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| Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos (1903-1986) Portrait from his 1963 Hajj passport |
Residences
Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos had four houses on Penang island:
- Hala Pemancar
- Solok Pemancar
- Lengkok Pemancar and
- Minden Heights.
Hala Pemancar, Penang
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| 213 Hala Pemancar, Glugor, Penang. |
*The bungalow at 219 Solok Pemancar was once managed by the real estate agent (Eddie, H/P 012-408 8390). It had looked dilapidated and uncared for in 2011. Nobody lived there when I visited the bungalow. Even the back-house was unoccupied. The gate was locked. Affandi called Eddie to enquire about the status of the bungalow. Eddie said the bungalow was up for sale for RM6.5 million (9 Oct 2011)!
Aidid repainted the house white (4 March 2013). Aidid's name is on the right gate post while the house number 219 is on the left gate post.
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| Driving along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and approaching Solok Pemancar (road) on the left |
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| We went up Solok Pemancar (dead end) and came back down. This was the view when going down. His house is the last one on the left. |
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| Solok Pemancar and the characteristic lattice brick wall which I recalled from childhood and therefore was able to locate his house. |
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| Main gate to then Dr Che Lah's bungalow in 2011, now Aidid's. |
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| View of the rear of his bungalow and back-house from the main gate in 2011. |
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| Dr Che Lah's former bungalow at 219 Solok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang in 2011. |
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| The bungalow is now whitewashed. 219 and 'Aidid' marked the 2 gate posts in March 2013. |
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| Author (far right) with siblings and mother at 219 Solok Pemancar, 1962. Mother is Dr Che Lah's eldest daughter (of 4 girls). |
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| Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos having dinner at home, 219 Solok Pemancar. 1962. |
Lengkok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang
(old Bukit Gelugor, Penang)
(old Bukit Gelugor, Penang)
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| Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home, 355-A Lengkok Pemancar (old 355A Bukit Glugor), Gelugor, Penang. 1962-63. From left: Kamaruddin (son), Mariah (second wife), Kamariah (adopted daughter), Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos. |
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| Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home, 355-A Lengkok Pemancar, Gelugor, Penang. 1969 |
Cangkat Minden, Gelugor, Penang
(Minden Heights)
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| Dr Che Lah's last residence, 460-H Jalan 7, Cangkat Minden (Minden Heights, Road 7), Gelugor, Penang. Demolished. |
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| Dr Che Lah and wife Mariah @ Matron Chong Nyet Lin. Celebrating his birthday at home, 460-H Jalan 7, Cangkat Minden, Gelugor, Penang. 1974. |
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| Dr Che Lah and granddaughter Aminah bt Abdul Rashid. |
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| Celebrating his birthday in 1978. |
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| Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos at home in the 1980s. |
External links
Produced by Lensa FINAS, 23 July 2021
This video covers the Hajj pilgrimage of the DYMM SPB YDP Agong ke-3 (Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis) and his visit to the Malayan Hajj Mission Hospital in Makkah, which shows Dr Che Lah beside the Agong.
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| Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Malaysia dan Rombongan Kesihatannya. |
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| Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis. Senarai Agong, Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia |
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| YDP Agong melawat Malayan Medical Mission hospital di Makkah. Agong (kanan bersongkok) dan Doktor Haji Dr Hj Che Lah bin Md Joonos (kiri baju putih & tie). 1965. |
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| YDP Agong (kanan) dan Dr Che Lah (kiri). |
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| Dr Hj Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos. |
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| Dr Hj Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos, Malayan Mission Hospital in Makkah, 1965. |
Bomoh yang terhutang budi dan rakan-rakan nelayan menyampaikan puteri itu dengan nasi berwarna sebagai pengorbanan, suatu upacara amal yang berlanjutan diamal sehingga ketibaan Islam, untuk berhutang budi kepada semangat-semangat laut.
The Ulek Mayang that I created is kind of a new version. Instead of saving the lives of fishermen that the Puteri Duyung always do, this time circa 1511, the 7th Puteri Duyung at the time she was a budding Puteri Ulek Mayang but had not reached the age of the Puteri Ulek. The young Puteri Duyung on a stormy night, saved the life of a Malay prince. For seven days and seven nights, the seven Puteri Ulek Mayang mengulek to revive the spirit of the Malay prince and his hulubalang that had been lying uncouncious. The Puteri Duyung, secretly on her own, danced the Ulek Mayang to save the life of her new found love. And on the 7th night, the prince and his hulubalang finally revived. The prince could not forget the glimpse of Puteri Duyung. The moment he recovered he immediately fell in love with Puteri Duyung. Thus the forbidden love germinated between the two lovers of different worlds against the will and the liking of the oceanic spirits. The hulubalang soon returned bringing with them the 7 Wasiat, while the prince decided to stay and marry his beloved Puteri Duyung. They stayed there for a long period until one day...the prince told his lover...."sudah tikanya kanda pulang....." (it is time for me to return). - More at GEMPAMELAYU!!!
Conclusion
This song is ancient, and before the arrival of Islam to the Malay lands (Tanah Melayu), circa 1511, when the Portuguese arrived in Malacca. It involves summoning spirits from the sea. I think now we are aware of the origin of this phrase "Hei, jembalang tanah jembalang laut, jembalang angin..."? It is pre-Islamic.
As doctors, you will see patients who complain of these spirits and you should know where they are coming from .... infested by stray ancient spirits. How do you then cure such patients? You can look up cures for sihir (sihr) or Malay black magic, or mystics of the ancient Malay world and words like saka which have to do with the spirit of reincarnation (an element of Buddhist belief). For modern day Muslim doctors, most practise syifa' which invloves reciting verses from the Quran. We have not integrated syifa' with allopathy (western medicine). Once we do that, psychological and psychiatric problems will be easier to treat, hopefully.