The Early Malay Doctors: Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof and Al-Ahmadiyah Press, Kota Bharu

Monday, 28 July 2014

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof and Al-Ahmadiyah Press, Kota Bharu

Al-Ahmadiyah Press
Lorong Ceti
Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Al-Ahmadiyah Press is an old Malay-owned printing press in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. It is beside the ceti, or Lorong Ceti at Kampung Gajah Mati.

Al-Ahmadiyah Press in Kota Bharu.

I met the owner of Al-Ahmadiyah Press, Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof, on first Hari Raya Aidilfiltri, 28 July 2014, at his home. I gave him a copy of my book and asked if I could take some photos.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof of Al-Ahmadiyah Press in Kota Bharu. 28 July 2014

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof with son Dr Aziz (USM). 28 July 2014

According to Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof, Al-Ahmadiyah Press is still operating in Kota Bharu today. It prints all sorts of books.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof (70; born 1944) remembers Dr Abdul Aziz bin Omar and his sons, Rashid, Rahim, etc. He confirmed that Dr Abdul Aziz's clinic was in front of the bus station. He knew the wives and their house in Telipot. He said that Dr Abdul Aziz was originally from Penang.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof also remembers Dr Ezanee Merican and his brothers, Dr Carleel Merican and Rahim Merican. He also remembers Tamin Merican. He knew Dr Ezanee lived in front of SIC and Sultan Ismail School. However, he did not know Dr Ezanee's father, Dr Ali Othman Merican who passed away in 1945.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof still remembers much of Kota Bharu. He remembers the Cold Storage at the opposite end but in the same row as Dr Ezanee Merican's clinic. The Cold Storage is no longer there today but moved long ago, to Lorong Long Yunus, near the old Mobil petrol pump (now demolished).

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof remembers Dr Ezanee's clinic is in front of the old fresh market, Pasar MPKB (later pasar kain; demolished in 2008). A new condominium now stands in place of Pasar MPKB in 2014.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof lives with his son's family in a big double-storey bungalow at Kubor Maras, behind Masjid Langgar, enter near EON, and some distance from Billion shopping centre. He has a vast garden with lots of fruit trees. He built his house here in 1980. His son's own new house is in the adjacent plot.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof's wife (63; born 1949) was known as 'Cucu Mak Domek'. She had passed away at KLIA, on the return flight from Bandung to KLIA in December 2012. She is laid to rest at Kubor Maras nearby.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof and wife (cucu Mak Domek)
(edited pic from photo captured from wall frame)

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof has 3 children. One of them is Dr Abdul Aziz b Mohd Yusof. Dr Abdul Aziz graduated in Biomedicine from UKM, and did his PhD in the UK. He is married to a lady from Alor Gajah, Melaka, who previously worked as a banker, but stopped working when the couple moved to the UK where Dr Abdul Aziz worked for his PhD research in genetics. They have 4 children. The eldest daughter will leave for KLE Belgaum in September 2014, to take up USM's twinning program in medicine. The second is a tall son. The third is a son. The youngest is a small girl. They are expecting child #5 in 2 weeks time.

Dr Abdul Aziz is a close friend of Affandi. They work together at HUSM. According to Affandi, Dr Abdul Aziz had worked at the private lab AKUDIA in Kota Bharu before he went to UK to do his PhD. I had designed the logo for AKUDIA for a microbiology lecturer.

Information about 'Cucu Mak Domek' from Hashimah Hussain, Penang. 28 July 2014

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof passed away on 5 January 2015. He was buying food when he collapsed at the stall. People there knew him and called his son Dr Aziz. Affandi went to help Dr Aziz with burial rites.

He is laid to rest next to his wife at Kubor Maras, near where EON KB is.

EON KB at the entrance and junction to Kubor Maras.

Tuan Haji Mohd Yusof's wife was known as 'Cucu Mak Domek'. It is unknown what 'Domek' referred to or meant. According to Hashimah (Affandi's youngest sister), Domek or Do Mek is commonly used to refer to an aunt (mak saudara).