Prof. Zulkifli Ahmad

Prof. Dr Haji Zulkifli bin Ahmad (USM)

Prof. Zulkifli Ahmad (right) exiting the hall after delivering his professorial talk at USM Health Campus. Behind him is Prof. Syed Hatim Noor; 20 November 2011

Biodata
Prof. Zulkifli Ahmad was born on 24 July 1954 at Kampung Bakar Kapor, Sungai Petani, Kedah. He is the eldest of 6 siblings. His father, Haji Ahmad bin Ariffin was a schoolteacher. His mother, Hajjah Akiah bt Othman was a full-time housewife. Professor Zulkifli was raised first by his grandmother, Hajjah Che Yah bt Said at his village before he moved to Alor Star to begin shooling.

He attended schools in Alor Star. He first attended Sekolah Rendah Iskandar. He then Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid (Sultan Abdul Hamid College, SAHC) where he completed Form 6 (Upper 6). 

He then proceeded to study Medicine at University of Malaya (now Universiti Malaya) for 6 years (1973-1979). He obtained his MBBS degree in 1979. He did his Housemanship and became a Medical Officer at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru. He was transferred to Hospital Daerah Kulim, Kedah in 1981. A year later he was posted to Kuala Nerang, Kedah as Medical and Health Officer at Pusat Kesihatan Besar Kuala Nerang, as well as Acting Health Officer for Daerah Padang Terap/Sik, Kedah. Here, he was working on Public Health (Kesihatan Awam).

In 1981, he married Prof. Dr Rogayah bt Ja'afar form Johor. They were blessed with 4 children, a son and 3 daughters: Mohamad Ariff, Noor Akmal, Noor Amalina and Noor Adilah.

In 1982, he joined the USM Medical School in Penang as Trainee Lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine. 

In 1984, he proceeded to do his postgraduate studies in MSc in Public Health for 2 years at the University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. He completed his studies in 1986 and returned to USM as a Medical Lecturer.

He had several posts in the USM Medical School: Head of Department in the Department of Community Medicine (1991-1994); along with the other lecturers, he was Founder of MSc in Family Medicine program, which later became a separate department - Department of Family Medicine.

In 1998, he was promoted to Associate Professor and continued to do his PhD at Universiti Malaya. He returned to the USM Medical School and headed the Department of Community Medicine (2002-2003).

In 2002, he attended a postgraduate certificate course in Global Nutrition IT under the Swedish International Development Program (SIDA) at the University of Uppsala, Sweden.

He also obtained a few other fellowships to attend other courses and conferences, including the conference on Network of Community Oriented Educational Institutions for Health Sciences, Advanced Asian Course in Tropical Epidemiology which was organised by SEAMO-TropMed, several Tobacco Control Workshops which were organised by ThaiHealth and Rockefeller Foundation, and WHO Visiting Fellowship in Environmental Health, speciafically tobacco control.

His area of interest is Family Health and his main research fields are Tobacco Control and Child Health. He has supervised many postgraduates in both these fields. 

He has produced more than 60 academic publications and papers, learning modules, and academic books. He was the former Chief Editor for the Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. He was the former Editor for the Malaysian Journal of Nutrition. He is presently on the Panel of Advisers for the Archives of Orofacial Sciences.

He was promoted to full professorship in 2006. His professorial talk was delivered to the public on 20 November 2011 at USM in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

In 2007, he was seconded to the USM School of Dental Sciences as the Deputy Dean Research and Postgraduate Studies. He still holds the post today.

At the USM School of Dental Sciences, he was involved in developing several postgraduate courses, including: MDSc in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MDSc Restorative Dentistry (Conservative, Prostodontic, and Periodontic), MDSc Pediatrics, MDSc Public Dental Health, and PhD Public Health Dentistry.

He has been invited by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti AIMST, and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, as an Assessor of their academic curriculum for Public Health program. 

He was an External Examiner for the undergraduate medical program at Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He was also an External Examiner for the MSc in Tropical Health program at the University of Queensland, Australia.

He has been involved as a speaker and facilitator in many workshops, especially on Scientific Writing.

He is actively involved in promoting health and tobacco control activities, including Hari Bebas Tembakau Sedunia, expositions and health talks, specifically cigarette addiction, prevention, and tobacco control. 

He is active in associations and social work. He had held the post of Chairman and Deputy Chairman for the Parents-Teachers Association (PIBG) in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian 1 and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Zainab 1, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. He was a former Committee Member for the Malaysian Public Health Medical Specialist Association (Persatuan Doktor Pakar Kesihatan Awam Malaysia) and the Malaysian Medical and Health Educationists Association (Persatuan Pendidik Sains Perubatan dan Kesihatan Malaysia).

In 2011, he was elected as a Member to the USM Senate.


Source:
Program booklet "Syarahan Umum Pelantikan Profesor", Profesor Zulkifli Ahmad, "Pengawalan Tembakau di Malaysia: Antara Ekonomi, Politik, Agama dan Kesihatan", Ahad, 20 November 2011, 8.45am-12pm, Dewan Utama, Kampus Kesihatan, USM

Further information:
Prof Dr Hj Zulkifli Ahmad at the School of Dental Sciences 

Websites:
Department of Community Medicine, USM
School of Dental Sciences, USM
Hall of Fame, School of Dental Sciences, USM 

Syed Hatim Noor

Professor Dr Haji Syed Hatim Noor (USM)

Professor Dr Syed Hatim Noor after delivering his professorial talk at the USM Health Campus; 20 November 2011. Medical School Dean, Professor Abdul Aziz bin Baba is at far left.

Biodata
Professor Nyi Nyi Naing @ Professor Dr Syed Hatim Noor is a medical doctor by profession. He was born in Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar) in 1961. He has 4 siblings: an elder brother (a doctor), a twin sister (a clinical psychologist at Universiti Putra Malaysia), himself, and a brother (general manager of a hotel in Myanmar). Both his parents were medical doctors - Dr Syed Kassim Noor and Dr Aisha Beebee. They both served in Burma. His father passed away 8 months before Dr Syed Hatim obtain his full professorship. His mother is down with stroke. 

Dr Syed Hatim was educated in Burma. He studied medicine in Burma and graduated along with his twin sister. In addition to his basic medical degree (MBBS), he has postgraduate degrees in Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Medical Statistics. He did his postgraduate studies in Thailand and Australia. He is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society of the UK (2001 to date).

He then joined the School of Medical Sciences, USM in 1994. He holds several posts in the USM Medical School: Coordinator for Unit of Biostatistics, Coordinator for Unit of Biostatistics and Research Methodology (1997 to date), Chairman for Biostatistics and Epidemiology program  for USM Health Campus (1999 to date), Course Coordinator for MSc in Medical Statistics degree program (2003 to date), Member of USM Research and Ethics Committee (1999-2008), Member of Research Committee at USM Medical School (1999 to date), Coordinator for Professional and Personal Development of Postgraduates (PPD) for USM Health Campus (2010 to date), and Coordinator of Health Cluster for Research Methods and Statistics (2003 to date).

His core teaching in postgraduate education covers many areas: Medical Statistics, Medical Epidemiology, Research Methodology, and Statistical Software Applications in Medical Research.

He was appointed by the USM Vice-Chancellor to be the Coordinator of Health Cluster, for conducting regular annual intensive courses on Biostatistics, Research Methodology, Quality Thesis, and Scientific Writing, for postgraduates as well as for academics since 1997. 

His major contribution to the university is in improving its postgraduate and academic research wrt standard and appropriateness of research designs and implementation, application of appropriate statistical methods and publication of scientific papers.

He is actively involved in research. He held a number of research grants and led several government-funded research projects as the Principal Investigator. His major research interest covers: tuberculosis (TB), tobacco-related diseases, and food- and water-borne diseases. Additionally, he is the Statistical Consultant to private and governmental organisations, and to pharmaceutical companies.

To date, he has published a total of 123 scientific papers. Of these, 96 papers were published in international journals and 27 papers were published in Malaysian journals. He has also published 6 books on medical statistics, critical appraisal, research protocol development, and advanced statistics.

He has been an invited speaker for more than 190 occasions, which include intensive courses, workshops, and conferences both in and out of USM, and overseas.

He was promoted to full professorship in August 2007.


Source: 
Program booklet "Statistik Dalam Penyelidikan Perubatan Dan Sains Kesihatan: Dahulu, Kini & Masa Depan" which was distributed at Syarahan Umum. "Syarahan Umum Pelantikan Profesor, Profesor Syed Hatim Noor". Ahad, 20 November 2011, 8.45am-12pm, Dewan Utama, Kampus Kesihatan, USM.

Publications:
Assoc Prof Dr Nyi Nyi Naing. 2007. A practical guide on Determination of Sample Size in Health Sciences Research. ISBN978-983-867-263-4
Other books and publications

Websites:
USM Biostatistics and Research Methodology Unit
USM Biostatistics and Research Methodology Intensive Courses & Workshops
USM Biostatistics and Research Methodology Postgraduate Programme (MSc Medical Statistics)

Further information:
Please contact the Unit

Malay Regiment

Regimen Askar Melayu Diraja (RAMD)

I have to write something on the Malay Regiment. As I was growing up, my late father reminded me to always remember and honour the Malay Regiment. That time I was just a little girl with absolutely no knowledge of war and nothing about soldiers, never mind the Malay Regiment, even my dad was not in the army. So why bother?

As I grew up, I heard and followed news about the Malay Regiment, just out of curiosity. They were always at Istana Negara and any padang parades, in white baju Melayu, kain sampin hijau and songkok, with a rifle each. There is nothing spectacular I can recall from my 53 years of living, till I read this website today: Malay Regiment

Now I know how fierce a battle the Malay Regiment had fought, especially those soldiers of C Company (C Coy) who fought at Pasir Panjang in Singapore, the last battlefront before both Singapore and Malaya finally fell to the Japanese on 14 February 1942. C Coy was led by a brave Lt Adnan Saidi who died in action - he died a martyr and a hero, mati syahid. More on the capitulation of Singapore at Total War Center (forum)

I have goosebumps just trying to write on him. He must be so brave to stay put, knowing very well death was the only option. Please read about him and the last moments of his life and how they brutally mutilated his corpse and in the end burned him! This is the most brutal of war savagery I have ever heard. Memang dia orang kerjakan dia gila habis. Dendam kesumat!

History of the Malay Regiment and its initial set up is here: Syarak Mengata, Adat Menurut

The  Royal Malay Regiment was formed in Port Dickson on 1 March 1933.
Source: The Straits Times, 12 March 1962, page 5. "Royal Malay Regiment marks 29th birthday."
http://bit.ly/sVTtdE

Mubin Sheppard (1905-1994)

Mubin Sheppard (1905-1994)

Tan Sri Dato' Dr Haji Abdul Mubin (Mervyn) Cecil ffranck Sheppard (M.C.ff. Sheppard), PSM, JMN, PPT, CMG, MBE, OStJ, ED (1905-11 September 1994)

Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard was born on 21 June 1905 in Kent, England. 
Educated: Marlborough College, Magdalene College Cambridge (BA Hon History)
In 1927 he sat for the Malayan Civil Service (MCS) Competitive Examination in London.

Joined Malayan Civil Service (MCS) 1928.

He arrived in Malaya in 1928 and served in the Federated Malay States (FMS). He worked his entire life in Malaya till he died. He was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

First Director of Public Relations 1946-47;
British Adviser, Negeri Sembilan 1951-56;

Head, Emergency Food Denial Organisation 1956-61;
First Keeper of Public Records 1957-61
Director of Museum, Federation of Malaya (FoM) 1958-63;
Retired 1964;
Made a Tan Sri on 31 August 1969;

TEMD Research: I noticed Mubin Sheppard had helped 2 of the early Malay doctors - Datuk Dr Haji Abbas bin Haji Alias (Perak) and Dr Mohamed Said bin Mohamed (Negeri Sembilan).

His brief CV is as follows:

1. MCS Malaya 1928-1963
2. Company Commander FMS 
3. FMS Volunteer Force (FMSVF) during the war from 1941-42
4. Prisoner of War (POW) 1942-45 
5. He retired as a Major in the FMSVF in 1945 (war ended)

Of the Japanese war and the fierce battle by the Malay Regiment at Pasir Panjang, Bukit Chandu, 31K Pepys Road, before the final capitulation of Singapore, Tan Sri Dato’ Mubin Sheppard, an ex-officer and former POW, had this to say of his friend and troop leader of C Company (C Coy), the late Lieutenant Adnan Saidi: 

"He was heavily outnumbered by the Japanese…they bombed him but he fought on fiercely and inflicted heavy losses on them…. Adnan would have never surrendered under any circumstances. He was absolutely dedicated. In fact, just before fighting, he adopted a motto for his platoon, ‘Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata’ - death before dishonour." More on Lt Adnan Saidi and the Malay Regiment

Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard was a historian of Malay culture and heritage. He wrote many books:

1. Tunku Abdul Rahman; Father of Independence (1957–1970) 
2. Taman Budiman: Memoirs of an unorthodox civil servant
3. Singapore 150 Years. 1982. ISBN 9971-65-092-4
4. The Adventures of Hang Tuah. 1984
5. The Malay Regiment 1933-1947
6. His other books
7. Historic Malaya 
8. Malay Courtesy 
9. Mayong stories 
10. Tun Perak

Joint author: Malayan Orders and Decorations

Recreation: Historical and Cultural Research

Founder Federal Arts Council;
Vice-President Malaysian Branch, Royal Asiatic Society
Editor Malayan History Society; Trustee National Art Gallery
See: Muzium Negara

The Who's Who in Malaysia 1971-1972

entry by Ahmad Rizal b. Ali

This family photograph was taken in 1957, together with the late Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard (2nd from left), when he visited my late great grandfather, A. Bakar bin Mohd Amin (2nd from right). The late Tan Sri was a former British Adviser (BA) and my late great grandfather, worked under him as chief clerk in the Kemaman District Office, Terengganu. http://www.flickr.com/photos/the1957album/937142240/in/photostream

Sources:
Wikipedia
SembangKuala Retrieved 21 November 2011
The Who's Who in Malaysia 1971-1972
Flickr

Penang Mosques

Mosques in Georgetown

INTRODUCTION

 George Town (now Georgetown) is now a maze of lanes, roads, streets, and highways. It was easier to get to a place within Georgetown in the early 1980s. Today, it is impossible to drive without going into wrong lanes in Georgetown. The one-way street signs have made it more difficult. However, there is still hope in getting around the maze - the masjid jamek can certainly help. Each masjid jamek is unique and has a mihrab that faces qiblat, so that helps with street orientation.

Penang jamek mosques are plenty and they serve as landmarks (masjid sebagai mercu tanda). There are 3 useful landmark mosques in Georgetown: Masjid Jamek Titi Papan in Jalan Burma, Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin in Jalan Hatin, Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali in Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong.



Burma Road (Jalan Burma)
This road is parallel to Jalan Hatin, and closer to the sea. Jalan Khoo Sian Ewe opens to Jalan Burma. The landmark mosque at this junction is Masjid Jamek Titi Papan.

Masjid Jamek Titi Papan
Masjid Jamek Titi Papan is in Jalan Burma (Burmah Road), at the corner of Jalan Burma and Jalan Khoo Sian Ewe. This is a Chinese area with Chinese eating/coffee stalls (kopitiam), houses, shops and trishaw.

On 27 May 2012, I met with Tok Chu at his residence in Air Itam. Tok Chu's wife is the youngest and only daughter of the Imam of Masjid Titi Papan. His wife is Hendon bin Ahmad, who is also the mother of Prof. Ahmad Murad Merican (graduated in Mass Communication, USM).

According to Tok Chu, in the old days, the drain (parit) was so big that even sampans and tongkangs sailed right up to the mosque. A wooden plank was used as a footbridge to get to the mosque, and hence the mosque was named Masjid Titi Papan. Titi papan is Malay for a wooden plank that was used as a footbridge.

PHOTO 1. Masjid Titi Papan in Jalan Burma (old Burma Road), Georgetown, Penang

Hutton Lane (now Jalan Hatin)
Hutton Lane (now Jalan Hatin) is a memorable lane. It once had a shop where USM staff celebrated farewell lunch. It also once housed the private clinic of Sir KM Ariff (Dr Kamil Mohamed Ariff bin Kadir Mastan). It has a mosque - Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin. It has a school - Sekolah Melayu Chowrasta, now renamed to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Tanjong, Jalan Hutton. The school building is still the old pre-war building.

Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin
Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin is in Jalan Hutton (Hutton Lane), across the road from Sekolah Sri Tanjung, Jalan Hatin, Penang.

PHOTO 2. Masjid Jamek Jalan Hatin in Jalan Hatin (old Hutton Lane), Georgetown, Penang

Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong
This is a wide road which once housed a big pottery shop on the right, just after KOMTAR. It runs by KOMTAR and opens into 3-lane Magazine Road at the traffic lights. There is one bright yellow-green landmark mosque on the left, just after KOMTAR, before the traffic lights. This is Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali.

Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali
Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali is in Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong and can be viewed from KOMTAR. Pintal tali is Malay for twisted rope. What is the history of this mosque? How did it get its name?

I didn't see any twisted ropes in the vicinity of the mosque nor were ropes made here. It could be that this area was nearby Sungai Pinang and served as a landing place for small to medium boats which were tied to the dock, pier or jetty. Why were twisted ropes used? Anyway, ropes are made from twisted jute fibres. So why the additional adjective, pintal (twisted)? Maybe the ropes really became twisted (entangled) and could not be laid down straight as they were really entangled? But fishermen can't be that negligent to leave their ropes twisted? Maybe twisting referred to how the ropes were tied to the docks? More Sherlock Holmes assignment here!

PHOTO 3. Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali in Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, viewed through a glass window at KOMTAR, Georgetown, Penang

PHOTO 4. Masjid Jamek Pintal Tali viewed from a moving car, Georgetown, Penang

Other mosques in Georgetown, Penang are the Malay Acheen Street Mosque (Masjid Melayu Aceh) and the Masjid Kapitan Keling (the Indian mosque).

Links:
Masjid Melayu Aceh
Masjid Kapitan Keling

Singapore Mosques

INTRODUCTION

Singapore was initially an island where tigers lived. So goes the myth. Tigers do not cross the Straits of Johore (Selat Johor), so how come they came to be in Singapore? Were there actually tigers in Singapore? I doubt it. Tigers need roaming space and Singapore is not a place for tigers. Tigers don't live by the sea - they live in the jungle thickets. 

Singapore has a strange history. It was Indian since time immemorial, Malay for a brief period, British for quite some time and now it is predominantly Chinese. In an area where it is part of the Malay Archipelago, it is strange to find an island dominated by Chinese, very far from mainland China. How did this happen? What happened in our history?

Since Singapore had influences from many conquers and takeovers, we would expect to see remains of a Hindu past, Malay past, British past, and today, Chinese influences. 

I am interested about the mosques where the early Indians, Arabs and Malays prayed. Where are these mosques? Since the island is now in the hands of non Muslims, do the Muslims in Singapore today suffer as in many countries that are dominated by non Muslims? Australia is a good example.

I went on foot to discover the mosques in Singapore on 22-23 July 2011. I got to see a few mosques, but missed a lot of mosques as I did not have time.


Masjid Sultan (built 1826)
This mosque is in 3 Muscat St, and faces Bussorah St. It is indeed a big mosque. Its history in displayed in the lobby - it showed a much smaller original mosque. The mosque had belonged to the Sultan of Johore (from which the mosque derives its name). It was built in exchange for yielding the island of Singapore to the British. This mosque and the palace in Kg Gelam are all that were left to the royal family. This is the story we have at present. I have not heard from the royal family itself. The royal great-grandson is still alive (in Facebook, add Tengku Shawal?). This was the first mosque I entered on 23 July 2011 when I first arrived in Singapore.

How to get to Masjid Sultan:
From Woodlands train terminus, take the bus to the nearest MRT station. Ask the officers there for assistance for how to get to Bugis MRT. Take the MRT to Bugis MRT and get off at Bugis MRT. Walk through the Raffles Hospital lobby and exit at the front entrance. Continue walking to Arab St-North Bridge Road junction. The Sultan Mosque is a big mosque but the main entrance is to the left. Cross the street and go round the mosque periphery to the main entrance, which is actually the rear of the mosque (the front is the Qiblat). Enter the mosque ground via Gate 4 (near toilets) or Gate 5 (near shops). The red paved brick street is Bussorah Street.

Ladies prayer space:
The ladies prayer space in on the second floor (go in through the main entrance of the mosque and take the stairs at both sides). Slippers can go on the shoe rack outside the mosque, before the steps.

Friday prayer:
The men pray in the large main prayer hall where the mimbar and mihrab are (that is the direction of Qiblat or front of the mosque). The mosque is packed on Friday. It is better for women to wait till the men have completed Friday prayer before entering the mosque to pray.

At Bugis MRT, there are no roadsigns that tell which way is to the mosque. We had to ask the people there.  Schoolboys showed us the way from Bugis MRT to the Sultan Mosque. This is the front of the Sultan Mosque, it faces North Bridge Road. The main entrance is at the rear (go round to the right in this pic). This junction is at Arab St and North Bridge Rd. Just follow the schoolboys with songkok as they are going for Friday prayer too.

Masjid Sultan, main entrance at rear, fronting Bussorah St.
Masjid Sultan in Facebook

Syed Habib lecturing. Photo from Picasa album of Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique.

Same as above

Arches and roof lighted in green. This is the men's prayer hall which is the largest hall. It is a huge hall. The carpet is red and without mosque design. Affandi is performing Solat Dhuha (he blends with the carpet! - camouflage?).

Enormous chandelier in the lobby. The white frosted light bulbs bear light blue Islamic calligraphy, accompanied by light pink floral motifs. This is the cover photo for the book, Biography of the Early Malay Doctors 1900-1957 Malaya and Singapore.

Different view of the same chandelier.

Front lawn and nursery

Map showing all the entrances (gates) of Masjid Sultan and the 4 roads that surround it. The main road where you see buses and traffic lights is North Bridge Road. Kandahar St separates the mosque from Istana Kampong Gelam. Muscat St separates the mosque rear from the shops. Arab St runs parallel to Kandahar St.

Entrance to Makam is closed off

Makam Sultan in front of Masjid Sultan. The last sultan of Singapore at the time of Raffles, Sultan Hussain, was not buried here. He was buried behind Masjid Tranquera (Masjid Tengkera) in Malacca. There are better photos in the Facebook album of Tengku Aziz, a descendant of the last Singapore Sultan.

Masjid Abdul Gaffoor (built 1907)
This is a big ornate mosque by the street. It was under repairs when I passed by it on 23 July 2011. I did not enter this mosque. I didn't know how to get to the other side or the main entrance/front side as it was being repaired. There were some labels but I couldn't make out what was written on them.

Masjid Abdul Gaffoor

Masjid Angullia
 This is an interesting mosque that I found using Google maps. It is small and the architecture is quite unique - looks like a small fort. I have not seen a mosque like this before. The name Angullia strikes me. So I went to the USM library in Penang to look up that word. I know there is an eel species that bears the same name as I had researched on the eels in the mid-1990s. It is named after its founder, Angullia or reflects his home country (India).

Second generation Ahmad Mohamed Salleh Angullia in The Who's Who in Singapore 1963. (Article  was obtained from USM library in Penang.)

Second generation AMS Angullia and family as featured in The Straits Times, Friday, 5 August 1988. From humble traders to rich land-owners. (This newspaper article was received from Dr Mohamed Tahir, who in turn received it from AMS Angullia. The article was e-mailed to me on 22 March 2012.)

Masjid Angullia (from Google Maps).

Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique
http://www.aleemsiddique.org.sg/

This mosque was recently renovated in 2005. It is a beautiful mosque today. I passed by it once at night on 22 July 2011. I will try and visit it next time, in sya Allah. As for history of the mosque, Abdul Aleem Siddique was a sufi master who had worked closely with one of the early Malay doctors, Dr Mohamed Ibrahim bin Ismail. His son, Tan Sri Prof Ahmad Ibrahim had also worked with the sufi master. Abdul Aleem Siddique was also known as The Roving Ambassador of Islam, which is also a title of a book written about him by Tan Sri Prof Ahmad Ibrahim. I haven't seen the book yet. Some websites mentioned him but there is no mention of the book.

Abdul Aleem Siddique

Abdul Aleem Siddique

Footprints on the Journey of Human Fellowship, written by Zainudin Mohd Ismail, Jamiyah Singapore. Download from: http://www.jamiyah.org.sg/Arabic/sharing%20file/footprint.pdf

The Straits Times, 5 May 1931, Page 8

Untitled

His Holiness Hazrath Maulana Shah Mohamed Abdul Aleem Saheb Siddiqui Al'quadri, etc., the well-known qualified theologian of Meerut City, India, addressed a large gathering at the Aljunied Islamic School, Victoria Street, last Sunday on the subject "How to understand the Holy Quran." Among those present were Mr Soon Kim, Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied, Mr A.M.S. Angullia, Haji Manjoor Saheb, and many other prominent Mohammedans. Dr H.S. Moonshi also addressed the gathering.

The Straits Times, 20 December 1936, Page 22

GOING TO MECCA

Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique (from Google Maps).

Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique (via StreetView in Google Maps).


I was informed by Dr Mohamed Tahir that this mosque now has a beautiful interior. The front wall and the mihrab (prayer pulpit) have a lot of Islamic calligraphy relief and they were made by artisans from Morocco, who were specifically flown in just for the renovation of this mosque in 2005.

All photos below are from Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique gallery which I found in Picasa. 

Interior of dome and spacious prayer hall

Qiblat, mihrab and front of mosque interior

Al-Asma al-Husna calligraphy all over on the walls. Syahadah calligraphy inside the mihrab. Even the mimbar/lecturn has Islamic geometric designs and objects.

Beautiful al-Asma al-Husna calligraphic relief on the back wall

Spacious prayer hall

Masjid Kassim
Can be found using Google maps. It is a "flat" mosque, with tiny steps leading up to the mosque. It is at a busy intersection. There are many Muslim eateries nearby. Parking is a problem. 

Masjid Ba'alawie
Can be found using Google maps. It is a small old mosque. Tan Sri Prof Ahmad Ibrahim used to come here. The Arabic Al-Attas (Alattas) family used this mosque. The Al-Attas families can be found in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Masjid Chander Road 
http://pictures.nl.sg/SearchByTag.aspx?tag=Chander%20Road

The location can be found using Google maps - it points to an empty plot, just grassland with a blue zinc fence. This is an old mosque and has been pulled down. A 1984 photo can be found here:
http://pictures.nl.sg/2d8cc929-8e95-4dcd-9bfc-754ea116bdf5.aspx
Among the jemaah here were Ismail Ballah, Dr Mohamed Ibrahim bin Ismail and Tan Sri Prof Ahmad Ibrahim. When the newspapers published Ismail Ballah's demise, it could have pointed to the Muslim community here. "Arab" was used to refer to the Indian Muslims. Today, the Indian Muslims are grouped as Malay. The Chander Road mosque was within Little India.

Street scene in Little India

Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh
http://www.hjmuhdsalleh.org.sg/Templates/1.html
Nearby is Makam Habib Noh which has an interesting history. The descendants of Habib Noh can be found in Penang and elsewhere. Habib Noh's close friend was Haji Muhammad Salleh @ Nakhoda Nan Intan, whose grave lies at the graveyard adjoining Masjid Batu Uban in Penang. Batu Uban was the first Malay settlement in Penang before Captain Francis Light arrived on the island.

Other mosques:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_Singapore

Indian Convict Labour in Malaya and Singapore

INTRODUCTION

We all know our bitumen roads were not laid down by the locals; they were made by Indians. Who specifically laid down our roads? Indians or Indian convict labour? How did we get that labour to pave our roads? 

The British had taken the natives of India as convicts and brought them to Malaya and Singapore, in a similar manner they brought white British convicts to Australia and New Zealand. Who were these Indian convicts and what happened to them? Were they chained? Did they make the roads while still being chained? When were they freed? What happened to them right after they were freed? What happened to their descendants in the colony? Can we trace them? Are any of them our early Malay doctors? The answer is YES! Isn't that great?!

We know from history that the Indians who arrived in Malaya and Singapore never returned except to visit their families or to bring them here. The Indians stayed on. 

In a newspaper report, it mentioned, as convicts they built the Johore Causeway which was completed in 1924. it also mentioned the Indians were hired, preferentially over the locals as they were honest and worked earnestly.

From Isabella Bird's book, the Golden Chersonese, we know there were mainly 2 European groups - the British and Germans. We are interested in the Germans as they operated steamers (ships) that plied between Singapore and the European ports.


So far on TEMD record, we have only one highly educated Indian who worked his entire life as a free man with the German Embassy which opened in Singapore in 1892. We have difficulties tracing his origin in north India. His original Indian village is unknown.


There are 2 books that mention/illustrate Indians/Indian labourers in Malaya.


MALAYSIA. A Pictorial History 1400-2004.
Wendy Khadijah Moore
2004
ISBN 981-4068-77-2

Of note are pages 45, 56, 103 and 116.


Page 45 - Penang port, showing Fort Cornwallis in the far background; in 1860s. There is an Indian in loin cloth waiting at the water's edge.


Page 56 - The first hospital at Butterworth; circa 1869. There are a few Indians in knee-length cloth standing outside the hospital building.


Page 103 - There is an Indian in ankle-length cloth by the rail crossing near St Mary's church in Kuala Lumpur; circa 1891.


Page 116 - There are 2 Indians in loin cloth working on paving the road at the Esplanade in Penang; circa 1906.




MALAYA. 500 Early Postcards
Cheah Jin Seng
2008
ISBN 978-981-4155-98-4

This is a book of postcards and real photographs with captions. Of note are pages 228, 275 and 279.


Page 228 - Mentions Weld Quay, Penang was built in 1880s (photographed in 1924). Weld Quay housed many European companies: Boustead & Co; Schmidt Kustermann & Co; Behn Meyer & Co Ltd; Shiftman, Heer & Co; Behr & Co.


Page 155 - Before the Johor Causeway was ready in 1924, ferryboats were used to transfer people and food from Johor Bahru to Singapore. Even the train wagons were ferried to Woodlands in Singapore. The photo shows a ferryboat pulling a roll-on railway track. The vicinity was all jungle.

Page 275 - Shows the Johor Causeway in 1925. It was 1,056 metres long and was officially opened on 28 June 1924 by Sir Laurence Guillemard, in the presence of Sultan Ibrahim (Sultan of Johore). The photo was taken from the Johore end of the causeway, facing Singapore.


Page 279 - Mentions Phot Kleingrothe, Deli, Sumatera in a caption. My understanding is "Phot Kleingrothe" is Port Keling Roti in Dutch? Is Kleingrothe, keling roti? Were the Indians baking bread in Sumatera? Did it mean the Indians were already selling the Indian bread, roti chanai (roti canai) in Sumatera as they do all over Malaysia today?

Page ? - There is mention of Norddeutscher Lloyd in 1910 which exported tobacco to Europe. 

The Malays

INTRODUCTION

For my book, The Early Malay Doctors (TEMD), the word "Malay" is all encompassing. It includes all Muslims, regardless of ethnic origin. So, "Malay" would mean: a label to include all who eat mainly rice as their staple (nasi putih, nasi biryani) either with their right hand/fork & spoon/chopsticks, or breads as alternative (roti canai, roti jala, murtabak) and sometimes noodles (mi goreng, mi bandung, spaghetti) and wear clothes according to their various cultures and customs, covering most parts of their torso, that go to show modesty rather than revealing clothes. So a Malay may appear very Chinese, very Indian, very Orang Asli, very Mat Salleh, very Black, very Melayu, to the moderate not so Chinese, not so Indian, not so Orang Asli, not so Mat Salleh, not so Black, not so Melayu, to pan-Asian features.

A Malay wedding reception

The JHEOA describes the Orang Asli (Orang Asal) here: Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli

The book by Isabella Bird, "The Golden Chersonese: Travels in Malaya" in 1879 is available online and is hosted by Digital Library at http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bird/chersonese/chersonese.html#IX.

There is mention of the people who make up the population in Malacca, Penang (Pinang) and Singapore at the time of her visit.


The Malays
She described the Malays as follows: "The people lead strange and uneventful lives. [....] They seclude their women to a great extent, and under ordinary circumstances the slightest courtesy shown by a European man to a Malay woman would be a deadly insult; and at the sight of a man in the distance the women hastily cover their faces.


Singapore Census 1881
For the Singapore census of 1881, the people were grouped as: Europeans and Americans, Eurasians, Chinese, Malays and other natives of the Archipelago, Tamils and other natives of India, and Other nationalities. The Arabs were not categorised with the Malays. Among the Europeans, the Germans were next largest after the British. It mentioned Manilamen instead of Filipinos.

Europeans and Americans     823
Eurasians     930
Chinese     32,194
Malays and other natives of the Archipelago     6,954
Tamils and other natives of India     637
Other nationalities     559

The European resident population, exclusive of the soldiers, is only 1,283. The Europeans comprise 19 nationalities, including the British (largest) and Germans (second largest).

The Chinese population is 86,766; the Malay, 22,114; the Tamil, 10,475; the Javanese, 5,881; and the Eurasian, 3,091.

"Malays and other natives of the Archipelago" included, Achinese, Boyanese, Bugis, Dyaks, Jawi-Pekans, and Manilamen.

"Other nationalities" included Arabs.

Settlement of Malacca Census 1881
The total population of the territory is 93,579 (52,059 males and 41,520 females), an increase in ten years of 15,823. The Chinese population has increased by 6,259 or 46.4 per cent., and the Malays by 11,264, or 19.3 per cent.

European 32 (23 males and 9 females)
Eurasian (mainly of Portuguese mixed blood) 2,213
Chinese 19,741 (4,020 being females)
Malay 67,488 (the females being 2,000 in excess of the males)
Tamils or Klings 1,781
Arabs 227
Aborigines of the Peninsula 308
Javanese 399
Boyanese 212
Jawi-Pekans 867
Other 174 (stray Achinese, Africans, Anamese, Bengalis, Bugis, Dyaks, Manilamen, Siamese, and Singhalese)

Natives of India 42%
Other nationalities 48.9%

The town of Malacca contains 5,538 houses, and the country districts 11,177. The area of the settlement is 640 square miles, and the density of the population 146 to the square mile; only twelve of the population are lunatics.

Penang Census
- there is mention -

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Queen's Scholarship

INTRODUCTION

There are 2 types of scholarships at different times: The Queen's Scholarship and the President's Scholarship.


The Straits Times, 16 November 1948, Page 4
Queen's scholars since 1885.

The Straits Times, 12 July 1980, Page 1
History of the President's scholarship
http://bit.ly/sm0qmE

• History of the President's scholarship [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 12 July 1980, Page 1

  History of the President's scholarship THE Presidents scholarship is today's equivalent of the Queen's and State's scholarships which were stopped in 1965. In 1959, Mr Vong Nyuk Lin, the then Minister for Education, explained that the Queen's scholarships and Queen's Research Fellowships were discontinued in view of the changed constitutional  (380 words)

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• QUEEN'S SCHOLARS SINCE 1885 [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 16 November 1948, Page 4

  QUEEN'S SCHOLARS SINCE 1885 A PAPER entitled "Th« Queen's Scholarships of Malaya 1885-1948" written by Dr. Wu Lien Teh and Dr. Ng Tok Ting, was read at a meeting at Raffles College, Singapore, last night by Dr Wu Lien Teh. The President of the Raffles College Union, Mr. 8. Thiruchelvam,  (622 words)

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• The Queen's Scholars Since 1885 In Malaya [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 16 November 1948, Page 6

  The Queen's Scholars Since 1885 In Malaya We give m this page today extracts from the paper by Dr. Wu Lien Teh and Dr. Ng Yok Hing on "The Queen's Scholarships of Malaya 1885-1948" which was read by Dr. Wu Lien Teh at a meeting of students of Raffles College  (1816 words)

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• The Whiz Kids of Yesteryear [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 22 May 1977, Page 11

  The Whiz Kids of Yesteryear BAILYNE SUNG By ARE THEY MAKING AS GREAT AN IMPACT IN THEIR FIELD OF WORK AS THEY ONCE DID AS STUDENTS? THERE pxlsts ln Singapore a small exclusive group of people who are the Al scorers, the star performers In national examinations. They are the  (1198 words)

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• Are our most brilliant mem selected for training'? [Articles + Illustrations]
  

  The Straits Times, 9 October 1956, Page 6

  Are our most brilliant mem selected for training Are mrholmruhip* being awarded f the tmomt U&muU* mm! de«erW»g> The t>— deney, umjm the •■thor ot thin article. has been to confine scholarship* and fellowships to a small circle of lucky Government servants and university graduates. The result is that promiwing  (1105 words)

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• Dr. Lim Boon Keng. [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 5 October 1921, Page 9

  Dr. Lim Boon Keng. Cordial Tributes in Legislative Council. j Tributes to (he work of Dr. Lim Boon Keng, O. B. E., who has left the colony and resigned from the Legislative Council 'on taking up the presidency of the Amoy University, were made at the meeting of the Legislative  (1059 words)

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• RAFFLES INSTITUTION [Articles]
  

  The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 23 December 1886, Page 5

  RAFFLES INSTITUTION THE distribution of the prizes took place on Tuesday afternoon, Lady Weld and Miss Weld, the Hon'ble J. F. Dickson, the lion'ble Mr. and Mrs. Shelford, Archdeacon Meredith, the Rev. V. H. Gomes, B. I)., and many others being present. In the Boys School, the Principal commenced the  (2912 words)

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• A CENTURY OF EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE [Articles + Illustrations]
  

  The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 8 October 1935, Page 16

  A CENTURY OF EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE H. R. CHEESEMAN BY Raffles The Pioneer Institution, Girls' School And College The Nucleus Of A University? ENGLISH, CHINESE, INDIAN AND MALAY EDUCATION (Inspector of Schools, Singapore and Labuan.) AS far as can be ascertained 100 years ago there existed m Singapore a number  (2967 words)

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• Colony Education From The Days Of Raffles. [Articles]
  

  The Straits Times, 21 October 1932, Page 16

  Colony Education From The Days Of Raffles. ADVANTAGES REALISED BY ALL COMMUNITIES. The Nucleus Of A Future University. It will come as a surprise to many *o learn how deeply rooted is the educational system of the Colony but in a most interesting preface to the report on education in  (8623 words)

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• Untitled [Articles + Illustrations]
  

  The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 8 October 1935, Page 6

  may have or that may be established through head offices at home). Much remains unsaid concerning the early European pioneers, but we must go on, however great a part they have played and however likable and brave and enterprising they prere. Chinese Pioneers. Equally important and immeasurably richer m detail  (13257 words)

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