I almost forgot that today is Hari Malaysia. With 1001 things on my mind, it is not easy to remember, even important dates like this Hari Malaysia. What's Hari Malaysia? What about Hari Malaysia? What's the fuss about Hari Malaysia?
Will & Kate visited Malaysia; QEII is still alive in her palace in London; Queen Mother? I have not seen the 2 of them for quite some time now. I remember Diana and also Princess Anne. Nobody sings 'London Bridge is Falling Down' nowadays. Why not? Of course London Bridge does not fall apart. It opens up and comes back down, that's all. I loved London bridge when I first saw it in 1980. It was huge and light blue, and the brickwork was so massive. (The San Francisco bridge is red).
Back to Hari Malaysia. Since I forgot today's date and therefore did not know it is Hari Malaysia, I got up to have leftover nasi tomato from yesterday's lunch. I made some gravy to go with the rice. That was breakfast. Then I went shopping at TESCO, to the tune of RM731. Why so much? Cos I bought stuff for the kids and the house for a month. My husband & #2 son will be away in Perth, so I have to stock up and feed the rest. Also because the monsoon rain has arrived. So a food stockpile is worth the effort. October, November, December and January maybe holiday months for most people, but not for me. These are my busy months and I really get too busy with work at USM, not so much at home.
I have pushed a lot of my teaching for year 2 medicine to March 2013 because I just won't have time for everything. I presently have a PhD thesis of a Chinese girl, in Industrial Food Technology (it arrived in my pigeonhole on 13 September 2012). She's written on probiotics in tofu and tofufa. Not had time to examine it yet. Will do when I can find a sharp pencil. Went to TESCO to buy a pack of neon colour page marker. Expect a lot of pasting and writing little notes, as I usually do when I examine any document, including books.
Back to the question of Hari Malaysia. What is it? It was the day Malaysia was formed, on 16 September 1963. Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaya (FoM) to form Malaysia. Singapore left in August 1965, and became Republic of Singapore on 9 August 1965. I was in Standard 1 at Sultanah Asma Primary School in Alor Star, Kedah. Sultan Abdul Hamid College and the Day Training College were farther up the same road, Jalan Langgar. (Tun) Dr Mahathir operated MAHA Klinik at Kg Cina/Kg Melayu in Alor Star. This clinic was near the bridge. My late mother also went to his clinic although I don't know for what, maybe for family planning. That was how my parents new the Tuns then. I remember my mother was thin but she became ill at some point. And when she came through, she was double her size. She was in baju kebaya pendek before she was taken ill and after that she switched to baju kurung for life. Of course when I was a student in primary school in Alor Star, I did not know (Tun) Dr Mahathir. I only became aware he was a minister when I was at Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. At the time, Tun Abdul Razak was still the prime minister - he had the Buku Hijau on. We had to plant kacang panjang at college for a house project. We also had to ferilize the soil by mixing it with dried cow dung. I can still recall the pong from the cow dung. Stinking or not, the kacang panjang grew very well and were harvested and sent to the mak cik and pak cik at the hostel kitchen to make our vegetables.
So how should I remember Hari Malaysia in the future and not miss it? Last year (2011) I cooked trigone pasta to remember Hari Malaysia. This year (2012) because I forgot, I went out to TESCO to 'enjoy' laksa Penang and nasi goreng Pattaya with air bandung milkshake for under RM15. I used to enjoy laksa Penang when I got married in Penang but nowadays the laska Penang tastes different from 30 years ago. Nasi goreng Pattaya didn't look too enticing today. That was lunch outside, and of all days, Hari Malaysia. I should have stayed home and cooked a new pasta recipe if I had remembered it is Hari Malaysia today. That can't be undone now. Wait for Hari Malaysia 2013 in the next 365 days.
It rained today so I could not take photographs except for a few shots from my car window. I also got out of my car to get 2 photos of the newly constructed flyover, probably Kota Bharu's first. I would say it was a dull day in Kota Bharu and Kubang Kerian because I didn't get much done today.
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Friday, 14 September 2012
Renaissance Universities
I taught History of Medicine on Tuesday, 11 September 2012 to 200+ medical students in Year 1 in Dewan Kuliah 1 (DK1). InsyaAllah, I will have another 6 lectures in 6 years time before I retire at 60. That's how old I am today.
What did I teach this time? This time around I only had 1 hour. I covered the various civilisations in human history and touched on medicine where possible. Otherwise it was just mythology and magic potions.
I covered in sequence: ancient Egyptian civilisation, Greek civilisation, Roman civilisation, Arab civilisation, and Renaissance. I mentioned Spain, Iran, Iraq and the Middle-East in passing as I had not much time. I also pointed out the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st century discoveries in medicine.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mediterranean_Sea
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Spain
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/France
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Italy
For ancient Egypt, I covered the Pharaohs (Fir'aun). I mentioned they had the Book of the Dead that described procedures for preparing the dead for burial as mummies. I mentioned that the ancient Egyptians slit open the torso and took out the internal organs and placed them in canopy jars. (A lot of reactions from the students.) Then they replace the cavity with salt and sewed the torso and prepared them as mummies, to be stowed in sarcophagus, tombs or coffins. The interesting here was the use of scalpel to slit open the torso. I asked the students to identify the scalpel but in the illustration I showed the students, the scalpel looked like giant walking sticks (tongkat) or crochet needles. LOL
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria
For ancient Greece, I mentioned that the Greeks were steeped in mythology and have more than 40 gods and goddesses. I named some of the gods & goddess, of course with tongue-twister names, it was a lot of laughter. There was a family of god & goddesses of medicine and healing. Asclepius married Lampetia (goddess) and they had 4 daughters (goddesses). For the capital of Greece, I mentioned Athena and showed them her statue, pole and serpent that would around her pole. I also mentioned the Greeks believed Athena metamorphed into an owl and was often depicted as an owl in images of ancient Greece. I mentioned the Acropolis and the Pantheon where the Greek prayed to their gods & goddesses. The renovated Pantheon still has many Doric columns, and pointed to the students how Malaysian have copied and lived the glory of the ancient Greek Pantheon in their very homes. Almost every modern Malaysian home today has 2 Doric columns in front; some have them inside the homes too. Pantheon was the prayer place while Pathenos meant barren or infertile. I elaborated the differences with "you don't ask your friend, "Are you pathenos while your friend prays in the Pantheon." There was a lot of laughter after that. I mentioned 2 Greeks - Hippocrates and Galen. Hippocrates was the village doctor who practised under a tree in Kos. He was the man who founded concepts used since his time and up till now in modern medicine. Galen went to Alexandria and learned Anatomy from the Egyptians who were highly skilled. He also made lots of medicinal mixtures and wrote about their uses. Galen also returned to Greece but went on to work for the Gladiators in Rome. I queried the students about the Gladiators - they were okay.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia
The Arabs learned about medicine from the Greeks. I emphasized that the word Arab is a misnomer and incorrectly used by historians and almost everyone. The Arabs have 'al' name for objects and 'Al' suffix for clan name or surname. The non Arabs do not have 'Al' as name suffix. That alone should tell us whether an ancient man was an Arab or a non Arab. I also corrected the general understanding of what constitutes Arabic medicine, Islamic medicine and Prophetic medicine. Besides the Arabs and Iranians or Persians, there were Lebanese, Syrians, Jordanians, etc. The students have heard of Avicenna and they could read up on their own. They can also read up on the Golden Age of Islamic medicine in these countries. I mentioned Al-Qurrawiyun University as the oldest university and the first to offer medicine. University of Al-Azhar only adopted medicine in 1965 which is still quite recent. I mentioned some of the places in Spain and they can read up.
I covered Renaissance Europe. At the time, Europeans were fighting over land ownership and there were a lot of wars and battles. France moved north towards England and Normandy signifies French influences. The churches were active in keeping up with medicine. Popes became barbers and surgeons. Univerisities sprung up in Europe. These included Oxford University and Cambridge University. So these 2 universities (and others) are ancient centres of tertiary learning. I also covered the discoveries made in Europe (a lot of slides).
I did not cover Chinese, Indian and Malay medicine nor their history as time was limited.
What did I teach this time? This time around I only had 1 hour. I covered the various civilisations in human history and touched on medicine where possible. Otherwise it was just mythology and magic potions.
I covered in sequence: ancient Egyptian civilisation, Greek civilisation, Roman civilisation, Arab civilisation, and Renaissance. I mentioned Spain, Iran, Iraq and the Middle-East in passing as I had not much time. I also pointed out the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st century discoveries in medicine.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mediterranean_Sea
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Spain
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/France
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Italy
For ancient Egypt, I covered the Pharaohs (Fir'aun). I mentioned they had the Book of the Dead that described procedures for preparing the dead for burial as mummies. I mentioned that the ancient Egyptians slit open the torso and took out the internal organs and placed them in canopy jars. (A lot of reactions from the students.) Then they replace the cavity with salt and sewed the torso and prepared them as mummies, to be stowed in sarcophagus, tombs or coffins. The interesting here was the use of scalpel to slit open the torso. I asked the students to identify the scalpel but in the illustration I showed the students, the scalpel looked like giant walking sticks (tongkat) or crochet needles. LOL
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria
For ancient Greece, I mentioned that the Greeks were steeped in mythology and have more than 40 gods and goddesses. I named some of the gods & goddess, of course with tongue-twister names, it was a lot of laughter. There was a family of god & goddesses of medicine and healing. Asclepius married Lampetia (goddess) and they had 4 daughters (goddesses). For the capital of Greece, I mentioned Athena and showed them her statue, pole and serpent that would around her pole. I also mentioned the Greeks believed Athena metamorphed into an owl and was often depicted as an owl in images of ancient Greece. I mentioned the Acropolis and the Pantheon where the Greek prayed to their gods & goddesses. The renovated Pantheon still has many Doric columns, and pointed to the students how Malaysian have copied and lived the glory of the ancient Greek Pantheon in their very homes. Almost every modern Malaysian home today has 2 Doric columns in front; some have them inside the homes too. Pantheon was the prayer place while Pathenos meant barren or infertile. I elaborated the differences with "you don't ask your friend, "Are you pathenos while your friend prays in the Pantheon." There was a lot of laughter after that. I mentioned 2 Greeks - Hippocrates and Galen. Hippocrates was the village doctor who practised under a tree in Kos. He was the man who founded concepts used since his time and up till now in modern medicine. Galen went to Alexandria and learned Anatomy from the Egyptians who were highly skilled. He also made lots of medicinal mixtures and wrote about their uses. Galen also returned to Greece but went on to work for the Gladiators in Rome. I queried the students about the Gladiators - they were okay.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia
The Arabs learned about medicine from the Greeks. I emphasized that the word Arab is a misnomer and incorrectly used by historians and almost everyone. The Arabs have 'al' name for objects and 'Al' suffix for clan name or surname. The non Arabs do not have 'Al' as name suffix. That alone should tell us whether an ancient man was an Arab or a non Arab. I also corrected the general understanding of what constitutes Arabic medicine, Islamic medicine and Prophetic medicine. Besides the Arabs and Iranians or Persians, there were Lebanese, Syrians, Jordanians, etc. The students have heard of Avicenna and they could read up on their own. They can also read up on the Golden Age of Islamic medicine in these countries. I mentioned Al-Qurrawiyun University as the oldest university and the first to offer medicine. University of Al-Azhar only adopted medicine in 1965 which is still quite recent. I mentioned some of the places in Spain and they can read up.
I covered Renaissance Europe. At the time, Europeans were fighting over land ownership and there were a lot of wars and battles. France moved north towards England and Normandy signifies French influences. The churches were active in keeping up with medicine. Popes became barbers and surgeons. Univerisities sprung up in Europe. These included Oxford University and Cambridge University. So these 2 universities (and others) are ancient centres of tertiary learning. I also covered the discoveries made in Europe (a lot of slides).
I did not cover Chinese, Indian and Malay medicine nor their history as time was limited.
Graduate Studies @USM
IPS = Institut Pengajian Siswazah (Malay) / Institute of Graduate Studies
IPS Dean:
Prof. Roshada Hashim
Dean, Institute of Graduate Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 11800 Penang, Malaysia
Phone: +604-653-2930 Fax: +604-653-2931 E-mail: roshada@usm.my
IPS Dean:
Prof. Roshada Hashim
Dean, Institute of Graduate Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 11800 Penang, Malaysia
Phone: +604-653-2930 Fax: +604-653-2931 E-mail: roshada@usm.my
Website: http://www.ips.usm.my/
 |
| IPS, USM |
USM CONVO 2012
USM 46th Convocation Ceremony
19-23 September 2012
Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra
Penang
USM live streaming:
http://www.usm.my/streaming/
19-23 September 2012
Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra
Penang
USM live streaming:
http://www.usm.my/streaming/
 |
| Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra, USM |
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Kota Bharu, Kelantan
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MC_kotabahru1.htm
Istana:
Built: First built by the easily flooded river bank of Sungai Kelantan. Later shifted to higher grounds.
Major floods:
Bah Merah (Dec 1926/Jan 1927), Bah Besar (Dec 1966/Jan 1967)
Masjid Kampung Laut
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MHIS_nilampuri.htm
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Kampung_Laut,_Nilam_Puri
http://www.arkib.gov.my/masjid-kampung-laut-kelantan
Built: 1400s / 1401 / 1730s / 18th Century / other
Actual date built: Unknown
Original site: Kampung Laut, Tumpat, Kelantan
Present location: Nilam Puri, near Pusat Pengajian Islam, Cawangan Universiti Malaya in Kelantan.
Repute: Oldest mosque in Kelantan (true). Oldest mosque in Malaysia (untrue). Oldest mosque in Southeast Asia (untrue).
Architecture: Hindu / Buddhist chandi
Previous status: Hindu chandi or kuil Hindu
Present status: presently a mosque
Attached stories: Muslim missionaries washed ashore after a shipwreck while en route from Java to Pattani or vice versa
Other related structures: The mosque built at the old Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa, Masjid Demak in Java, Masjid Kono in Champa, Masjid Nad Tanjung and Masjid Wadi Hussein in Thailand.
Associated structures at present site: Istana Nilam Puri is an old Malay palace of the Kelantan royalty. My father-in-law and my husband used to live in the palace at Nilam Puri.
Masjid Muhammadi
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Muhammadi
http://www.ridelhotel.com.my/masjid%20muhammadi.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2eHwQ1US4A
Built: 1867
Location: Heart of Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Referred names: Masjid Besar / Masjid Besar Kota Bharu
Name: Named after Sultan Muhammad IV
First built: wooden mosque 1867-1920
Second built: brick mosque by British 1920-today
Renovations: many
Markets & Shopping
http://www.kelantan.gov.my/
Hotels
http://www.ridelhotel.com.my/rooms.php
Mosques in Malaysia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLLax5mF8Ek&feature=fvwrel
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MC_kotabahru1.htm
Istana:
Built: First built by the easily flooded river bank of Sungai Kelantan. Later shifted to higher grounds.
Major floods:
Bah Merah (Dec 1926/Jan 1927), Bah Besar (Dec 1966/Jan 1967)
Masjid Kampung Laut
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MHIS_nilampuri.htm
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Kampung_Laut,_Nilam_Puri
http://www.arkib.gov.my/masjid-kampung-laut-kelantan
Built: 1400s / 1401 / 1730s / 18th Century / other
Actual date built: Unknown
Original site: Kampung Laut, Tumpat, Kelantan
Present location: Nilam Puri, near Pusat Pengajian Islam, Cawangan Universiti Malaya in Kelantan.
Repute: Oldest mosque in Kelantan (true). Oldest mosque in Malaysia (untrue). Oldest mosque in Southeast Asia (untrue).
Architecture: Hindu / Buddhist chandi
Previous status: Hindu chandi or kuil Hindu
Present status: presently a mosque
Attached stories: Muslim missionaries washed ashore after a shipwreck while en route from Java to Pattani or vice versa
Other related structures: The mosque built at the old Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa, Masjid Demak in Java, Masjid Kono in Champa, Masjid Nad Tanjung and Masjid Wadi Hussein in Thailand.
Associated structures at present site: Istana Nilam Puri is an old Malay palace of the Kelantan royalty. My father-in-law and my husband used to live in the palace at Nilam Puri.
Masjid Muhammadi
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Muhammadi
http://www.ridelhotel.com.my/masjid%20muhammadi.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2eHwQ1US4A
Built: 1867
Location: Heart of Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Referred names: Masjid Besar / Masjid Besar Kota Bharu
Name: Named after Sultan Muhammad IV
First built: wooden mosque 1867-1920
Second built: brick mosque by British 1920-today
Renovations: many
 |
| Initial Masjid Muhammadi was a wooden structure 1867-1920, Kota Bharu. From Rosli Che Soh in Facebook http://archive.org/details/kelantanstateofm00grah |
Markets & Shopping
http://www.kelantan.gov.my/
Hotels
http://www.ridelhotel.com.my/rooms.php
Mosques in Malaysia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLLax5mF8Ek&feature=fvwrel
Monday, 10 September 2012
501451 Biography of the Early Malay Doctors
Book ID: 501451
Book Title:
BIOGRAPHY OF THE EARLY MALAY DOCTORS 1900-1957 MALAYA AND SINGAPORE
Author: Faridah Abdul Rashid
Total no. pages: 982
Book dimensions: 6" x 9" x 2.1"
Description of contents:
Total no. pages: 982
Book dimensions: 6" x 9" x 2.1"
Description of contents:
This book contains 43 biographies of the early Malay doctors. The biographies take a womb-to-tomb approach for each doctor. Family history is also included where there is information about the ascendants and descendants of these doctors. This brings the book into reaching farther back into our history. The setting for writing is from 1905 when the Straits and Federated Malay States Government opened the medical school in Singapore, till 1957 when Malaya gained its independence (Merdeka). However, a few doctors were born before the turn of the 19th Century (late 1800s). Their fathers either came to Malaya or they were born in Malaya. Most of the early doctors were the third, fourth or fifth generation of migrant families in Malaya. There is a lot to be learned about our past medical history, the biographies of the early doctors, and their ascendants.
 |
| Cover (10 Sept 2012) |
Copyright © 2012 by Faridah Abdul Rashid.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012915816
ISBN 13: Softcover 978-1-4771-5994-1
ISBN 13: Hardcover 978-1-4771-5995-8
ISBN 13: Hardcover 978-1-4771-5995-8
ISBN 13: eBook 978-1-4771-5996-5
Website:
http://www2.xlibris.com/books/webimages/wd/anz/501451/
(temporary link)
http://www.faridahabdulrashid.com/index.html
(this is the official website till Sept 2013)
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/EarlyMalayDoctors
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
http://www2.xlibris.com/books/webimages/wd/anz/501451/
(temporary link)
http://www.faridahabdulrashid.com/index.html
(this is the official website till Sept 2013)
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/EarlyMalayDoctors
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Amazon (price is in US Dollars):
http://www.amazon.com/Biography-Doctors-1900-1957-Malaya-Singapore
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/biography-of-the-early-malay-doctors-1900-1957-malaya-and-singapore
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/biography-of-the-early-malay-doctors-1900-1957-malaya-and-singapore
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Muslim Journeys
MUSLIMS IN AUSTRALIA
This is from the Australian National Archives:
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/index.aspx
Includes the different waves of Muslims to Australia - Afghans, Indians, Albanians, Lebanese, Turks and Malays.
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/arrivals/early-voyagers.aspx
Various Malay groups and persons who arrived in Australia:
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/arrivals/malays.aspx
This is from the Australian National Archives:
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/index.aspx
Includes the different waves of Muslims to Australia - Afghans, Indians, Albanians, Lebanese, Turks and Malays.
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/arrivals/early-voyagers.aspx
Various Malay groups and persons who arrived in Australia:
http://uncommonlives.naa.gov.au/muslim-journeys/arrivals/malays.aspx
- Malay pearl divers in Broome
- Malay students involved with the Colombo Plan 1950s-1960s
- Malays of Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Island
- Malays of Western Australia 1870-1970
Contact:
Karachi Literature Festival
First Karachi Literature Festival, 20-21 March 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=GrneaJHu9SI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=GrneaJHu9SI
Author Solutions - Ebooks
Booktango E-book Publishing
Booktango.com offers free publishing of ebooks under its Freetango option. Free ISBN assignment, online ebook editor/editing, and authors keep all royalties earned and all sales made. Sounds good.
More: http://www.booktango.com/Services/
More: http://www.booktango.com/Services/
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Penang Politics Before 1945
Politics throughout Tanah Melayu was different before colonial times, and each time a colonizer arrived. At the time of British Malaya, there were many migrants, notably Indians, Chinese and Arabs. There were other minority groups - Europeans and Jews who fled the 2 World Wars.
Because of the influx on migrants, not only did the Malays suffer to make their stand and voice heard, even among the migrants, there was struggle to be at the top, especially in the political struggle.
For the 3 British Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore, the fight of the Malays and among the Malays were difficult. In Penang in particular, the fight was to regain Penang after Captain Francis Light and the British East India Company could not comply with the terms of the Sultan of Kedah. The Malays fought back to regain Penang but lost not only Penang, Francis Light and the BEIC also captured Seberang Perai (Province Wellesley).
After Penang became a British Settlement, things were still not right between the Penang Malays. At the time because of second generation of Indian and Arab families, even the politics was divided between those who favoured the Peranakan India (Penang Indian Muslims) who comprised the Penang Malays Association (PMA) and the Peranakan Arab (Penang Arabs) who belonged to a different body. The Indian Muslims and Arabs may look similar but they have dissimilar priorities and wealth ownership. The Peranakan India remained in Georgetown while the Penang Arabs are at mainly 3 locations (even today) - Batu Uban, Jelutong and Kelawai. The politics and fight for political freedom are different between the 2 groups. Not only that, even the mosques are different. There is Masjid Kapitan Keling in Georgetown built by Penang Tamil Muslims, and many masjid jamek built by the Penang Arab-Malays such as Masjid Jamek Batu Uban, which is the oldest mosque in Malaysia - dated 1734. The founder of Masjid Jamek Batu Uban was a Minangkabau Malay who was called Nakhoda Nan Intan - signifying his skin colour as very dark. The Malay descriptive term Nan Intan points to a very dark skin, and most probably of Indian extract. So now we have the Indians subdivided between the earlier arrivals and the latter arrivals. Both the Penang Indian Muslims and the Penang Malay-Arabs practised in-breeding and marry among their clan members. It is very rare that they married to people outside their clans. The main aim being to maintain the family's wealth or clan wealth.
This is an article about the political scenario then:
Pergerakan Politik Melayu Negeri Pulau Pinang Sebelum 1945 oleh Md. Salleh bin Md. Ghaus.
Download: http://journalarticle.ukm.my/510/1/1.pdf
It should be noted that some of the early Malay doctors before Merdeka (1900-1957) were from the Peranakan India families and one was from the Penang Arab family.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
The Nenek by the Surau
Back when I first came to work in Kelantan in 1983, we visited a nenek (grandmother) who lived near a surau in Pasir Mas. This is the surau nearest the roundabout in Pasir Mas-Rantau Panjang-Pasir Mas/Salor bridge. My husband and I went to search for this nenek as she was reputed to be a pious lady whose prayers worked. I was thrilled as I have never met a pious nenek whose prayers worked. We parked our car by the Pasir Mas-Tanah Merah trunk road and walked down to locate her home. We were told she lived by the surau before the roundabout. It was a small surau when I first saw it but we didn't see any good-looking homes which could possibly be her home. We walked all over the village, trying to locate her house. Then we decided to ask the villagers even though we didn't know the nenek's name. We were lucky because the villagers knew her and gave directions to her home. We went back to the main road and started counting our steps to the surau and leftward towards the nenek's home. It was a rather dilapidated wooden house and almost falling apart, with the roof not looking too good. I thought maybe the villagers gave us the wrong house where nobody lived. Anyway, my husband called out and we waited for some human movement. Soon enough the door opened and a nenek peered through to see who was calling at her home. She was probably 90+ but still strong and she could hear us very well. She invited us up to her verandah where we sat to talk to her and the reason for our visit. She knew why we were there even without us telling her! I found that strange. How could she know when we had never met and I have never talked to her? At that point I knew she was indeed a pious lady. And only pious people have this ability of reading other people's minds and intentions. I thought maybe she reared jinns and these jinns eaves-dropped on our conversation prior to meeting her. Anyway, she was working on her own cottage industry, making the traditional small white rice powder drops for facial powder. They are sold in RM2-packs. That's her income. I was thrilled by the little white drops which glistened in the morning sunshine. She made them all the same size and they were perfect - the skills of an elderly's hand. I can never do that right - I would possibly make big and small ones with some imperfect ones. Next time you buy a bottle of white rice powder drops, take a look at the sizes of the drops. They are handmade, drop by drop, by steady hands of the elderly. Anyway, the reason I was there was to have her look at my tummy - I was pregnant with my first child! Why do we visit such nenek? According to the Malay folks, it is best to seek such nenek first to take a look at the pregnant abdomen, and then go to hospital to deliver. Of course in Kelantan, it is better to go with the flow rather than challenge it. Any mak mertua (mother-in-law) will scorn if her menantu (daughter-in-law) decides to break tradition. But I enjoyed the visit to the nenek's humble abode. I still remember the sun's rays shining on some strands of silver hair which were partially covered with a light kain kelubung, and she was talking about the rice drops and how perfect they should be made. She was bent double but she was a polite and cute nenek who will never leave my memory. Her beautiful blue floral baju kurung pendek Kedah top and her floral kain sarong. She must have been a beautiful maiden before.
Solar Energy for Ages
If you remember from childhood days, families depended heavily on solar energy for everything. The sun was valuable to lives then and still is today and will be forever. Only that maybe our parents forgot that they were using solar energy and all they knew was the sunshine that reached them. Maybe.
What do we use solar energy for? If you remember, our mothers used to wake us up early before sunrise. Then they would take our mattresses, blankets and pillows and placed them on the window sill so the sun would shine on them for at least 3 hours before lunch time. They were removed and replaced on the floor before the next sleeping session or siesta. Remember the good afternoon naps? Our mothers were efficient and hardworking. We had the cleanest and puffiest pillows and mattresses - no problem of ticks or dust mites, no problems of asthma and skin allergies. No problem whatsoever. Our homes were free from such infestations. That was yesteryear.
Today, we have forgotten how to make the best use of solar energy except to dry the children's wet school shoes or our cars after a good car wash on a Saturday, or maybe Sunday. Have we forgotten that the sun is an important source of great energy that is left untapped and almost forgotten about its usefulness?
Has anyone given a thought about solar air-conditioning for homes? Why not? Solar energy is not only for heating, it is also good for air-conditioning. How come nobody wants to take it up? We are constantly installing air-conditioning units but that drains electrical energy from the powerhouses (TNB) and natural but depleting reserves. Of course with air-conditioning, electricity bills also triple. Who cares? I do! The University of California at Davis campus experimented on solar air-conditioning for homes in the late 1970s. They built 5 family homes and used solar energy for air-conditioning. That worked very well.
So I am advocating for solar air-conditioning of Malaysian schools, offices, shops and homes. The sun is always there. Why don't we use it? The sun belongs to everyone and it is freely available. Why not use it? Give it a try at least. It might cool your little offices or your TV room, etc. Just give it a try. How many engineers do we have that can take this challenge? This is 55 years post-Merdeka.
So we all have a job to do - to cool Malaysian homes comfortably. That is in repayment for chopping all our trees which kept our homes cool for the last 50 years. I remember as a kid I had to wear thick clothing in the morning and I had to have hot bath at about 11 am because it was so cold. Now I wake up sweating! It is hot and it will remain hot. Why not plant the trees back? They did for schools. But it is the 'big feet' who cleared the big forests who are the culprits. Of course we can all do our part to cool our homes - plant lots of trees and green, green grass. Green our homes, villages, cities and parks.
In the meantime, think about the possibility of solar air-conditioning.
http://www.ditrolic.com.my/services/1/Full-Service-Provider
What do we use solar energy for? If you remember, our mothers used to wake us up early before sunrise. Then they would take our mattresses, blankets and pillows and placed them on the window sill so the sun would shine on them for at least 3 hours before lunch time. They were removed and replaced on the floor before the next sleeping session or siesta. Remember the good afternoon naps? Our mothers were efficient and hardworking. We had the cleanest and puffiest pillows and mattresses - no problem of ticks or dust mites, no problems of asthma and skin allergies. No problem whatsoever. Our homes were free from such infestations. That was yesteryear.
Today, we have forgotten how to make the best use of solar energy except to dry the children's wet school shoes or our cars after a good car wash on a Saturday, or maybe Sunday. Have we forgotten that the sun is an important source of great energy that is left untapped and almost forgotten about its usefulness?
Has anyone given a thought about solar air-conditioning for homes? Why not? Solar energy is not only for heating, it is also good for air-conditioning. How come nobody wants to take it up? We are constantly installing air-conditioning units but that drains electrical energy from the powerhouses (TNB) and natural but depleting reserves. Of course with air-conditioning, electricity bills also triple. Who cares? I do! The University of California at Davis campus experimented on solar air-conditioning for homes in the late 1970s. They built 5 family homes and used solar energy for air-conditioning. That worked very well.
So I am advocating for solar air-conditioning of Malaysian schools, offices, shops and homes. The sun is always there. Why don't we use it? The sun belongs to everyone and it is freely available. Why not use it? Give it a try at least. It might cool your little offices or your TV room, etc. Just give it a try. How many engineers do we have that can take this challenge? This is 55 years post-Merdeka.
So we all have a job to do - to cool Malaysian homes comfortably. That is in repayment for chopping all our trees which kept our homes cool for the last 50 years. I remember as a kid I had to wear thick clothing in the morning and I had to have hot bath at about 11 am because it was so cold. Now I wake up sweating! It is hot and it will remain hot. Why not plant the trees back? They did for schools. But it is the 'big feet' who cleared the big forests who are the culprits. Of course we can all do our part to cool our homes - plant lots of trees and green, green grass. Green our homes, villages, cities and parks.
In the meantime, think about the possibility of solar air-conditioning.
http://www.ditrolic.com.my/services/1/Full-Service-Provider
Monday, 3 September 2012
Hong Hong Factory biscuits
Biscuits were here before I was born. Even when the early Malay doctors were students, they too survived on biscuits in Singapore. Our medical students today also survive on biscuits and Milo for a quick breakfast before they rush off to morning lectures. The other food that today's medical students eat is Maggi! They say that they don't have time and all they have time for is to make Maggi and slurp and rush off. I will take up biscuits in this post.
There were a few biscuit manufacturers in Singapore between 1900 and 1957. The famous ones are:
There were a few biscuit manufacturers in Singapore between 1900 and 1957. The famous ones are:
- Thye Hong Biscuit Factory. It was started by Lee Gee Chong in 1935. http://heritagetrails.sg/content/750/Thye_Hong_Centre.html
- Ho Ho Biscuit Factory Limited. http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.com/2012/08/ways-done-in-past-factory-workers.html
- Khong Guan Biscuit Company. It was started by two brothers Chew Choo Keng (elder brother) and Chew Choo Han (younger brother). Re-opened in the post-war in 1947 by the 2 brothers. http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/five-oldest-fnb-brands-singapore-083248686.html and http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1670_2010-06-16.html
In a book written by Dr Abdul Wahab bin Mohd Ariff (Medical Students During the Japanese Invasion of
Singapore, 1941-1942), he wrote that he had gone out to buy Hong Hong Factory biscuits one evening in 1941-42 with S. M. A. Alhady before the Battle of Singapore.
There is no update on Hong Hong Factory biscuits or Hong Kong Factory biscuits. The correct spelling is unknown.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Battle for Kedah
Kedah is a flat plain except for Gunung Jerai. It was easy for the Japanese to capture Kedah. I visited Kedah to see for myself, and true enough, Kedah is as flat as a pancake and very easy to capture. Even the roads are straight. I passed by the aerodrome and thought for a second, this must be where things happened.
This is the account of the battle that occurred in Kedah:
http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/arthur_lane/Percivals_Report/html/battle_for_kedah.htm
There's mention of Singora, Jitra, Changlun, etc.
This is the account of the battle that occurred in Kedah:
http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/arthur_lane/Percivals_Report/html/battle_for_kedah.htm
There's mention of Singora, Jitra, Changlun, etc.
Malaysian traditional dances
When we look at the Malaysian traditional dances, we can see that they resemble a lot of dances throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Why?
A lot of the dances are about another world, the world of fairy princes and princesses, of beasts and spirits, and many have to do with nature - the sea, waterfall, caves, rock forms, big trees, etc. Why?
Are we superstitious? Must we be superstitious?
Sometimes the dances are nice to watch, sometimes it is hard to believe that that is what the people truly believe in. Sometimes it makes us wonder, whether people ever stop and leave the unseen alone or they live with it.
Does superstition govern what the Malays believe in and what they do? Yes, most of the time. Why?
Are the dancers drugged before the dances? No, not that I know of. But in some dances, they appear as if drugged. How do we tell?
Dancing all night long and not stopping may point to drug consumption prior to the dances. A normal Malay dance will tire the dancer easily and an hour is sufficient to force a traditional dancer to rest.
Do the Malays mix drugs and dancing? I don't know. Well, if I see people dancing like the flickering candle-light, like jello or worms on ambers, I would suspect some drug consumption by the dancers. If they do weird dance steps unlike the normal ones, then maybe too, they are on drugs. Sometimes the dancers look like they are in a trance. Why? How is this possible without drugs?
Is it easy to get up and dance a Malay dance? In school, we were forced to dance, like it or not, or we get the feather duster caning on our lazy legs. Nobody wants to dance for nothing in public. But at international festivals, Malaysian students dance for Malaysia.
Will Malaysians dance and not mix drugs and dance? I think that is the best way to go.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mak_yong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulek_Mayang
A lot of the dances are about another world, the world of fairy princes and princesses, of beasts and spirits, and many have to do with nature - the sea, waterfall, caves, rock forms, big trees, etc. Why?
Are we superstitious? Must we be superstitious?
Sometimes the dances are nice to watch, sometimes it is hard to believe that that is what the people truly believe in. Sometimes it makes us wonder, whether people ever stop and leave the unseen alone or they live with it.
Does superstition govern what the Malays believe in and what they do? Yes, most of the time. Why?
Are the dancers drugged before the dances? No, not that I know of. But in some dances, they appear as if drugged. How do we tell?
Dancing all night long and not stopping may point to drug consumption prior to the dances. A normal Malay dance will tire the dancer easily and an hour is sufficient to force a traditional dancer to rest.
Do the Malays mix drugs and dancing? I don't know. Well, if I see people dancing like the flickering candle-light, like jello or worms on ambers, I would suspect some drug consumption by the dancers. If they do weird dance steps unlike the normal ones, then maybe too, they are on drugs. Sometimes the dancers look like they are in a trance. Why? How is this possible without drugs?
Is it easy to get up and dance a Malay dance? In school, we were forced to dance, like it or not, or we get the feather duster caning on our lazy legs. Nobody wants to dance for nothing in public. But at international festivals, Malaysian students dance for Malaysia.
Will Malaysians dance and not mix drugs and dance? I think that is the best way to go.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mak_yong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulek_Mayang
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Pasir Mas bridge
I only call it the Pasir Mas bridge. The river is Sungai Kelantan. This bridge links Salor on the south side to Pasir Mas on the north side, and onward to Rantau Panjang. There are many food stalls on both sides of the bridge (more on Salor side). There are many activities both on the river banks and on the river. The river banks are used for agricultural purposes and farmers grow corn (jagung), groundnuts (kacang tanah), pumpkins (labu) and tubers (ubi kayu, ubi keledek, etc), etc. The sand merchants suck river sand (pasir sungai) for the construction industry (buat rumah). Like all bridges, this bridge is also congested during school holidays and festive seasons.
 |
| Views from Pasir Mas bridge. |
Kecek Klate
This is a young Egyptian who speaks the Kelantan dialect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqhX_SlAzNs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqhX_SlAzNs&feature=related
Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge, Kelantan
I like bridges and I wrote about bridges for a class essay. Now I will write about the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. This is a unique bridge and I first saw the bridge in May 1969 when I first came to live in Kelantan. I was 11 years old.
HISTORY PHOTOBLOGS
http://lizizstandaco.com/contentpage2.php?id=5
http://pukogamba.aminus3.com/image/2010-01-24.html
DESCRIPTION
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/wakaf-bharu_kelantan.htm
SULTAN YAHYA PETRA BRIDGE
Built: 1967-1969 (Wikipedia). The actual dates are unknown. When I arrived in May 1969, the bridge was there and functioning.
Builder: Kien Huat Private Limited, a family firm of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (builder & owner of Genting Highlands casino).
Toll: There was a small toll house on the bridge when UMNO ruled Kelantan. The toll was $2 per car.
Location: Kota Bharu, Kelantan
River: Sungai Kelantan
Links: Kota Bharu on the south side and Pasir Pekan on the north side
Cost of bridge: -
Map of bridge:
http://www.panoramio.com/map
Views of bridge:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8310207
SULTAN YAHYA PETRA BRIDGE 2
River: Sungai Kelantan
 |
| Aerial view of Sungai Kelantan over the sandbank (banggol). View from MAS flight KB-KLIA at 11 am. Here the aircraft is flying north-east towards the coast, after which it will turn south. |
 |
| Same flight as for above pic. Aerial view of the coast of Kelantan where the aircraft turned south. This area would be in the vicinity of the airport, i.e., Sabak-Melawi-Bachok stretch. Here the coastline is straight and very easy for coastal landing. The coastline is straight for many kilometres. |
HISTORY PHOTOBLOGS
http://lizizstandaco.com/contentpage2.php?id=5
http://pukogamba.aminus3.com/image/2010-01-24.html
DESCRIPTION
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/wakaf-bharu_kelantan.htm
SULTAN YAHYA PETRA BRIDGE
Built: 1967-1969 (Wikipedia). The actual dates are unknown. When I arrived in May 1969, the bridge was there and functioning.
Builder: Kien Huat Private Limited, a family firm of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (builder & owner of Genting Highlands casino).
Toll: There was a small toll house on the bridge when UMNO ruled Kelantan. The toll was $2 per car.
Location: Kota Bharu, Kelantan
River: Sungai Kelantan
Links: Kota Bharu on the south side and Pasir Pekan on the north side
Cost of bridge: -
Map of bridge:
http://www.panoramio.com/map
Views of bridge:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8310207
 |
| Official opening of the bridge. Photo from Arkib Negara Malaysia. Here http://lizizstandaco.com/contentpage2.php?id=5 it says 1962. In Wikipedia it says built 1967-1969. |
 |
| The bridge during the flood. Internet photo. 1967? The building could be the sentry or toll house. |
 |
| 4-Junction at the bridge end in KB; the traffic lights help control congestion. |
 |
| Approaching the old bridge at KB end amidst construction of the flyover for the second bridge. |
 |
| Construction of the flyover for the second bridge in progress near TESCO at KB end. |
 |
| Driving on the old bridge from Pasir Pekan towards KB. TESCO is on the right. |
River: Sungai Kelantan
Cost of bridge: RM157million
Date of construction: June 2007
Expected date of completion: December 2009
Postponements: 4
Comments about the bridges, connected roads and traffic:
Actual date of completion: August 2012
Length of bridge: 800m
Links: Kota Bharu to Pasir Pekan and onward to Wakaf Bharu and Tumpat.
Source:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story
Views of bridge:
Views of bridge:
Comments about the bridges, connected roads and traffic:
Nyanyok?
When I first heard the word "nyanyok" or "nyanyuk", I had thought someone didn't know how to say "nyamuk" (mosquito) properly. Nowadays, I frequently hear the word nyanyuk and I thought maybe it is nyanyuk after all and not nyamuk.
Nyanyuk is forgetting and all its associated forms and behaviour. Becoming nyanyuk is becoming forgetful and therefore we describe it as setting in of senility. Becoming senile is equated to becoming forgetful and sometimes becoming silly in our society. As such nyanyuk is often a hushed word rather than a clearly spoken word. Nobody wants to be called a nyanyuk.
Why is nyanyuk here to stay? Nyanyuk is on the rise in developing nations and not a disease of the western nations only. That means even Malays are subject to being nyanyuk. It is part and parcel of ageing and breakdown of the communication fibres in the brain. It is a good and clear sign that life is slipping away slowly and will definitely reach an end point. Do we need to cure nyanyuk? It is curable? I don't know. I guess not. But I would prefer to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay high on antioxidants and age slowly. That way I can hopefully, insyaAllah, keep nyanyuk at bay. The other means to keep nyanyuk away is to read Qur'an daily and continuously.
Forgetting where the glasses are, forgetting where the car keys are, forgetting where the socks are, forgetting to pick up the kids, forgetting to purchase an item on the grocery list, forgetting there's a dinner date, etc all fall under nyanyuk. These forgetting episodes appear about age 40 onward. They can appear earlier or later. At age 50 it is worse. At age 55, it should be worse. I don't know about older ages as I am not there yet. But I suppose, senility worsens with age, till a point nobody could care less or gives up. This is a point of danger. I have heard ugly stories of the elderly being left uncared for and they play with their excreta as if it was mud. So things can be bad with senility in old age.
What can we do about nyanyuk? I guess for the wandering type and if we are scared about them wandering far and losing them, we can try and do handband tagging as for Jemaah Haji, or do digital tagging as in GPS. I have read proposals of tagging children so child kidnapping can be halted altogether but I have not seen anything about tagging old people. I think it will be great to try and to the best interest of the elderly population and for their own safety. People may say it is an invasion of privacy. I would rebut and say it is better that the elderly are GPS-tagged rather than let them loose where they can't find their way home. So research into GPS-tagging of the elderly may become commonplace and also possibly a law later. Saves a lot of worries too.
Nyanyuk is forgetting and all its associated forms and behaviour. Becoming nyanyuk is becoming forgetful and therefore we describe it as setting in of senility. Becoming senile is equated to becoming forgetful and sometimes becoming silly in our society. As such nyanyuk is often a hushed word rather than a clearly spoken word. Nobody wants to be called a nyanyuk.
Why is nyanyuk here to stay? Nyanyuk is on the rise in developing nations and not a disease of the western nations only. That means even Malays are subject to being nyanyuk. It is part and parcel of ageing and breakdown of the communication fibres in the brain. It is a good and clear sign that life is slipping away slowly and will definitely reach an end point. Do we need to cure nyanyuk? It is curable? I don't know. I guess not. But I would prefer to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay high on antioxidants and age slowly. That way I can hopefully, insyaAllah, keep nyanyuk at bay. The other means to keep nyanyuk away is to read Qur'an daily and continuously.
Forgetting where the glasses are, forgetting where the car keys are, forgetting where the socks are, forgetting to pick up the kids, forgetting to purchase an item on the grocery list, forgetting there's a dinner date, etc all fall under nyanyuk. These forgetting episodes appear about age 40 onward. They can appear earlier or later. At age 50 it is worse. At age 55, it should be worse. I don't know about older ages as I am not there yet. But I suppose, senility worsens with age, till a point nobody could care less or gives up. This is a point of danger. I have heard ugly stories of the elderly being left uncared for and they play with their excreta as if it was mud. So things can be bad with senility in old age.
What can we do about nyanyuk? I guess for the wandering type and if we are scared about them wandering far and losing them, we can try and do handband tagging as for Jemaah Haji, or do digital tagging as in GPS. I have read proposals of tagging children so child kidnapping can be halted altogether but I have not seen anything about tagging old people. I think it will be great to try and to the best interest of the elderly population and for their own safety. People may say it is an invasion of privacy. I would rebut and say it is better that the elderly are GPS-tagged rather than let them loose where they can't find their way home. So research into GPS-tagging of the elderly may become commonplace and also possibly a law later. Saves a lot of worries too.
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