Satun and Ku Den Ku Meh

Origin of Satun

Satun or Sentul could have originated from the word sentol, seto (Klate) which refers to the yellow mangosteen-like fruit with thick furry skin which contains a sticky thick white latex. The white flesh (pulp) is eaten fresh or the entire fruit with skin removed is preserved as jeruk seto.

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History of Satun

Satun is one of the four provinces of Thailand which have a Muslim majority: 67.8% are Muslim and 31.9% are Buddhists. Most of the Muslims have some ethnic-Malay ancestry, though only 9.9% of the population claims to be ethnically Malay. The Malay dialect used in Satun is distinctly different from Pattani Malay and is much closer to the Kedah dialect of Malay, with a significant admixture of Thai influences.

Since Satun had belonged to the Kedah Sultanate, which had a strong relationship with both Ayutthaya and Siam under the Chakri dynasty, its Malay Muslims commonly intermarry with Thai Buddhists without serious religious hesitation. This custom has created a distinct social group known as Samsam, meaning a mixed person. Most Samsams, if not all, are Muslims.

Unlike the other Muslim majority provinces in Thailand, Satun does not have a history of political confrontation with the central power in Bangkok or of tension with the Buddhist population which makes up the majority of Thailand as a country. Malay Muslims in Satun are substantially assimilated and rarely sympathise with separatism from Thailand, in contrast to the Malay Muslims in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala. 

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Satun Cuisine

Bunga Kuda - A Malay traditional dessert common in Satun, Thailand and in Perlis, Malaysia. (Wikipedia pic)

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Governors of Satun

1. Phya Phuminatphakdi (Kuden bin Kumae) was the Governor of Satun from 1898 to 1916.
2. Phya Samantaratburin (Tui bin Abdullah) was the Governor of Satun from 1914 to 1932.

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Kuden bin Kumae
Phya Phuminatphakdi (Kuden bin Kumae) was the Governor of Satun from 1898 to 1916.

Phya Phuminatphakdi (Kuden bin Kumae)?

Phya Phuminatphakdi (Kuden bin Kumae)?

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Ku Din Ku Meh (from Amir Azahari Al-Saadi in Facebook)

Ku Din Ku Meh was born in 1848 at Anak Bukit. At age 14, he worked as a Prison Warder for Kedah. He was fluent in Malay and Thai. He wrote many books on law circa 1894. His wrote in Jawi. He was the Governor of Satun or High Comissioner of Setul (Satun). His book are kept at the Thai National Archives in Bangkok.

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Tunku Kudin (from Wan Mohd Nasserudin bin Wan Noordin @ Ayah Wan Merican Noordin on Facebook - deceased 19 Dec 2014)

Tengku Baharuddin @ Tunku Mohd Radin @ Tunku Mat Radin @ Tengku Kudin @ Tunku Kudin @ Kuden, was the Governor of Satun and owned Kuden Mansion in Satun, southern Thailand. 

Tengku Kudin married Siti Kalthum AlHabshee and their daughter was Tunku Rahimah Tunku Mohd Radin @ Tengku Besar Rahmah.

Tengku Baharuddin @ Tunku Kudin.
(Photo from Wan Mohd Nasserudin.)

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Ku-den Mansion (Satun National Museum)

Ku-den Mansion was the official residence of Phya Phuminatphakdi, the Governor of Satun from 1898 to 1916. It was later used as an official residence for guests, then Japanese army headquarters in the Second World War, a municipal office, the City Hall, the District Office, the school building of Satun Municipality and the Office of the Internal Security Operation Center (ISOC), respectively. The style of the mansion is a combination of European architecture and Islamic art.

The building was originally built to be a royal palace for King Rama V on his visit to the South, and an official reception house for important guests. Its construction was completed in 1902, and commonly called as ''Kuden Mansion", after the name of the ruler of Satun, Kuden bin Kumae (Phraya Phuminatphakdi).The building was used as a provincial hall and an administration centre of Satun during 1947 to 1963.Villagers thus called it 'Sala Klang Kao' (an old provincial hall). The Fine Arts Department registered it as an ancient place, which was gazetted on 14 February 1989.- Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Kuden Mansion or Satun National Museum (Wikipedia pic)

Kuden Mansion or Satun National Museum. (Photo by Muhammad Nizam bin Omar of Serdang, Selangor in Malaysia, 3 Dec 2014) 

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Segara Ninda

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Phya Samantaratburin's house

This house was built as the official residence of Phya Samantaratburin (Tui bin Abdullah), the Governor of Satun from 1914 to 1932. The house was built on high wood piles.

Phya Samantaratburi's official residence.

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Family Relations

From Wan Mohd Nasserudin bin Wan Noordin. (Ayah Wan Merican Noordin on Facebook - deceased 19 Dec 2014)

Wan Mohd Nasserudin bin Wan Noordin @ Abang Chel (1957-2014)

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Siti Kalthum AlHabshee was born to Sheikh Abdul Rahman AlHabshee and Sona Bee. Siti Kalthum was married three times, first to MM Noordin, then her second husband and lastly to Tengku Baharuddin @ Tunku Kudin. Her children with MM Noordin were Che Rajah and Aladin Merican Noordin (Ayah Wan Merican Noordin's grandfather). Her grandchildren were Pak Wan Noordin (Ayan Wan Merican Noordin's father), Noorlaila, Noraini and Khairudin. Noorlaila married to Hamzah and has seven children.

Tunku Rahimah Tunku Mohd Radin @ Tengku Besar Rahmah was born to Siti Kalthum AlHabshee and Tengku Kudin. She married to Dr SM Baboo and had nine children.

Tunku Rahimah bt Tunku Mohd Radin

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From my book, Biography of the Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957

From TEMD research, Dr SM Baboo was Dr Shaik Mohamad Baboo bin Ahmad Albakish (1894-1964), an early Malay doctor in Penang. Dr SM Baboo married Tunku Rahimah Tunku Mohd Radin and had nine children.

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External links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satun_Province 
Syed Zainal Abidin
His house in Gelugor, Penang
Tunku Kudin and Klang War / Selangor Civil War