sales were made and who is issuing my cheque. USD is for sales in USA, Canada, UK and Europe; AUD is for sales in Asia Pacific.
Alhamdulillah.

The horrible thing about banking-in small amounts of foreign cheques in a Malaysian bank is I lose a lot of money for commission (~12.79%). In the end, after waiting 1 month, I get only a few Ringgit (from my AUD76.76 cheque which is valued at RM195.43, I only get RM165.28, after deducting commission and postage & stamp duty).

My Maybank account statement gives the following details:

MAKLUMAT KREDIT / ADVICE OF CREDIT

TEMPAT / PLACE: KUBANG KERIAN

TARIKH / DATE: 08/07/2013 (... which I received on 11 July 2013)

RUJUKAN KAMI / OUR REFERENCE: KKKFBC300009

Adalah dimaklumkan bahawa akaun anda telah dikreditkan seperti berikut:-

We wish to advise that your account has been credited today as follows:-

Being Proceed on Cheque No. 276522 drawn on J.P.Morgan
sent for collection on 12/06/2013 cleared: RM195.43

LESS : COMMISSION: RM25.00

LESS: POSTAGE & STAMP DUTY: RM5.15

NETT: RM165.28

CURRENCY AND AMOUNT:
Gross: AUD 76.76
Nett 1: AUD 68.19
Rate 1: 2.8660

LESS AGENTS CHARGES: AUD 8.57

My opinion and hope

Revenue from royalty is small but nevertheless continuous. The amount is unknown but I pray that my book will sell well on the Internet.

Biography of the Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore

I have still not received the 5 posters that were promised when I signed up with Xlibris Premier B/W publishing package early last year (Jan 2012). They were routed to a wrong address.

Hosting subscriptions

I have paid for 1 year hosting of my 2 books at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The hostings end in September 2013. If I don't renew, nobody will get to see my books online except at my publisher's website www.xlibris.com. If I continue to pay annual subscription, hosting will continue till Sept 2014 (1 year). I haven't decided yet. But if you don't see my book(s) on Amazon.com, it means I didn't continue my subscription to host my books there. And the same for the other websites.

Author Learning Centre (ALC)

I have terminated my subscription to ALC because I don't have time for it. Anyway, it is best to learn to write and improve my writing on my own by experience and pick up the skills myself rather than pay for selective resources and be pushed when I can't waste time reading when I have to write and research. ALC is the principal for Xlibris. ALC is now a part of Penguin in the book industry.

Spring Book Sale

I signed up and paid for the Spring Book Sale in the USA. I hope some US, UK and Canadian universities will open their eyes wide and see my book, and will nominate it for class use, especially for courses on Malay History and Malay Medicine. The subscription comes to RM3,000 for 3 months campaign. I paid for the first installment so that Xlibris team can start work on the poster/flyers and other needed documents for the Spring Book Sale. It is a time when university professors buy or recommend new books to students. Bookstores will stock recommended books and students will only need to go to the respective university bookstores to purchase their books.
The Xlibris financial dept will automatically deduct installments from my credit card.
This is the Xlibris report for 22 June 2013, after the second installment was automatically deducted.

SUMMARY

Total Purchases		$1,303.00
Total Payments (THANK YOU)		($878.67)
Outstanding Balance		$424.33

PURCHASES

Book ID 501451

Order Date	Service	Qty	Price	Total
05/20/2013	Spring Mktg Package 3 (TP)	1	$1,273.00	$1,273.00
05/20/2013	Msvcs - Web Design Advanced	1	$0.00	$0.00
05/20/2013	MSvcs - Press Release 1000 - 052006	1	$0.00	$0.00
05/20/2013	Msvcs - Email Marketing Campaign Quad 1,000,000	1	$0.00	$0.00
05/20/2013	MSvcs - Book Review Campaign - TP Prof 052006	1	$0.00	$0.00
05/20/2013	Addon- Marketing Installment Surcharge	1	$30.00	$30.00

This is the printout of the details on 23 July 2013, after I paid up the last installment on 21 July 2013:

Marketing & Sales

My 2 books can be purchased at many online outlets. These include Xlibris, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, e-Bay, The Book Depository and many more. Just Google the individual book title. Please check my previous posts on these outlets.

My 2 books are not available in physical stores in Malaysia (i.e., they are not sold at MPH, Kinokuniya or Syarikat Muda Osman) because I want it to sell mainly on the Internet, and study how a book written by a Malay in Kelantan will do on Internet sales. It is a research in itself.

However, I made arrangements with a few people to help me sell my books to families, friends and students who do not have credit card or web cash to purchase online books. The small-time/part-time booksellers' names and contact # are posted below.

The book price covers my purchase from my publisher based in Australia, including charges for air courier (from UK printer to Malaysia via DHL and AirAsia shipment) and if I need to re-courier domestically via PosLaju to the people who are helping me to sell my books.

Courier price is very expensive and therefore the book becomes expensive in the end. Otherwise the book is quite cheap for a foreign/international book.


In Klang Valley

For rapid delivery within Klang Valley, my son-in-law (Mohammad Nizam bin Omar) can assist. He can be contacted by email, mobile or in Facebook. Who is Nizam? He has a diploma in IT. He is a part-time student of UKM. He works part-time for Pos Malaysia network security. You can type Biography of the Early Malay Doctors in Facebook and you should be able to reach him. You can also type Research on the Early Malay Doctors in Facebook to get the other book.

Contact:       Muhammad Nizam bin Omar
                    Mobile: 017-358 7010
                    Email: dgtalwa@gmail.com
                    Facebook:
                         http://www.facebook.com/Muhammad Nizam bin Omar
                         http://www.facebook.com/Research on TEMD
                         http://www.facebook.com/Biography of TEMD

In Penang

You can purchase my books from my elder sister Sharifah. Who is she? She works at the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), Jalan Masjid Negeri in Penang. She is the Second Secretary to Mr Haji Idris, CAP President.

Contact:       Hajah Sharifah bt Haji Abdul Rashid
                    Mobile: 019-571 3995
                    She has no email
                    She is in Facebook but her housemate operates it for her.

In Kelantan

You can purchase my books from my husband Affandi. Who is he? He is a speech-language pathologist. He heads a unit called Unit Audiologi dan Patologi Pertuturan at Hospital USM. He has approximately 30 years of hospital administrative experience and over 12 years experience as a speech-language pathologist.

Contact:      Tuan Haji Affandi bin Haji Hussien
                   Mobile: 019-905 0397
                   http://speechaudiohusm.blogspot.com/
       
Booksellers

If you wish to sell my book(s), you can order direct from Xlibris. My caution is if you buy in bulk of 500 copies or more, you can get the books cheaply and make a lot of profit. However, if you purchase only a few copies, it will be expensive and you will only be able to make a small profit. This was what Xlibris taught me on the phone. But remember, every credit card has a spending limit.

All booksellers get 40% discount direct from the publisher (Xlibris Corporation) all the time, regardless of # of copies ordered. You do not have to know me (or 'Like' me in Facebook) to be a bookseller for my books on The Early Malay Doctors. Please contact Xlibris at their website or call them.

Please get back to me if you have any difficulties obtaining my 2 books. I will forward your difficulties to Xlibris. You can also contact Xlibris directly if you have any difficulties obtaining my books.

Newspapers & magazines

I have not publicised my 2 books in printed media (newspapers or magazines). You can read about my 2 books online. Just Google the titles.

I have also informed and requested Dato Yeoh Poh Hong (MMA) to help circulate news of my 2 books. Not heard back.

Tan Sri Dr Ridzwan Bakar is handling circulation news for MMA. Not heard back.

Exhibitions on The Early Malay Doctors

So far, two people have showed interest to host exhibitions about The Early Malay Doctors. They are Encik Anuar bin Isa and my sister Hajah Rabi'ah bt Abdul Rashid.

Encik Anuar bin Isa
Senior Curator
First Galleria
Taiping

Cikgu Hajah Rabi'ah bt Hj Abdul Rashid
Sekolah Menengah Jengka Pusat
Jengka Pusat
Pahang

Book launch

Prof Shaiful Bahari Ismail, Deputy Dean (Academic) suggested that our medical school hold a launch for my books. He asked that I contact the dean and the campus director. I contacted both the gentlemen by email.

How to contact me?

Click on The Author in the right panel. My email is embedded there.
I'm also in Facebook (add Faridah Abdul Rashid or drop me a message in Facebook).

Reviews

The 1-line reviews are as printed on the back cover of Biography of TEMD.

Fadzilah Abdul Ghani (Melbourne) says she gets engrossed reading my book and that the book is "precious". I believe so, and thanks. Her father's biography will be included next time when I do re-publishing, insyaAllah.

Noor-Ashikin Abbas (Singapore) recently visited the USM Library and obtained my books as a gift. She emailed to inform my books are precious, for her and everyone else who love Malay history. Noor-Ashikin helped tremendously in obtaining an NUS publication which helped me greatly in my research on The Early Malay Doctors. It was during the flood season in November, and she dared risk her life, to drive through the heavily flooded areas to reach Kelantan, to hand me the book herself. I almost cried. My sincere gratitude goes to her. Her name goes under the frontispiece (gambar depan) in the smaller book, Research on TEMD. The photo of KE VII which she took became a book cover for Research on TEMD. The same photo goes to make the posters, business cards and picture postcards (ppc). That's how far reaching photos can be in the book industry.

Please continue to send me short or long reviews. They are useful for me to work on, especially when editing my own books.

Second publishing

I have not set any date for a second publication of Biography of TEMD. I will publish again once I get the 2-3 remaining biographies in, hopefully in the next 2-3 years. Tentatively, these are the biographies which will be included or revised in the second publishing:

1. Dr Abdul Ghani bin Muhammad (new)
2. Dr Omar bin Din (revised)
3. Dr Syed Mohamed bin Alwi Alhady (revised)
4. Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy (revised)
5. Dr Shamsuddin bin Cassim/Kasim (new)
6. Dr Syed Mahmud al-Kudsy (new)
7. Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (revised)
8. Dr Salma bt Ismail (revised)
9. Dr K.M. Ariff (revised)

If you know of any other doctor not yet mentioned here or in my books and would like to get her/his biography published, you can contact me. I will assess and then decide whether to include or not. All biographies must have a head photo or portrait photo (gambar depan). Without a head photo, it is difficult for young people today to know who is who.