Consumer Association of Penang (CAP)

CAP moved to the Green Lane premise which was actually once owned by Dato' Mushir Ariff & family. I don't think Sir Kamil Ariff lived here because in Datuk Zubaidah's book there was a different picture of Sir Kamil's residence during WWII.

CAP building in Penang

Aunty Chom

Kg Sg Gelugor, Penang 1730s

A coastal Malay village

Kg Sg Gelugor is a Malay coastal village. It existed when my maternal great-grandfather Shaik Ahmad came to live in Glugor. His youngest son Cpt S. A. Mohd Noor was born in Glugor in 1890.

In an old photo of Dr Che Lah, on the rear is written "Kg Sg Gelugor 1952". His children were visiting his eldest and only sister, Mak Besar (Aunty Besar) bt Md Joonos in 1952, before his eldest daughter Tulip went overseas to Kirkby College. The group photos showed Mak Besar's children and his children in front of the house, while Dr Che Lah was up on the verandah in casual clothes - kain pelekat and white Pagoda T-singlet.

Dr Che Lah (up on the verandah), his eldest sister (second left) and his children at Kg Sg Gelugor 1953

Aunty Chom
Kg Sg Gelugor resident
A descendant of Habib Noh

There are 3 sisters - Aunty Latifah, Aunty Chom and Aunty Intan. The 3 sisters are related to Azeeza Begam Habib Noohu, and all are descendants of the Muslim saint Habib Noh Alhabshi who is buried at Makam Habib Noh in Singapore.

Aunty Chom is Kalsom bt Shaik Emam. She is the elder sister of Aunty Intan, Kamaruddin's wife.

We went to visit Aunty Chom at Kg Sg Gelugor. She lived in a double-storey bungalow next to an empty plot.

Aunty Chom, a very good storyteller about practices of traditional Malay medicine. She related the treatment of diabetic foot in Penang dialect, which was captivating to listen to.

Aunty Chom was cleaning rice grains when we visited her last evening. Here, the spoiled rice grains and foreign matter are separated from the unspoiled rice grains. The spoiled rice grains are called "padi-padi" and are fed to birds in the garden. 

Sadly, Aunty Chom passed away on 4 January 2016. She is interred at Masjid Jamek Gelugor.


Brown Garden/Helen Brown Garden, Penang 1789
Brown Estate
David Brown Esq of Glugor.

Brown Garden existed after the British arrived in Penang in 1789. It came into existence after Kg Sg Gelugor existed, which was 50 years older.

At first, Brown Garden was a standalone housing area. It comprised a narrow belt on the plains and which fanned into the hillside. Houses here were mostly double-storey and painted an ugly yellow. The houses were on both sides of the main road that led uphill. The houses uphill were on terraces and houses faced the sea. The upper reaches of Brown Garden ended in slopes of Penang Hill. The trees were quite big and plenty. The area became damp as there were many trees with dense foliage.

Later, sometime in the early 1980s, 2 small roads were built to join 3 adjacent housing areas. A small road was constructed to link Lengkok Pemancar to Brown Garden. Another small road was constructed to link Brown Garden to Cangkat Minden.


4-Junction of Kg Sg Gelugor and Cangkat Minden
Too wide, too busy and a death trap

As we exited Minden Heights to return to Kelantan, I saw 3 old signboards in Kg Sg Gelugor, which were very close to the main road - Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah. One signboard indicated Kg Sg Gelugor. I didn't take any close-up photos of the signboards as Affandi drove too fast and I didn't have time to pull out my camera as I least expected to see the 3 signboards.

A brick community hall of Kg Sg Gelugor is its landmark. Most old houses here are wooden. Modern houses have a brick base and a wooden upper floor. 12 January 2013

4-Junction of Minden Heights and Kg Sg Gelugor, viewed from Minden Jalan 1. 12 January 2013. The Malay village is beyond the traffic lights, closer to the sea and land reclamation for constructing the peripheral expressway. The Malay village is now land-locked by 2 modern expressways, and the villagers no longer have free access to the sea. The main delicacy of this Malay village used to be chutney (acar buah).

Cangkat Minden, Penang 1971

Development of an old hillock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minden_Heights

Cangkat Minden (Minden Heights) is more recent than Kg Sg Gelugor. Cangkat Minden was developed in 1971, when I was in Form 1.

According to my late mother, a small river runs under my late mother's house (my sister's house today). This small river was diverted and a big drain was made to contain the river. Since the earth beneath the house is not original solid earth, my grandfather only build 2 wooden homes on top of the buried small river. The land now contains my late grandfather's house and my late mother's house. The 2 houses lie side by side at 460-H and 462-I, Jalan 7, Cangkat Minden.

There is a small access road at the end of Jalan 7, that leads to USM, Penang (main campus). This road opens to USM's guard house and expansive green soccer fields.


Kamaruddin bin Dr Che Lah
Seberang Perai engineer
USM Bertam campus

Aunty Chom updated us about Dr Che Lah's only son, Kamaruddin (my Uncle Din). According to her, Kamaruddin is still the head of public works in Seberang Prai, the same department that sees to the recent development of Bertam, where USM had intended to build its Advanced Medical and Dental Institute. According to Kamaruddin, Bertam is an oil palm plantation land.

Aunty Intan informed that Uncle Din (Kamaruddin bin Che Lah) retired in early 2015. Din retired in February 2015.

Kamaruddin is a chronic diabetic and depends on traditional healing methods despite his father was an early Malay doctor and had owned Glugor Klinik, and his Chinese mother was a long time matron at the Maternity Hospital in Penang. He's scared to go to hospital. His son has a more modern outlook and calls the ambulance for his father's sake. Both Kamaruddin and his son Faisal were trained in Australia. However, Kamaruddin has fear of hospitals. His son understands his father's fear of going to hospital.


Fears of Going to Hospital
Diabetes Education

Many Malay men today still have fears about going to hospital. These fears have never been properly documented nor understood by modern doctors, nor are they studied by medical students. It is very difficult to make a Malay father believe in hospitals or go to hospital. They would rather take to traditional Malay preps which are "more earthly".

In Malay traditional medicine there are no quick cures but most herbs used in Malay traditional medicine are for protective purposes and health maintenance. There are many herbs used by the Malays to slow down diabetic complications. Traditional Malay medicine is of limited use as supplements but it cannot deal with diabetic complications such as diabetic foot or gangrene where limb amputation becomes necessary.


IMR, Kuala Lumpur 1905
Alternative treatment for diabetic foot
Sterile maggots of Lucilia cuprina

There are however, other means of overcoming diabetic foot problems done by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur, but these researched methods are limited to certain places as there are no nationwide plans to extend the services from research to the community. One of interest to me is the use of specially breed maggots to consume debris from diabetic foot. The maggots are applied under sterile conditions and then the injured foot bandaged. These maggots grow to enormous size and are then removed. Usually the diabetic foot heals; after some time, new tissue grows in place and the diabetic foot then heals well. I've seen a lot of progress of such therapy but it is still not available to many diabetic foot sufferers and I don't know what the problem is. Why can't they train the patients or supply the maggots to the sufferers and ask them to look after their own foot? I think there is a lot to be done for the diabetic foot sufferers.

GH Penang

This was my second visit to General Hospital Penang. This time we decided not to disturb Mr Tan Hock Chuan. We parked our car near the cenotaph and went up to the 3rd floor to the director's office. We were greeted and then met Mr Tan. He instantly recognised Affandi and I through the glass door while talking to a staff at the counter.

We left 3 copies of Biography of TEMD, one for Mr Tan Hock Chuan, another for Dato' Dr Yasmin bt Sulaiman, and another for the hospital library. Of course we took a few photos and enjoyed ourselves while we were there. The director had a meeting so I didn't see her.

Mr HC Tan

Block A, GH Penang

Parking lot in front of Block A, GH Penang

Block A, GH Penang viewed from Jalan Sepoy Lines and the polo ground

Meet Assoc Prof Dr Cheah Yu-N

He was my research collaborator. We co-published a lot of stuff on Telehealth, including books.

Assoc Prof Dr Cheah Yu-N
School of Computer Sciences, USM Penang

Meet Dr Zarina Mustafa

Both Prof Asma Ismail (now VC USIM) and Dr Zarina Mustafa (School of Educational Studies, USM) are descendants of the first Malay doctor, Dr Abdul Latiff bin Razak. There's a road named Jalan Doktor Abdul Latiff at the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GHKL) which was renamed Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).

Dr Zarina contributed a lot to make the biography of the first Malay doctor a success. Otherwise I didn't have photos for the biography of Dr Abdul Latiff. She had obtained the photos from her uncle, engineer Zainuddin Dato Yahya. Zainuddin had compiled many photos of his Bugis clan which I used for my book.

I had called Dr Zarina to meet her at her office but Affandi got distracted after solat Jumaat and went to visit his old friend Prof Omar Shawkataly (a Malacca man), while I waited for him, and Dr Zarina waited for me.

I informed Dr Zarina that I was waiting for Affandi at Canselori. She wanted to go somewhere and came to see me at the Canselori. We sat there and talked like kids do. It was good to catch up on old times. She was surprised, happy, stunned, thrilled and lost for words that the books were ready and appeared right before her eyes, in her very own hands!! Nobody could imagine that the books would be out after 10 years of research. Yes! We made it after all!! Alhamdulillah. Thanks to all team members who helped. Now we have books which we can share.

Dr Zarina leading the way (Kami Memimpin)
School of Educational Studies, USM

Azeeza Begam Habib Noohu

Habib Noh's desendants

Her father's name takes after the famous Muslim saint of Singapore, Syed Noh @ Habib Noh who is buried at Makam Habib Noh. Azeeza Begam is a descendant of Habib Noh. Link1. Link2.

I first heard of Habib Noh from a distant relative, Azeeza Begam Habib Noohu, when my family gave her a lift to her home in Penang some time in 1982/83. Her house was by the roadside with the front door facing and opening to the road. It was a quaint house with dark green painted walls and it looked a bit "Chinese" and unusual for a family home. She lived there with her mother. I never met her parents.
Both Azeeza Begam and I worked together at the same hospital in Kubang Kerian. This was the newly built Hospital USM (HUSM). It was officially opened in November 1984. Azeeza Begam was in administration as the registrar (pendaftar) and I was a lecturer, doing both administration and academic work. As we both had a lot of work to do in early HUSM, we hardly met while working at the same hospital.

Azeeza Begam and I are of the same age (born 1958). Azeeza Begam feels more connected to me than I am to her. She seeks me more than I seek her.

Azeeza was the woman who had her first C-section after me, using the same surgical instruments which were not properly sterilised after my surgery at HUSM in late April 1984. We both survived the ordeal.

Both Azeeza Begam and I had our first child (daughters) in April 1984, less than 24 hours apart. It was at this time while in our respective hospital beds in HUSM that her mother and relatives came to visit her and I met them for the first time. Our hospital beds were separated by the aisle and green curtains. We could speak to each other while laying in bed.

When I visited her office this morning, the girls there told she had taken early retirement. I was upset as we had not met for so long. I asked the girl (Aishah) for Azeeza's hp#. I called Azeeza during Friday prayer and she came with her daughter to meet me at USM Canselori. It was very nice to meet a relative again after all these years.

It was the first time I met her daughter as I could not get up from my bed to see her daughter in 1984, after surgery back then. I must say that she has a beautiful daughter, with similar first name as my eldest daughter. Her daughter is a mass comm graduate.

I met Azeeza Begam at the USM Canselori in Penang on 11 January 2013. She said a lot of things but I haven't had the time to learn of the details nor digest them fully.

According to Azeeza Begam, "your mother's people" were descended and related to Habib Noh, the famous Muslim saint who died in Singapore. 

I still have some doubts about this. To me, Al-Habshi people are related to my late father's lineage, and not my mother. My late mother's paternal lineage was from Hyderabad in the Deccan plateau, southern central India. According to Azeeza Bagem, Intan's mother and Azeeza's mother were cousins and their parents were siblings and descended from Habib Noh. So, I am right with my doubts. Intan is my uncle's wife. Uncle Din (Kamaruddin bin Dr Che Lah) is my mother's half-brother from the same father. So I am not related to the famed Habib Noh but my uncle's wife and her son are.

Aishah Shahira and Azeeza Begam (right)

Makam Habib Noh

Who was Habib Noh?

Habib Noh is Al Habib Nuh bin Muhammad Al-Habshi, a Muslim saint of Singapore. His grave (makam) is atop a hillock, and not at the usual Muslim cemetery. There is a history about his unusual burial site and why he is buried there. Makam Habib Noh is a must visit site for many Muslim visitors to Singapore.

External links:
http://aladamyarrantawie.blogspot.com/2012/06/al-habib-nuh-bin-muhammad-al-habsyi.html

Datuk Zubaidah Ariff & Rukiah Hanoum Omar Farok

Kak Rukiah was the first person I texted when I arrived in Penang last night, 10 January 2013 at 8.37 pm. We continued to text each other after she and Datuk Zubaidah had finished dinner at a restaurant. She mentioned the name of the restaurant to Affandi but I didn't hear it clearly and forgot the name. We agreed to meet on 11 January 2013, as Datuk Zubaidah would be on her way out to visit some relatives in Bertam. I was at USM when I received Kak Rukiah's SMS this morning. We rushed home upon receiving her SMS.

I was taking out the books for Datuk Zubaidah and Kak Rukiah when Affandi suddenly frantically called out, "Dia dah datang!" I jumped and my heart raced. I panicked because "Dia dah datang" was the same cry when Affandi first arrived at my mother's gate to marry me. But this time, it was Datin Zubaidah and Kak Rukiah. 

Datuk Zubaidah was a childhood & teenage friend of my mother. They played dolls together. I wrote about it in my book, Biography of TEMD. Her husband Dato Mushir Ariff passed away the same night I had called Datuk Zubaidah when I put up at one of the beach hotels in Batu Ferringhi. She was staying somewhere in Tg Bungah at the time. Later, she moved to the seaside residence at Gurney Drive. 

Since they arrive at my late mother's house (now my sister's house), I said to Affandi to attend to them and take some photos while I continued to pick out the books for them. I had never panicked this bad as I did earlier today. I couldn't even autoraph the books properly for them. Terrible!

Rukiah Hanoum, granddaughter of Sir Kamil Ariff

YBhg Datuk Zubaidah Ariff, wife of Dato' Mushir Ariff (son of Sir Kamil Ariff). I managed to salam this lovely lady.

Kak Rukiah and me. She's also taking the books to give to 2 other contributors - Ayob and Omar. Datuk Zubaidah's car - MA is for Mushir Ariff.

Assoc Prof Dato Mohd Razha Abd Rashid

He is the husband of Prof Dato Dr Wazir Jahan Karim. We didn't get to meet him as he was in a meeting at PPJJ (Pusat Pengajian Jarak Jauh). We were supposed to deliver the book to him. I left the book at the office counter with a lady named Salmiah. Later Dato' informed us he had received the book. He had left his hp in silence mode, for which he did not hear my calls or read my SMS. But I'm happy he has received the book, Biography of TEMD, on behalf of Prof Wazir.

I remember one day when Dato Razha called on my hp when I was at work in USM in Kelantan. I had just returned from Prof Wazir's book launch in KL. He spoke continuously and at the end of it I told him he got the wrong person! LOL. Of course a big laughter ensued. He had wanted to call another lady by the same name as mine about Prof Wazir's books. It happens when one has a very common name like Faridah. Prof Wazir's book launch is mentioned in Biography of TEMD.

Assoc Prof Sr Azlan Raofuddin

Azlan is the son of Dr Nuruddin bin Mohd Salleh, an early Malay dentist mentioned in my books. He had a meeting when we arrived at his office door at HBP (School of Housing, Building and Planning).

Affandi waiting in front of Azlan's office

Azlan's office at HBP

Meet Izham Musa

Izham helped designed the Telehealth logo which appears on the back of the book Biography of the Early Malay Doctors, and also in the book Research on the Early Malay Doctors. We met him while driving; he was going the opposite direction. We know Izham since we first joined the USM Medical School. He was a graphic designer.

Izham (left) and Affandi

Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP)

VC's Speech 16 Feb 2012

Biodata Prof Dato' Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim

Penerbit USM

We also visited Penerbit USM at Taman Buku dan Inovasi Media. This is a low-lying single-storey red open brick & glass building in front of the Penerbit USM main building. The Taman Buku dan Inovasi Media building cannot be viewed from the roadside because it is hidden by the large lecture hall that is in front of it. Negotiations are in progress with Penerbit USM. We talked to Hasleza. Penerbit USM supplies to booksellers in Malaysia and Singapore. It takes 40% off supplier's price. It also hosts books online.

This bunting was seen on the 6th floor of the Chancellory building on 11 January 2013. It says at the bottom: Bahagian Pemasaran, Taman Buku dan Inovasi Media, Penerbit USM. Tel: +604-653 3888 ext. 4433/4953 Fax: +604-633-4431. Web: www.penerbit.usm.my

The tiny blue signboard of Taman Buku dan Inovasi Media on the wall of the huge lecture hall as viewed from the roadside.

Open brick and glass building of Taman Buku dan Inovasi Media in front of Penerbit USM. Affandi is standing at the main entrance.

Discussion with Hasleza, Izham, Affandi and myself.

Hasleza

Hasleza Abdul Halim
Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 USM Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Tel: 604 653 4953
Faks: 604 653 4431
http://www.penerbit.usm.my

Update 17 January 2013
Hasleza wrote back and says Penerbit USM does not want to distribute my books.

Meet USM VC's office

We visited USM VC's office and that of the Dy VC Academic at the Canselori. The VC was out. However, I met him, Encik Mohamad Abdullah and other men who returned from the masjid after Friday prayer. The men wore black baju Melayu cekak musang and kain sampin. They looked elegant as men in black. I did not greet the VC because I wasn't sure it was really him. Azeeza Begam greeted him as she had worked on the same floor as the VC's office. I only confirmed with Azeeza Begam that it was the VC after he left to go upstairs. So I don't have a photo of the VC for this post. Encik Mohamad Abdullah came later to greet Azeeza Begam but I wasn't sure it was him but he recognised me and said to Azeeza Begam: Saya kenal dia tapi dia tak kenal saya.

Norzalinah Shaik Mohamed, Secretary, Office of the VC, Chancellory, USM, Penang. **norzalinah@usm.my** Tel: +604-653 3101  Fax: +609-656 5401

Anisah Hussain, Sceretary, Office of Dy VC (Academic and International Affairs), Chancellory, USM, Penang. **anisah_hussain@usm.my**  Tel: +604-653 3295  Fax: +604-656 6699

Meet Sharifah

This is my sister Sharifah who lives in Minden Heights, Penang. She works at the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), near Masjid Negeri. She has a limited stock of my book, Biography of TEMD. She can be contacted at CAP.

Hajah Sharifah bt Haji Abdul Rashid

It is this sister who has kept my interest in history going all my life. Otherwise I won't even care to write the 2 books I did. She supplied photos from our mother's collection and information for Dr Che Lah's biography.

She only completed schooling until age 15 (Form 3) and then stayed home to help our family while both my parents worked till they retired. She continued to look after our parents in their retirement life till they both passed away. Though she has limited schooling, she has other skills and manages wells by herself. She continued to study from home and completed the MCE and HSC by postal studies. She has a diploma in catering from ITM in Shah Alam. With or without a catering diploma, she is a natural gifted chef and has cooked all our family meals since she left school in 1972. She cooks everything, you just name it and you only have to wait a few minutes at the dining table and she will deliver your ordered dishes direct from the home kitchen. In her spare time, she reads the Quran, fasts, prays and watches TV Al-Hijrah (30 minit bersama Ustaz Don). She took Arabic lessons at Masjid Negeri in Penang, and has a certificate in Arabic speaking. She also has a natural skill for speaking French which she picked up from I don't know where. You can ask her. Nobody speaks French in our family. My sister is one year my senior. As an elder sister, she handles the family estate, wasiat, etc and polices the siblings. She presently earns the label "millionnaire of Cangkat Minden" from her CAP colleagues as she inherits the family home. The houses here are worth approximately between RM3.5 million and RM5 million each. The house was only RM40K when my mother obtained it from her father in 1975. My sister said she is not selling her house.

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos

Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos 1903-1986

Please refer to Dr Che Lah's biography in my books:

1. Research on TEMD, pages 198-199
2. Biography of TEMD, pages 408-431

Birth date & place

I have mentioned his birth date and place on page 408 of Biography of TEMD.

None of his surviving family members knew his exact place of birth and date of birth. I obtained his date and place of birth from his work document and his application to attend the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).


Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, Wisma Persekutuan

Affandi and I visited Wisma Persekutuan today before noon. I had to renew my passport and MyKad. I obtained my new passport for RM300 (48 pages) and that should last me 5 years. My MyKad isn't ready and I have to wait 2 weeks.

While we were at Wisma Persekutuan, I asked Affandi if we could ask Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) and the Health Department about Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos. Affandi decided to help and do all the necessary talking in Kelantanese. I merely listened and followed.

At the central JPN counter, we were given 2 forms to fill, one for Kelahiran (birth) and another for Kematian (death). The lady explained and directed us to go and meet a lady at the main office where the counters were. We did as she directed us. At the counter, the lady said she cannot proceed if I do not have Dr Che Lah's IC #. She said she cannot do a name search. I was lost! How come a JPN computer cannot be searched by name? What sort of program does it operate that fails to have a name-search function? I was not mad but I was just very surprised that the JPN system is not as powerful as I had thought it to be.

We went back to the lady at the central counter and told her a name search wasn't possible and no search was possible without an IC #. She found it strange and asked that we immediately see the deputy director of JPN. We went back and told the counter lady. Again she refused to run a search because I could not provide an IC #. We asked to see the deputy director who had some people with her at the time. It was lunch time and we had to wait. In the meantime, I went upstairs to pick up my new passport and returned downstairs. The deputy still had people. We waited. Then the people left and we were called in.

I greeted the deputy director with salam and then salam her. Then all 3 of us got seated. She had my business card from the counter lady. I gave her 2 more cards for my 2 books. Now she had 3 cards. I told her I wanted to search for Dr Che Lah for my research. I said I did not have his IC#. She said she wished to help but without his IC#, no search was possible. I asked her what an old IC# appeared like and she described that to me. She said old IC# have a K/N number. The K/N is followed by a string of numerals. I told her I have not seen such a thing and I have to re-check the documents I have of him.


Hajj 1963 Passport (red)

After I returned from Wisma, I went straight to my bedroom and opened a box containing Dr Che Lah's photographs and the only printed document I have on him - his 1963 Hajj pass.

By the grace of Allah SWT, my sister was cleaning my mother's bedroom in her Penang home in 2004. She pulled out a lot of my old book boxes and hobby stuff from under my mother's bed (which doubled as her sewing room). She pulled everything out and of all things she found Dr Che Lah's Hajj pass of 1963. We were amazed at the find. My mother said to keep it. I asked for her permission to take it home to Kelantan for photocopying and scanning. I have not returned the Hajj pass to my mother because she died soon after that. I have kept that Hajj pass along with my mother's photos in my bedroom (which doubles as my live-in storeroom).

The Hajj pass was in a food plastic bag. Inside it was the Hajj pass and a pack of B/W photos of Dr Che Lah's 1963 Hajj, with many photos taken at (possibly) Swettenham Pier in Penang and at Jamratul Wusta in Mina. I must admit I have opened this pack of photos before but I never went through the photos one by one. Today, I studied each photo one by one, and to my surprise I was in 3 photos! There were 3 photos that had me as a kid at age 5. I don't remember being at the wharf but I remember my Malay grandmother returning to Banda Hilir, Malacca in 1963.

The 1963 Hajj pass has Dr Che Lah's IC# on the first page. I must have gone through the pass countless times but I didn't know that Kad Pengenalan Nombor is IC# today. It didn't occur to me that THAT was the IC#. We always referred to it as Nombor Kad Pengenalan and never as Kad Pengenalan Nombor. So now I have Dr Che Lah's IC#. Now I can return to JPN and request the counter lady to search for his details. I am glad I still have the Hajj pass despite the many junks in my bedroom (50% junk were burned last year when we did spring cleaning).

I have emailed the deputy director at JPN @ Wisma in Kota Bharu earlier this evening. I wrote a very long email to answer her questions earlier this afternoon. Still, I forgot to give her my mother's IC# which she required because the link to my maternal grandfather must be via my mother. Only my mother and her siblings can search their father's details. Otherwise JPN will not do a search for me since I am of granddaughter status. It is JPN policy that a grandchild cannot search for the details of her grandparents.

Sometimes I feel I should speak my mind. Sometimes I wished I could pull back time and ask my mother to search for her father's details instead. It is very difficult for Affandi & me to get this far just to find where exactly Dr Che Lah was born, in Butterworth in his mother's village or on Penang island at Kg Dodol off Jalan Perak. Both places are in Penang. Penang itself is vast and not a foot wide. Sometimes I think humans make silly rules and policies, and which retard good research. I think people should think and use their discretion and be helpful in any research that comes to a government establishment, like JPN. I really need a lot of cooperation from just about anybody. This research is already hard to do and going the next mile actually drains me too. I try to bring straight facts in my books and I feel bad when I cannot get the details I need.

Wisma Persekutuan in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Red hardcover of Dr Che Lah's 1963 Hajj passport

Dr M. J. Che Lah's 1963 Hajj passport. Kad Pengenalan No. 2518843 (Blue). Alamat yang tetap: 219 Bukit Gelugor, Penang (this is now 219 Solok Pemancar. The house still stands despite neglect by the realty concerned). Kera'ayatan: P.T.M.    [P.T.M. = Persekutuan Tanah Melayu]

Dr Che Lah's Hajj passport photo and signature of 18 January 1963

Medical Mission cancellation mark.

A majestic steamer named Kuala Lumpur was used for the 1963 Hajj pilgrimage

Dr Che Lah's ticket (top portion of long ticket)

Dr Che Lah's ticket (bottom portion of long ticket)

AT SWETTENHAM PIER, PENANG

1963 Hajj (18 January 1963)
Family send-off

Watching the Hajj ship Kuala Lumpur docking to pick up passengers from Penang before sailing onward to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

With my siblings at the pier in Penang, 18 January 1963. I am at extreme right.

With my mother and siblings at the pier in Penang, 18 January 1963. I am partially hidden and on my mother's left..

My mother tending to us kids at the pier, 18 January 1963

SAUDI ARABIA

1963 Hajj Medical Mission

Stamps by the Hajj Office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The stamped date of arrival is in Jawi script.

Hajj Medical Mission 1963 headed by Dr MJ Che Lah (right most)

Dr Che Lah at Jamratul Wustar in Mina, 1963 Hajj, Saudi Arabia

Text at rear of the photo above (Jamratul Wustar in Mina).

UPON DR CHE LAH'S RETURN TO MALAYA

Dr Che Lah's grandchildren gathered at 262-T Banda Hilir, Malacca. With my siblings in May 1963. I am at second left. Boy in striped pyjamas is arwah Hamdan, my cousin.

**** This was the house of Haji Mohamed Sharif bin Ismail, my paternal great-grandfather. The house was adjacent to Masjid Banda Hilir but was demolished circa 2007. A bigger and modern Masjid an-Nur Banda Hilir stands on the former house site today. There should be 2 other houses that resemble the house at 262-T Banda Hilir somewhere in Malacca today. The search for these 2 houses continues. ****

**** The boy at second right in striped pyjamas is arwah Hamdan bin Haji Mohd Yusof. He is not my brother but my paternal cousin. He was the son of Cikgu Haji Mohd Yusof bin Bulat, also then the Imam of Masjid Semabok, and my father's brother-in-law. I called him Pak Ji Usop. Pak Ji Usop owned a wooden panel-dark green Morris Minor, probably the only one in Malacca. Pak Ji Usop was also the Kadhi who married off Malacca couples who are now residing in south of Perth and various pats of Western Australia. These couples still remembered him when I met them at Aidilfitri in 1989. ****

The Guardian Weekly

Xlibris marketing consultant, Frank Williams phoned me from Cebu, Philippines on 28 December 2012, close to 2 pm. This time he asked me to consider to advertise my books in The Guardian Weekly (TGW) and explained to great length what great things it can do for me as a new author and for my new books. 

Xlibris has prepared the ad for my books for TGW. Frank asked if I am agreeable to advertising my books in TGW. He said I will get to see the ad first and I get to say whether I agree or not. I said I was not prepared. and would not buy in just yet. I said I would like to market my books my way and I had contacted some people.

Frank went on to say that it would be advantageous to advertise in TGW as even presidents read TGW. I thought that was a good marketing & sales pitch. I still said no but I was happy about the thought.

The Guardian Weekly:

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx

Newbies in History of Medicine

I am now creating a lot of interest on the topic of History of Medicine. I'm trying to get students interested in the topic so that there will be replacement when I leave the scene when the time comes. So far I have 2 medical students. Both are history buffs before they joined our medical school. So I'm just pulling them in the direction of medicine so that it will be easier for them later.

One of the students is 19-year old Hazirah Teh. She is in first year medicine. Hazirah has traveled to many places including to London. She has many friends overseas and that makes her travels easy. She flies by MAS (RM3,000 return flight) and puts up with her friends. She travels at every opportunity and especially during school holidays and university breaks. She's brave to travel far and wide at a young age. I have given Hazirah both my books in the hope that they will keep her interested in history in addition to the other areas of medicine. Hazirah is in Facebook.

Hazirah Teh picked up her free copy from my office.

Hazirah Teh in Facebook

The other student is Tasneem. I have not spoken to Tasneem yet.