Rais and Sulaiman Family History
Rais bin Sulaiman Family History
This documentation is a group effort initiated by great great granddaughters of Rais Sulaiman who first arrived in Malaya in the early 1840s. They are Dr Fadzilah Majid Cooke, Hadijah (Rose) Mustapha and Rahmah (Raha) Mustapha who are cousins - highlighted in blue in the chart below. Fadzilah’s mother Safurah, and Rose’s and Raha’s father Mustapha, were siblings.
The people responsible for starting this family history are highlighted in blue
Acknowledgements
Our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Hajjah Samsiah Haji Mohamad (Mak Jah) for all the information she shared about our ancestors. Mak Jah - great granddaughter of Haji Rais Sulaiman turned 89 years old on 20 February 2025. Thanks also to Dr Fadzilah binti Abdul Majid (Fadzilah Majid Cooke), Salleh Mohamad, Mohidin Jamal, Hadijah Rose Mustapha, Hafizah Anim Mustapha, Andy Abdullah for IT support as well as all the relatives who contributed to this effort of maintaining the memories and stories of our ancestors. Apologies in advance for any unintentional errors.
This is a living document which can be added and updated anytime. It also acknowledges the important roles and significant contributions of our families to the education sector in Muar Johore namely Haji Jaafar Haji Taib and his families, Haji Kassim bin Haji Salleh, Haji Jais bin Haji Salleh, Zainal Abidin bin Haji Alias (ZABHA) and many others. ZABHA also contributed significantly to journalism of the day, a reason for him being given a larger space than that given to all other family members. Further information is detailed below.
The imprint made by the pioneering generations runs deep. Generations that follow were equally active contributors to education in the wider Malaysian society, beyond Muar. They are mentioned in the sections below. To name only two, for lack of space - Hajah Ramlah Hasan became Principal of La Salle School, Petaling Jaya from 1992 to 1999, Fadzilah Abdul Majid was a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, from 2003 to 2013 and a Professor of Environmental Sociology at the same University from 2014-2016. Fadzilah uses the name Fadzilah Majid Cooke for her publications and writings, in honour of her late father Hj. Abdul Majid and her husband, Arthur Cooke. Since her retirement in 2016 she engages in socio ecological research among the Bajau Laut of Semporna, Sabah. A selected number of front pages of her publications are detailed below in the section entitled “Selected collection of educational treasures”.
Sources: “Parit Jamil, Khazanah Warisan”, Abadi Ilmu Sdn Bhd, 2015 - written by 4 brothers -Abdul Kahar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abu Bakar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abdul Zafar bin Abdul Ghaffar and Abdul Fakar bin Abdul Ghaffar – descendants of Haji Hassan bin Haji Taib. This publication has been a significant and important source of information about the families of Rais Sulaiman; Verbal interviews with Hajjah Samsiah (Mak Jah) Hj Mohammad, Dr Fadzilah Majid Cooke, Rose Mustapha; and other contributions from relatives.
Overview –
Rais bin Sulaiman ancestry history from 1840s
According
to Hajjah Samsiah (Mak Jah) binti Haji Mohamad, our ancestors, Rais and his
father Sulaiman, first arrived in Malaya (now Malaysia) by ship in 1800s.
Rais later married Khatijah, claimed according to Mak Jah, to be descended from
the households of Laksamana Bentan - seventh generation. This is to be verified
as solid evidence could not be provided to substantiate this.
A brief detour
into history
If Khatijah
who was of marriageable age in the 1840s (say 18 yrs old, in line with the
widespread practices of marrying young), then the first generation of her
ancestral household could have been around in Kota Lama or Kota Tinggi any time
between the last years of the 17th century to the dawn of the 18th
CE. In brief, assuming 20 years per generation, totaling approximately 140 yrs
backwards from the 1840s, Khatijah’s ancestors would have served the
Sultan of Johor from 1690s to early 1700s).
These were turbulent times for the Johor Sultanate. It had suffered from the sacking of its capital at Batu Sawar in 1675 during the Johor - Jambi war. As a result the Sultan was on the run, settled temporarily in Pahang, then by sea to Riau, before returning to establish a capital at Kota Tinggi between 1688 and 1700. This period was considered a dark period in Johor’s history because of the internal rivalry among the powerful households of the Bendahara and the Laksamana who originated from Bentan, Sumatra who, as admiral of the fleet was said to have been manipulated by jealous palace officials into killing the King, thus burdened with the perceived crime of committing derhaka affecting seven generations. There were other narratives regarding the regicide but the derhaka narrative was the one that appeared to fit with the groove of a new state that was trying to establish itself, claiming descent from the Melaka Sultanate, narrative that had special impact on society’s imagination at that time. There was some mild consternation among Khatijah’s descendants, even in my mother’s (Safurah) generation as expressed by our auntie, Mak Jah.
Sources as summarized by Fadzilah Abdul Majid
Barnard, Timothy (2016) Historiography and Shifting interpretations of the Death of Sultan Mahmud Syah II. JMBRAS, VoL 89 Part 2, no. 311, pp. 1–23.
Andaya’ Leonard
Y. (2010) Leaves of the same tree’ trade and ethnicity in the Straits of
Melaka. Singapore, NUS Press.
**************************************************************************************
Continuing
with the overview
Turning
back to the arrival of the three friends now, their arrival in Malaya is
evidenced by the inclusion of their names in the book titled "Parit
Jamil - Khazanah Warisan" - on the list friends of Haji Taib bin
Othman who accompanied Haji Taib by ship in 1847/48 from Central Java,
Indonesia to Singapore, Malacca and then to Parit Raja, Muar Johore. This
comprehensive and well written book is dedicated to the first Village
Chief/Penghulu of Parit Jamil, Haji Taib bin Othman. It was written in 2015 by
his descendants - four brothers - sons of Haji Abdul Ghaffar, namely: Abdul
Kahar, Abdul Bakar, Abdul Zafar and Abdul Fakar.
Photo above: Haji Rais bin Haji Sulaiman is listed - second last from the bottom of the name list
Photo
below: Map of their journey from Indonesia to Singapore, Malacca and Muar
Johore
Additionally, according to Zainal Abidin bin Haji Alias (ZABHA), who related the origins of the family history to his grandniece Fadzilah Abdul Majid (great great granddaughter of Rais and Khatijah) in 1970s, our family roots are intertwined with 3 branches of the original settlers and friends who sailed from Central Java to Singapore, Malacca, Parit Kangkong and Parit Jamil in the 1840s to “meneroka” develop jungles/forests into villages. The three friends who were our ancestors were contract workers ‘Jawa kontrak’, who laboured on ships plying between Central Java (Jawa Tengah) and Singapore in the mid and late 19th century. Upon terminating their contracts, and subsequent to receiving permission from the then Sultan of Johore (Abu Bakar) to open up villages for further developments, they journeyed to Johore, and opened up villages in the areas of Parit Kangkong and Parit Jamil. Another person in the group of our ancestors stayed on in Merlimau. Sultan Abu Bakar was also known as "The father of modern Johore", as many historians accredited Johore's development in the 19th century to his leadership. He initiated policies and provided aid to stimulate the development of the state's agricultural economy. He also took charge of the development of Johore's infrastructure, administrative system and military and civil service.
These 3 pioneering friends became relatives through intermarriages. They settled in 3 villages – see chart below, 1) Parit Kangkong (names highlighted in brown – descendants of Rais bin Sulaiman), 2) Parit Jamil (names highlighted in green - descendants of Rais Sulaiman and Haji Taib bin Othman and his son Haji Jaafar Taib) and 3) Merlimau (names highlighted in blue – through wives from Merlimau who married into the Parit Kangkong and Parit Jamil families).
The family tree
as below shows the linkages between the families.
The family tree starting from 1840’s to 2025. This is meant to be an open forum so it can go beyond 2025 with additions from the younger generations.
In 2024, it
was brought to our attention by Ramli Sulong that Rais had another son, Yassin,
who resided in Merlimau. See chart below. This is to be further verified.
Parit
Jamil - Haji Taib and his sons Haji Jaafar and Haji Hassan
Haji Taib
bin Mohamad was the first Village Chief (Penghulu) of Parit Jamil, Muar, Johore
- from1850s to 1913. On 23 January 1923, Haji Hassan Haji Taib was
appointed as Village Chief and his brother Haji Jaafar was appointed Deputy
Village Chief. Jamilah (Tok Nek), daughter of Haji Alias bin Rais, - our great
grand Aunt - married Haji Jaafar Taib, the son of Haji Taib. Jamilah was
Jaafar’s 5th wife and they had a daughter Zaleha Haji Jaafar.
Our great
grand Uncle - ZABHA (Zainal Abidin bin Haji Alias) - married Aisyah, Jaafar’s
daughter from his third wife. Jaafar and his brother Hassan contributed
significantly in the education sector in Johore.
Contributions
to the education sector in Muar, Johore
Muar Johore is famous as a birthplace of many scholars. It has also been considered as leader in education advancement compared to other areas during that period. Support from Haji Hassan and Haji Jaafar contributed significantly to the education sector in Johore.
Acknowledging the importance of education, and with the goal of seeing its community advance, on 12 November 1918, Village Chief Haji Hassan and his brother Haji Jaafar opened the first private school in Parit Jamil - Madrasah Al-Jamiliah Al-Khairiah. The school's subjects were taught in Malay language and in Arabic. Amongst the first group of teachers working there was ZABHA.
In
addition, 5 years later, in early January 1923, according to author Abdul
Shukor Ismail, 1984, in his book "Sejarah Ringkas Muar" - "Haji
Jaafar, with his own initiative, built an English school nearby'. The opening
of that school made Parit Jamil famous because Parit Jamil had become a unique
village in Muar from the perspective of accessibility to schooling and
education, that is its students were taught Islamic studies in Arabic and Malay
languages.
Haji Jaafar
and ZABHA were also active in the “Persekutuan Suluh Pelajaran” (PSP) –
Educational Enlightenment Association. They were committee members – ZABHA
being the Secretary while Haji Jaafar was the President. PSP also published the
first school magazine in Muar titled “Penyuluh”. ZABHA and Mohd Kassim Haji
Salleh were amongst the many writers who contributed to the magazine. In
January 1924, PSP stopped the publication of “Penyuluh’ and published the
“MASA” magazine. ZABHA, Haji Jaafar and Ishak Haji Muhammad or Pak Sako - were
amongst the writers for that magazine.
On 26 May
1925, Madrasah Haji Taib School was built by the 2 brothers in memory of their
father. Subjects taught were Arabic, English, Malay, Mathematics, astronomy and
religious studies. Our relatives ZABHA and Sulong bin Sagap taught Malay
language at the school. ZABHA also taught English.
This school was
also the first to take the initiative teach to female students in Muar. Out of
a total of 100 students, 20 were girls.
Al
Jamiliah Press
Parit Jamil
had its own printing company - Al Jamiliah Press - owned by Jaafar and
commenced its operation on 20 November 1924.
Mohamadiyah
Press
Our
ancestor, Haji Kassim bin Salleh of Parit Kangkong (grandson of Rais)
established another printing company called Mohamadiyah Press (1930s) at Parit Jamil. He had also worked at Al Jamiliah Press. This company is still owned by the family and
passed down to Hashim Taib, 3rd generation.
Source: “Parit Jamil, Khazanah Warisan”, 2015, Abadi Ilmi Sdn Bhd
Mohamadiyah Press’ achievements included printing for all schools in Johore copies of Islamic religion school books, story books, magazines and English-Malay- Arabic dictionary - the first of its type in Johore. The dictionary was prepared by Haji Omar bin Haji Taib - "Ringkasan Kamus Inggeris-Melayu-Arab Madrasah Haji Taib".
The dictionary consisted of 356 pages and listed 6000 words. Bristish Library in London made a microreproduction of the book and its copy has been stored at the Manuscript Unit, National Library of Malaysia in microfische form.
Mohamadiyah Press also printed novels by Abdullah Sidek, a well known novelist, religious books, story books and magazines such as "Ketuk-Ketuk". The company had a contract to print text books with the Johore Department of Religion. It was reported that during the period 1920-1940, Muhammadiyah had printed 2.1% of the total amount of titles in the state of Johore, ranking 10th, one rank behind Al-Jamiliah Press, as the leading printer in the whole of the state. Muhammadiyah Press had made Parit Jamil famous until 1950 when that company moved to Parit Jawa as part of a marketing strategy. It is still located at the same address although the business itself ended in the late 1990s.
List of Family members for Haji Rais bin Haji Sulaiman
The information presented here was collected through years of research and was also kindly shared by many relatives and contacts for whom we are very grateful. I apologise for any errors in this work. It is a living document for current and future generations so there is room for adjustments where needed. (Raha)
Haji Sulaiman arrived in Malaya in late 1800s with his son Rais from Java. We understand he did not bring his wife with him.
Rais bin Sulaiman had 2 sons, Alias and Salleh. The name of Rais’ wife’s name is not known.
First son: Haji Alias bin Haji Rais
Haji Alias married Khatijah who was descended from the households of Laksamana Bentan. They had 8 children. See below:
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 1: MOHAMMAD
1a. Hj Mohamad b. Hj Alias + Sawiah bt Hj Salleh (first wife) (our grandparents)
Children:
1. Yusuf b Hj Mohamad. According to Samsiah Mohamad - her mother Sawiah advised her that Yusuf passed away young.
2.
Jaafar b Hj Mohamad. According to Samsiah Mohamad– she heard from her
mother Sawiah that Jaafar passed away unmarried as a young man. Drowned at sea.
No other information known.
3. Mustapha b Hj Mohamad married Fatimah bt Mohd Salleh.
Mustapha, Fatimah and Rose - c1950
Rose, Fatimah and Mustapha at the Malaysian High Commision, Canberra, during Hari Raya in 1987. Rose was living and working in Canberra at that time.
Children:
1) Hadijah/Rose married Ibrahim/Ian Warden. Children: Zakri, Suraya, Jamie.
2) Hamidah/Rozah married Mazlan Mahadi (cousin). Children: Nizar, Nur Naidah, Nursyikin
3) Hasnah/Nani married Abdullah Md Amin. Children: Shahrin Azmi, Shahrin Azhar, Shahrin Affendi, Shahrin Azwan
4) Hanifah/Adip
5) Hafizah/Anim married Buang Md Noor. Children: Aizi, Elmi, Farah, Adella
6) Hapsah/Anoi married Roslan Rajab. Children: Nadiah, Rayyan
7) Mohd Fuad married Azizah Yusop. Child: Mohd Fahmi
8) Rahmah/Raha married Omar/Peter Roggero. Children: Adam, Alyssa
9) Faridah/Idah married Syed Razle Syed Mohammad . Children: Eric Aiman, Putri Saffiyya
10) Mohd Fazil married Ifah
Youngest son Fazil with Mak Chau (grandmother) and nephews Azmi, Zakri, and niece Suraya
Front left to right: Anim, Adip, Nani, Rozah, Rose c1962, Singapore
Left to right front row: Hafizah (Anim); Hadijah (Rose), Hasnah (Nani)
Left to
right: Back Row: Hapsah (Anoi), Fuad. Faridah, Rahmah (Raha)
April 2024 Canberra
4.
Safurah bt Hj Mohamad (born c 1930) married Abdul Majid married c 1944
Children: Maimun (died in
infancy) Fadzilah, Samsiah; Samsuddin (died in infancy); Badar Sharif; Ahmad;
Baharuddin; Hisham, Jamiah
Safurah and her husband Abdul Majid
Children:
- Fadzilah married Arthur Cooke: Children: Dani Surya, Dewi Aini
- Samsiah married Keith Emrich: Children: Shamsul Kent, Adam Kent
- Badar Sharif married Siti Fatimah Mohd Radhi: Children: Azri Sharif, Siti Khatijah, Asyraf Sharif, Anuar Sharif
- Baharudin married Su from Thailand (first wife): Child: Anais Baharudin,. Second wife Jo from Macedonia; Child: Anastasia
- Hisham married Rose : Children: Haidir; Turee; Amni; Dek Kah; Afdal; Raudah. Second wife: Mizah Child: Dalili
- Jamiah married Ahmad Khailani: Children: Khairiah, Khairunnissa, Khairiani, Khairullah
Ahmad and Fadzilah with her son Dani, and grandmother Safurah @1973
Children of Safurah and Abdul Majid 1962
Left to right: Fadzilah, Samsiah, Badar, Ahmad, Baharuddin, Hisham, Jamiah
Children of Safurah and Abdul Majid 16 years later
Left to right: Fadzilah, Samsiah, Badar, Arwah Ahmad (2024), Baharuddin, Arwah Hisham (2020), Jamiah
5.
Johari b Hj Mohamad married
Mak Mah.
Child: Joha bin Johari
6. Bachok b Hj Mohamad married Siti Ara binti Haji Ismail.
Children: Zul, Ibrahim, Fauziah, Rozali
At FELDA Sungai Sayong, Johore where Cik Bacok and Mak Ara lived @ 2007
Left to right front row: Rose, Samsiah, Cik Bacok, Wife Mak Ara, Fadzilah.
Left to right, back row: Jamiah, Siti, Rozah
At FELDA Sungai Sayong, Johore where Cik Bacok and Mak Ara lived @ 2007
Back row - L to R: Asraf, Badar, Siti, Jamiah, Ahmad Kailani, Fadzilah, Nizar, Azhar
Third row: L to R: Khairiani, Rose, Samsiah, Cik Bacok, Mak Ara, Rozah
Second row: L to R: Khairiah, Khairunnissa, Siti Khatijah, Annuaf, Nur Asyikin, Nur Naidah
First row: L- R: Khairullah
7. Samsiah bt Hj Mohd married Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman.
Daughter: Syazizie married Ahmed Ramadan Soufi Mohamed.
Children: Nur Aina Sufiyya; Anaqi Harraz
Samsiah Mohammad and Abdul Aziz (1979) and Syazizie
Mak Jah
Samsiah Mohamad with husband Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman c1990 - 1995
Mak Jah Hajjah Samsiah Hj Mohamad with daughter Syazizie @1983
Hjh Samsiah Hj Mohammad, 89 years old @ 20 February 2025
Left to right: NurAina Sufiyya, Syazizie, Samsiah Mohamad, Ahmad Ramadan, Anaqi Harraz
Sisters Anim, Raha, Faridah and family, Miah and daughter Khairiani visited Mak Jah and family, Kota Warisan, Selangor, 2024
Nani Mustapha and family visiting Mak Jah and family
**********************************************************
1b. Second wife of Haji Mohamad: Zainab bt Jamal (born in Merlimau, Melaka) married Hj Mohamad b Hj Alias
Children:
1. Abdul Rahman (Adan/Shadan/Pak Long Atan, perkuburan batu 6, Muar) married 1) Aminah Hamzah, 2) Mahara Sham and 3) another. Children: 13 from 3 wives.
1A: Aminah (Mak Itam) bte Hamzah.. Buried at Batu 6 Muar. Children:
i) Fatimah (Fatin)
ii) Ramli
iii) Shari
iv) Esah
v) Haris
vi) Zainurin (WIN)
vii) Jaafar
viii) Jasni
ix) Dollah
1B:
Mahara bte Sham.
Children:
i) Zainab
1C: Third wife name unknown. Children:
i. Rohani
ii. Johari
iii. Rahmah
2. Zainon bt Hj Mohamad married Mahadi bin Abu Bakar (buried at Yong Peng). Children:
1. Mazlan bin Mahadi
2. Rohani bte Mahadi
3. Zainal bin Mahadi
4. Rohaya bte Mahadi
5. Fauziah bte Mahadi
6. Zaharah bte Mahadi
7i. Noraini bte Mahadi
8. Norzihan bte Mahadi
9. Aziz bin Mahadi
10. Suzaliyana bte Mahadi
3.
Zainah (Cik Bulat, born 21 August 1935, born in Parit Kangkong, Parit Jawa) bt
Hj Mohamad married
Saat bin Muda - born in Parit Kangkong, passed away in 2001, Perkuboran Islam
PT Sulong, Jalan Kangkar, Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat.
Zainah Hj Mohamad (Cik Bulat) with Bakar Saat and wife Zaharah Mahadi (Adah)
Family of Zainah (Cik Bulat)
Children: 8:
- Abu Abakar bin Saat married Zaharah Mahadi. Residence: Air Hitam, Batu 15 Muar
- Abu Samah bin Saat. Residence: Parit Sulong Batu Pahat
- Abdul Samad bin Saat. Residence: Kampung Surau, Baling Kedah
- Zainab binti Saat. Residence: Batu Kapar Meru, Klang
- Zaitun atau Fiza binti Saat. Residence: Pucong Selango (sejak lahir anak angkat Atuk Mahpoz dan Mak Usu Saijah
- Kamalruzaman bin Saat (kembar), Residence: Pasir Gudang JB
- Kamarubahrin bin Saat (kembar), Residence: Ayer Tawar
- Yazam bin Saat, Residence: Pasir Gudang JB.
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 2: ABDUL HAMID
2a. Abdul Hamid b Hj Alias married Saripah bt Hj Noh (First wife)
Children:
1. Kamisah bt Abdul Hamid
2. Aisah bt Abdul Hamid married Ali x . Children: Aini Ali
3. Abdul Manaf b Abdul Hamid
4. Abdul Aziz b Abdul Hamid
5. Abdul Majib b Abdul Hamid
6. Omar b Abdul Hamid
2b. Abdul Hamid b Hj Alias married Ramlah bt Salleh (second wife)
Children:
1. Jamiah bt Abdul Hamid
2. Mohammad bt Abdul Hamid
3. Hamidah bt Abdul Hamid
4. Salleh bt Abdul Hamid
5. Abdullah bt Abdul Hamid
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 3: ZAINAH
3. Zainah (Mak Uda) bt Hj Alias married Muhammad b Puasa
Children (currently in Johore):
1. Zaharah bt Mohamad
2. Mohd Zin b Mohamad
3.
Nordin b Mohamad
Zainah Hj Alias (Mak Uda)
Zaharah, anak Zainah Hj Alias
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 4: ZAINAL ABIDIN
4.Zainal
Abidin b Hj Alias (ZABHA) + Aisyah bte Jaafar
ZABHA - former editor of Utusan Melayu
Zabha with brother Mahpohz
ZABHA speaking at the launch of "Minggu Berjaya Kebangsaan" (National Solidarity week) dinner hosted by the Malay Cultural Organisation in Singapore - 16 November 1964. He was Singapore Utusan Melayu's representative. Source of photos: National Archives Singapore
ZABHA (second left) at the launch with first Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, as reported on 16 November 1964
ZABHA placing a songkok on Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the launch 1964
First Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew speaking at the launch 1964
Zabha's Children:
1. Maimunah bt Zainal Abidin married Abu Bakar. Children: Hanu, Ain, Azman, Nazihah
2.
Yusof b Zainal Abidin
HAJI ALIAS BIN
HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 5: SALBIAH
5.Salbiah
Bt Hj Alias (No information)
HAJI
ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 6: JAMILAH
6.
Jamilah bt Hj Alias +
Jaafar b Hj Taib (top right)
Zaleha - as listed above
Jamilah was Jaafar's fifth wife
Source:
"Parit Jamil Khazanah Warisan"
Abadi Ilmu Sdn Bhd, 2015 - written by 4 brothers -Abdul Kahar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abu Bakar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abdul Zafar bin Abdul Ghaffar and Abdul Fakar bin Abdul Ghaffar
Child:
1.
Zaleha bt Jaafar married Abdul Hamid
Zaleha with husband Abdul Hamid bin Ahmad
Children of
Zaleha and Abdul Hamid:
1) Khatijah
2) Hamidah
3) Jaafar
4) Krisnoermattias
5) Zainuddin
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 7: JAMAL
7.Jamal
b Hj Alias +
Mahiram bte Siron (Merlimau)
Children:
1. Kamariah bt Jamal (passed away on 1/2/22, buried at Parit Jamil) + Abdul Rahman
2. Alias b Jamal
3. Awa bt Jamal + Onn
4. Mohidin b Jamal
5. Latipah bt Jamal
6. Abdul Aziz b Jamal
7.
Rashidah bt Jamal
Left to right: Mohidin, Onn (Awa's husband), Awa, Latifah, Rashidah (June 2022)
Left to right: Aziz Jamal, Salleh Mohd, Onn, Mohidin, Latifah
HAJI ALIAS BIN HAJI RAIS - CHILD NUMBER 8: MAHPHOZ
8.Mahphoz b Hj Alias + Saejah bt Abdul Rahman
Mahpohz and his wife Saejah
Children:
1. Halimahton bt Mahphoz
2. Zabedah bt Mahphoz
3.
Zaiton bt Mahphoz
*****************************************************************************
Rais bin
Sulaiman had 2 sons, Alias and Salleh. The name of Rais’ wife’s name is not
known.
Second son: Haji Salleh bin Haji Rais
Haji Salleh
bin Hj Rais married Saleha binti (not known) (our great grandparents). They had
6 children.
Our great grandparents and their siblings, our grandparents c mid1930s
Front row, left to right: Salbiah, Hajjah Saleha, Safurah (daughter of Sawiah), Hasan, Hj.Salleh, Sawiah
Back row, left to right: Jais (Tok Andak Jais) and Kassim (Tok Ngah Kassim)
Hajjah Saleha - wife of Salleh bin Rais (great grandmother of Raha and Fadzilah)
CHILDREN
OF HAJI SALLEH BIN HAJI RAIS AND SALEHA
CHILD
NUMBER 1: Sawiah binti Haji Salleh
1a. Hj
Mohamad b. Hj Alias +
Sawiah bt Hj Salleh (first wife)
Children:
i. Yusuf bin Hj Mohammad. Passed away as a young child
ii. Jaafar
bin Hj Mohammad. Passed away unmarried/bachelor
iii. Mustapha
bin Hj Mohammad married Fatimah binti Mohd Salleh. Children: Hadijah Rose,
Hamidah Rozah, Hasnah Nani, Hanifah Adip, Hafizah Anim, Hapsah Anoi, Fuad,
Rahmah Raha, Faridah Idah, Mohd Fazil
iv. Safurah
binti Hj Mohammad married Abdul Majid. Children: Fadzilah, Samsiah, Badar
Sharif, Ahmad, Baharudin, Hisham, Jamiah
v. Johari bin Hj Mohammad married Mak Mah. Son - Joha
vi. Bachok
bin Hj Mohammad married Siti Ara binti Haji Ismail. Children: Ibrahim, Fauziah,
Rozali
vii. Samsiah
binti Hj Mohammad married Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman. Daughter: Syazizie
CHILD NUMBER
2: HAJI KASSIM BIN HAJI SALLEH
2.
Hj Kassim b Hj Salleh (Tok Ngah) + Hjh Kamisah bt Jamal. Both buried at Parit Jamil, Muar.
Children:
i. Taib bin
Hj Kassim (* Buried at Bukit Mor, Parit Jawa, Muar) + Safiah binti Hj
Majid. Children: Razali, Zaleha, Abdullah,
Mohd Salleh, Zainab, Hasnah, Hashim, Fuziah, Faridah, Roslinda (Note:
Muhammadiyah Press currently managed by Hashim Taib, 3rd generation)
ii. Tahir bin Hj Kassim + Fatimah binti Kassim. * (Both buried at Bt 6, Bakri, Muar)
iii. Salimah binti Hj Kassim (*Passed early Dec 2021, buried at Subang Jaya) + Zainal bin Ibrahim (* Buried at Section 22, USJ, Subang Jaya, Selangor)
iv. Ahmad bin Hj Kassim + Aminah binti Yacob. * (Both buried at Bt 6, Bakri, Muar)
v. Meriam binti Hj Kassim (* Buried at Parit Jamil, Muar) + Nasir bin Ahmad
vi. Mohd Amin
bin Hj Kassim (* Buried at Parit Jamil, Muar)
CHILD NUMBER
3: ABU HASSAN BIN HAJI SALLEH
3.
Abu Hassan b Hj Salleh -
passed away
CHILD NUMBER
4: HAJI JAIS BIN HAJI SALLEH
4.
Hj Jais b Hj Salleh (Tok Andak Jais) + Maimunah bt Jamal (Had 10 children, 4 passed
away young namely: Abu Bakar, Fatimah, Hasnah, Jamilah)
Tok Andak
Jais - c1960s
Children who survived into
adulthood:
i Mansor bin Hj Jais (*Buried at Kluang) + Jamaliah binti Abdul Rahman
ii. Mustaffa (Harun) bin Hj Jais + Nor Mijah binti Palal (*Buried at Kuantan Pahang)
iii. Halimah binti Hj Jais (*Buried at Parit Jawa) + Salleh bin Mohamad
iv. Selaiman bin Hj Jais + Ruhan binti Hj Hasnan (* Buried at Tanjung Gading)
v. Hamidah binti Hj Jais (passed away 20 October 2024, buried at Seremban) + Zainal bin Ahmad (* Buried at Seremban)
vi. Ismail bin Hj Jais (*Buried at Seremban) + Naripah
4 children passed
away young were Abu Bakar, Fatimah, Hasnah, Jamilah
From Left:
Harun Jais, Selaiman Jais, Salleh Mohamad
CHILD NUMBER
5: SALBIAH BINTI HAJI SALLEH
5.
Salbiah bt Hj Salleh (Tok Cik) (buried at Parit Jamil + Mohamad bin Ahmad @ Mohd Katas b Ahmad @
Katan
Salbiah binti Haji Salleh - Tok Cik
From
Left: Mohamad bin Ahmad – Salbiah’s husband with his brothers
Salleh Mohamad with Mak Jah (Samsiah Hj Mohammad) and his 2 daughters - far right
May 2023
Left to
right: Azhar, Awan, Azmi (Nani’s sons), Nani,Salleh (in the middle) with his
daughters, January 2024
Children:
- Abdul Rahman (Othman) bin Mohamad (*passed away 10.01.25 at age of 84) + Kamariah binti Madini (*Passed 1.2.22. Buried at Parit Jamil, . Home address: Parit Penyengat, Muar, Johore. Children: Roslee, Anita, Hazila, Mahadhir, Ain, Nomie, Mahriz, Azreen, Ayu.
- Abdul Rahim bin Mohamad (Passed away young)
- Othman bin Ahmad (Awang) – passed away while studying at Maktab Tentera di Raja, Sungai Besi (Royal Military College – RMC, Sungai Besi)
4. Sabtu bin Katan (Ali) – Passed away while doing a course at Barrackpore, India. Not married
5. Abdul Khalid bin Mohamad (*buried at Parit Jamil) + Jumaidah binti Saiat (*Buried at Simpang Renggam). Children: Mohd Izzat, Mohd Syauqat, Nabilah
6. Salleh bin Mohamad + Rohayah binti Mahadi (*Buried at Section 21 Shah Alam). Children: Farrah Wahida; Farrah Hafiza, Farrah Hanim, Farrah Syafiqa, Nurul Nabila, Nurul Nabiha
At Salleh’s
Kampong house, Salleh in the middle with the white cap, next to his eldest
brother, Abdul Rahman, passed 10.1.25 at Parit Penyengat, Parit Jawa,
aged 84 years old
CHILD
NUMBER 6: HASAN BIN HAJI SALLEH
6.
Hasan b Hj Salleh (*batu 6, Bakri, Muar) + Sofiah bt Hj Abdul Karim (* Buried at
section 21, Shah Alam)
- Ramlah binti Hj Hasan + Abdul Latif bin Hassan
- Abdul Karim bin Hasan (* Buried at Batu 6, Bakri, Muar) + Kasminah binti Kariman
- Rahmah binti Hj Hasan +
- Kamariah binti Hj Hasan (not married)
- Zawiyah binti Hj Hasan
- Hamidah binti Hj Hasan
- Hamimah binti Hj Hasan
- Haliza binti Hj Hasan
Left to right: Fadzilah Abdul
Majid, Hamimah Hasan, Hamidah Hasan, Ramlah Hasan, Samsiah Abdul Majid
Left to right: Ramlah Hasan, Kamariah
Hasan
*****************************************************************************
Memories and stories of our ancestors and relatives
Hajjah Saleha
1a. Hajjah Saleha our great grandmother was interesting. She used to keep food for special occasions and often kept some aside for her favourite daughter (Tok Cik) or favourite cucus! I was not her favourite, malas and always reading, not interested in the kitchen much. Heh Heh.
She was a stooped old lady when I knew her in the 1950s, most likely she was in her late sixties. Still independent and active.
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid
1b. Hajjah Saleha married Haji Salleh bin Rais
Below are interview notes from discussion between Mak Jah, Raha and Rose at Syazizie’s house in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, July 2015.
There were 7 of them / siblings who were great grandchildren of Hajjah Saleha.
1) Yusuf died young
2) Jaafar died at sea
3) Mustapha
4) Safurah
5) Johari
6) Bachok
7) Samsiah
When asked about her mother Tok Awi (Sawiah) and grandmother Saleha, she said:
“Kita ni berkait kait tau. Melaka. Tok Esah, Mak Chau’s mother (Raha’s and Rose’s grandmother) berkait kait dengan kita orang sebelah nenek Perempuan Mak Jah – Hajjah Saleha – orang Melaka, asalnya. Haji Mohamad, bapak dia datang daripada Melayu Riau – bukan orang Jawa – berdagang sini bukak kebun dll. Kita bukan keturunan Jawa – itu sebab tak pandai cakap Jawa. Kita orang Melayu Riau. Mak Atok Haji Mohamad orang Melayu Bentan. Keturunan Bentan – berkenaan dengan sejarah Sultan mangkat di julang. Masa Atuk Hajjah Khatijah, tak boleh pergi Kota Tinggi. Sumpah Muntah darah. Ada sumpah tapi sekarang dah habis dah. Kacukkan campur Melaka, Melayu Riau, Singapore – Bentan kan Singapore. Tiga keturunan campur. Kita tak ada keturunan orang Jawa. Dah kita duduk kat Johor, Johor banyak orang Jawa, dah orang kata kita orang Jawa!”
Note: According to the book “Parit Jamil, Khazanah Warisan”, 2015, written by 4 brothers -Abdul Kahar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abu Bakar bin Abdul Ghaffar, Abdul Zafar bin Abdul Ghaffar and Abdul Fakar bin Abdul Ghaffar – our first descendant Rais bin Sulaiman, travelled with Hj Taib Othman (first Penghulu/Village leader of Parit Jamil) from Central Java in 1840s to Singapore-Malacca-Muar.
Note: According to Zabha - our family roots are intertwined with 3 branches of the original settlers and friends who were contract workers (jawa kontrak) on ships plying between Central Java to Singapore. When their contracts ended they were encouraged by the Johor Sultanate to ‘meneroka’ (settle) forest lands. The three friends ended up venturing to Melaka (Merlimau), Parit Kangkong and Parit Jamil in the 1840s.
Children of Hajjah Saleha:
1a. Sawiah Hj Salleh (Tok Awi)
She was the
first wife of Haji Mohammad. After several years of marriage, her
husband married Zainab binti Jamal from Merlimau. In those pioneering
days, marriage among descendants of the three pioneers of Parit Jamil, Parit
Kangkong and Merlimau are known as (kahwin orang dalam) – marrying within
the clans. I lived with Tok Awi during my first years of
schooling at that well known Parit Jamil Malay School that was initiated by our
elders of Parit Jamil, Jaafar and others as per the material circulated by
Jamiah’s piece (see below)
I think, years earlier that was how ZABHA learnt to speak Arabic, at the Madrasah, then he learnt English I think must be at high school, which we don’t know where. The Madrasah had teachers from Indonesia and Singapore according to the piece that Miah circulated.
BY the 1950s when I started primary school the Madrasah has become a government Malay school with trained teachers, very advanced for its time. I had Javanese and ‘Melayu’ classmates (of Acheh, Banjar, Riau and Javanese descent).
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid (Grand daughter).
1b. Sawiah Haji Salleh (Tok Awi)
When Mak Urah (Safurah) was a baby, still crawling, Haji Mohammad married his second wife Zainab (Mak Uda).
Mak Jah was about 20 years old when Sawiah (Tok Awi) passed away.
Source: Samsiah Haji Mohammad (Daughter)
2. Haji Kassim bin Haji Salleh Salleh (Tok Ngah)
Hj Kassim's family was kind and interesting. Aside from owning a printing press Haji Kassim also owned various pieces of land several kilometres down the road on the way to Batu Pahat (growing mostly rice). He also owned land around Parit Kangkong and Parit Jawa (where my grandfather Haji Mohamad had his small bookshop) that were growing mostly rubber as a cash crop. He was a very honest man, wrote down all his cash transactions in a small notebook. It was the first ever ledger book I saw in my life which taught me the way money is used among relatives that is more formal than the regular gift giving or exchange.
Apart from keeping records of his incoming and outgoing transactions, it must have been a place where he kept track of people especially relatives’ payments of their ‘hutang’ (debt) to him. My mother used to make regular payments to Haji Kassim (her uncle) when she bought the land on which our family home was built, by small instalments which stretched over a long number of years.
Source:
Fadzilah Abdul Majid
3. Abu Hassan
None of us who contributed to this book had the chance to meet Tok Uda Abu. He spent most of his time away from the family at Parit Kangkong and was said to be ‘fierce’.
4a. Jais Haji Salleh (Tok Andak)
He was a school teacher in religious study and a grassroots UMNO supporter, true blue. UMNO then was village based and had grassroots support. He built an UMNO hut in front of his house to be used for occasional UMNO village meetings. Tok Andak’s wife was a relative from a village about one kilometre away, Parit Tengah. They had 4 children: Mansur, Harun, Halimah, Hamidah and ‘Halus’ (his nickname).
Tok Andak was generous. I got married in 1970 in his house because my mum Safurah (and my grandmother Tok Awi and grandfather Haji Mohamad) had no house at that time. Tok Andak, whose house was inhabited by Tok Awi was also home to Hajah Saleha (our great grandmother). Across the road was Tok Ngah Haji Kassim's house. About 2 years after Fadzilah’s marriage , she and her husband (Arthur Cooke who worked at the United Nations ESCAP in Bangkok) built a house for her parents diagonally opposite Tok Andak Jais's home, and next door to Tok Ngah Haji Kassim’s abode.
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid
4b. Jais
Salleh (Tok Andak)
We were very close to Tok Andak Jais. This is so perhaps because of his friendly and open nature. Perhaps too because we are very close to his children especially Suleiman and Hamidah. Hamidah was my schoolmate at the Primary English School, Parit Jamil, Parit Jawa – the first English school there then. We also used to play a lot in the evenings on the grounds infront of Tok Andak’s house. Everything was fun at that time. Tok Andak was a religious school teacher at Sungai Balang, Batu Pahat, at that time. He would go by bus or taxi to the school and sometimes invited me to join the ride. When TV was made available, we used to go Tok Andak’s house to watch. Even the neighbours nearly came. I am not mistaken, there were only 2 houses with TV those days – Tok Ngah Kassim and Tok Andak. But I never went to Tok Ngah’s house even though it was just a few steps away. Malu… I have also not met Atok Along Sawi. We only knew her by name. Further it may be because she lived at Atok Hj Muhammad’s house.
Two other historical events that occurred at Tok Andak’s house. 1) Fadzilah’s wedding in 1970, and 2) death of Grandmother Hajjah Saleha – which occured when I was in primary school between 1959-1964.
Source: Salleh Mohammad – Salbiah’s (Tok Cik’s) son
4c. Jais Salleh (Tok Andak)
I can recall when I was very young say 9 or 10 years old, my dad Mustapha would always take me to visit Tok Andak’s house each time we visited Parit Kangkong. To me, his house was spacious and beautiful with all the olden style kampung house architecture. It was always serene and peaceful when we visited him. And my Dad was always happy to visit him.
Source: Raha Mustapha
5. Salbiah (Tok Cik)
5a. At the time, I felt mum is more closer to Tok Andak Jais and Tok Usu Hassan, although her relationship with the others are always amicable. Tok Andak would call her Biah (short for Saibiah) while Tok Usu Hassan would call her Akak.
Mum is a resolute mother and take pains to take care of us during those difficult times, making use of whatever resources available then. She used to stitch her own clothes and ours too. Cooking oil was made manually from coconut fruits which was aplenty that time. All was much DIY.
Source: Salleh
Mohamad (Youngest son)
5b. Salbiah (Tok Cik)
Salbiah and her husband Mohamad had a small plot of rubber land owned by Haji Kassim which they paid off little by little to him. They were small holder rubber tappers. Salbiah was very wise. She was broad minded like most of our ancestors were, and chose her words deliberately. She was much respected and was my mother’s (Safurah) confidant.
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid
6a. Hasan
Tok Usu Hasan was a civil servant at the Religious Office, Muar and stayed at the govt. quarters there. His wife, Mak Usu Sapiah also worked there.
Only once in a while did we go to his house, especially if there was some events there (weddings, hariraya etc).
They would also come to our house from time to time, in their Austin Morris car (later a Ford), often bringing along some goodies/cakes and the like.
Source: Salleh Mohamad
6b. Hasan
He worked as also a school teacher teaching religion.
Source:
Samsiah Haji Mohammad
SUMMARY:
Children of Sawiah bte Haji Salleh and Haji Mohammad bin Alias
1. Yusuf Hj
Mohammad
Passed away
young
2. Jaafar Hj
Mohammad
Passed
away unmarried, fell into the sea and drowned
3a. Mustapha
Hj Mohammad
Mustapha
went to the English school in Muar and met Fatimah – his future wife - at the
house of Bak Mamat’s (husband of the Rafeah - Raha’s grandmother (Kalsom)
younger sister). Mustapha was staying there while going to school. Mustapha was
a shy person. He was about 10 years older than Fatimah.
Source:
Samsiah Hj Mohamad (Mak Jah)
3b. Mustapha
Hj Mohammad
Our father
was a man of few words, the words he spoke were often profound, encouraging and
positive. He believed in good education and coached us to excel. Living in a
household full of daughters, he proved NOT to be the stereo-typed 'macho' male
but showed respect for equal rights. He never once "expected" to be
'served' and often helped with housework ... especially during our exams times.
Once, I got scolded by one of our visiting uncles because Ayah was washing his
own dishes, after a meal. He would not stop when I tried to take over - saying
"It is ok I can do it." Mum would then interrupt our uncle and said
"It's alright - he WANTS to do it"............so cool.
Most importantly,
he and my mum, supported my move to Australia when I was 21 years old and
single. They even encouraged my sponsoring my siblings to migrate to Australia
as well. Both our parents were modern and liberal for their times.
Source: Rose
binti Mustapha
3c.
Mustapha Hj Mohammad
When I was
in my elementary school, Ayah hah been coaching me with my studies. He would
monitor my school work everyday after school. I learnt to memorise the spelling
words with his help. During my exams revision time, Ayah would guide me and
help to ask related questions, then I would give him the correct answers. I
felt very lucky to have such a caring father. His concern to my studies led me
to achieve a successful career.
Source: Anim
binti Mustapha
3d. Mustapha
Hj Mohammad
I would always remember Dad as a reserved, soft spoken, smart, organised and hardworking family man. He was also helpful in the kitchen and had always insisted on washing his own plates after lunch or dinner. It was quite rare then. When it was payday, he would quietly take me to a coffee warung nearby and we had a selection of foods for breakfast - I really enjoyed that. I think was about 7 or 8 years old. Being number 8 in the family I also had support from my elder sisters when it comes to education. My dad would always be interested in my educational progress and helped in whichever way he could.
Source: Raha
binti Mustapha
4. Safurah Hj Mohammad
My mum Safurah binti Haji Mohamad and my father Abdul Majid bin Haji Ahmad who was a policeman who grew up in Parit Samsu (about 6 kilometers down the road towards Muar town -raised all of us children (there are 7 of us) in several police barracks wherever our father was posted. The frequent moving around was one of the reasons I was left behind with my grandmother to attend primary school because some of the postings had no schools at that time. No questions asked, education was a good enough reason for my parents to make the decision about leaving me with loving grandparents and it gave me strong memories of village life, the good and exciting bits and the boring aspects as well (from the perspective of an 8 to 10 year old), an indelible warm memory nevertheless.
In secondary school I was left with relatives in Muar for Form 1 to Form 3. Only when I was 15 did I join my family in Terengganu for Forms 4 and 5 schooling.
My mother Safurah and her youngest sister Samsiah (Mak Jah) were educated to standard 6, in those days equivalent to form 5 in the 20th and 21st century.
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid
5a. Johari Hj Mohammad
Johari had one son named Joha bin Johari. Johari’s wife is not known but she was called “Mak Mah”. She was purely a descended from Banjar who lived in Batu Pahat. I attended their wedding and all her family and the kampung people spoke 100% Banjar language.
Johari had a coffee shop at the taxi stand in Batu Pahat. He and his coffee shop were very famous at that time.
Johari was asthmatic and passed away because he ate the wrong type of medicine. His family then moved to another place and had not kept in touch. Our family had tried to search for them but has been unsuccessful.
Source: Jamiah
Abdul Majid
5b. Johari Hj Mohammad
Uncle Johari was a very cheerful man, and he ran a small business, an 'ice kacang' stall in Batu Pahat. Whenever Ayah took us to his stall, Uncle Johari would give us 'ice kacang' to enjoy. Everytime when we were about to leave, he would grab a handful of sweets and candies and put them in our pockets. We were very excited and always looking forward to visiting him at his stall.
Source: Anim Mustapha
6a. Bachok Hj Mohammad
“Badan muka sama macam Tok Ayah Mustapha. Masa Izar jumpa dia da tua jalan pun slow.”
His face
and body structure was the same as Tok Ayah Mustapha. When Izar met him, he was
old and he walked slowly.
Source: Nizar
Mazlan
6b. Bachok Hj Mohammad
Soon after they were married, Abang Bacok and his bride Mak Ara joined a government agricultural scheme that was aimed at transforming landless villagers into oil palm smallholders. The scheme ran by Federal Land Development Agency (FELDA) was opened all over Malaya at that time, the biggest one being at Jengka in the state of Pahang. But our uncle went to a scheme in Johor. They worked very hard, getting malaria quite often, to convert forests into monocrop. For many years, they were famous for winning the ‘best kept’ homes as well. Most Hari Raya Abang Bacok and Mak Ara would greet us with such warmth. Our mother would not fail to bring ‘buah tangan’ from our garden at Parit Kangkong including sugar cane, cocnuts, tapioca. For some reason she thought that FELDA schemes only grew oil palm. She could have been right, although settlers were also given small plots of land to grow their own food.
Source: Fadzilah Abdul Majid
Below is a photo of Cik Bachok’s house taken in January 2025 by his great grand nephew Nizar Mazlan when Nizar and his family visited the family home to try and catch up with Cik Bachok’s. Unfortunately no one was home.
7. Samsiah Hj Mohammad, 89 years on 20 February 2025
Mak Jah attended primary school till primary 6. After her mother Tok Awi (Sawiah) passed away, she was in her 20s, she lived with her older sister Mak Purah (Safurah). During that time, she saw an advertisement in the newspapers announcing that the Department of Religion was holding interviews for teachers teaching religious studies. She went to the interview and she was later advised that she got the job. She added that during that time one did not have to have teaching qualifications to be a teacher.
She then worked at Malacca state primary school in Merlimau in 1962 when she was 26 years old. She worked as a teacher of religion for many years. She rented a house which was a walking distance to her school. She was in her 40’s when relatives Haji Mon and Hajah Naemah made the matchmaking for her and a widower Abdul Aziz “Bak” (Zizi’s dad) to marry. In 1978 she married Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman and it was organised for her to be transferred to Simpang Rengam, Johore. In 1980 Syazizie was born. Because of the risks associated to pregnant women in their 40s giving birth, she had a caesarian.
12 years later she retired and received a pension from Government.
Raha said to Mak Jah that it looked like she was the very first female teacher in our family working at a school and this is a very big achievement. Raha added that Fadzilah has also been involved in a teaching role within our family. Mak Jah said that Fadzilah has been a “Pensyarah” a lecturer at the University. She also said that Fadzilah has higher education qualifications more than her primary school level education. Raha praised Mak Jah for her great achievement as at that time not many women were able to work, let alone be in a profession such as being a teacher.
Raha asked Mak Jah who else in our family were involved in a teaching role. She said Tahir, was an English teacher, Hasan was a teacher teaching religion.
Source: Phone interview with Mak Jah (Samsiah Haji Mohamad) 2 March 2023 at 9pm Canberra time. Interview was made by Raha Mustapha. Note: Tok Andak Jais was also a school teacher teaching religion.
CHILDREN
OF ALIAS bin RAIS AND KHATIJAH
1a. Haji Mohammad b Hj Alias
Grandfather Haji Mohamad bin Haji Alias had western habits. He ate boiled eggs for breakfast and oats. He wore a suit everywhere.
In the 1950s, he had a small book and newspaper shop where not many people ever bought from, because village rubber tappers did not have much spare cash to buy books or newspapers. So whatever comics, magazines and newspapers left unsold, we (his grand children) used to enjoy waiting for the postman to deliver them perhaps once a month or once every couple of months. Who would have thought that he was trying to cultivate in us the joy of reading.
He was a stringer for UTUSAN MELAYU while his younger brother Zabha (Zainal Abidin bin Haji Alias), was a full blown journalist and editor of Utusan Melayu which had its head office in Singapore at that time. Zabha continued to be Utusan Melayu’s editor right through the Japanese occupation of Malaya dring WWII, up until its offices moved to Kuala Lumpur.
On reflection, our ancestors Haji Mohamad and Zabha (as well as our other grand uncles Haji Kassim who had one of the first Malay Printing Press in the Muar district, our maternal grand uncles Tok Andak Jais and Tok Busu Hasan, who were both religious school teachers) were fully literate at a time when the majority of the population were only semi or totally illiterate. In sociological terms, our family/families had the social capital. However, we might not have acquired the financial capital, since writers in most parts of the world were rarely well paid.
I saw the first photo of Abraham Lincoln in the upstairs room of his shop. The Parit Jawa folks had Labour union meetings there, left wing small shopkeepers and rubber tappers union meetings, I think.
Source:
Fadzilah phone texts 26 October 2022
Raha asked Fadzilah whether Haji Mohamad had his small convenience shop and bookshop at Parit Jawa in the 1950s approximately. She responded:
“Yes. When I was living with Arwah Tok Awi (Sawiah) whose husband was our grandfather Atok Haji Mohamad, I was 8 years old. So it was 1954 when I lived in Parit Kangkong, for a couple of years, but the shop might have been opened several years earlier when life returned to more stable economic conditions post World War II.
He was a man of few words. He used to leave written instructions after breakfast before he went to open the shop in Parit Jawa.
- 10 cents for Fadzilah
- 80 cents for pasar (fresh market)
- 20 cents for miscellaneous (dan lain lain)
1b. Haji Mohammad b Hj Alias
For breakfast he liked soft boiled eggs with coffee or tea.
I remembered he was always wearing Tweed jacket like in this photo.
He used to visit us quite often considering how far to come from Parit Kangkong to Singapore. And on public transport!! Always got comics from him as presents.
I may have been to his bookshop at Parit Jawa.... very vague memory though.
In addition, I never saw him ate with fingers - always used spoon and fork.
Source:
Rose Mustapha 25 Oct 2022
2. Abdul Hamid
b Hj Alias
(any input welcomed)
3. Zainah (Mak
Uda) b Hj Alias
Zainah was a midwife/bidan when she was at Parit Sulong. Her daughter Zaharah remembered going with her in a sampan / small boat to houses along Parit Sulong river during the midwifery visits.
Source: Zaharah Mohammad
4a. ZABHA – Zainal Abidin b Haji Alias (Tok Andak)
When Zabha was editor of Utusan Melayu in Singapore, Zabha used to visit Parit Kangkong at Hari Raya and stayed at his younger brother’s house Pok Teh Jamal and his wife Mok Teh Mehram, next door to Tok Andak Jais’ house. I met Zabha twice during my two years I was living with my grandmother at Parit Kangkong. I was able to read newspapers at a very young age, but I did not understand why it had created such an impression in the village at that time. Perhaps it was during one of Zabha’s visits that this ability was mentioned, but I cannot remember the occasion very well, and in fact I remembered being embarrassed about being mentioned. I was 6 years old when we met the first time. We met again much later when I was in college in the mid 1960s, and that was when Zabha gently told me about the three friends who were our ancestors who were contract workers ‘Jawa kontrak’, who were labourers on ships plying between Central Java (Jawa Tengah) and Singapura in the late 19th century. Upon terminating their contracts they journeyed to Johor, and opened up villages in the areas of Parit Kangkong and Parit Jamil. Another person in the group of our ancestors stayed on in Merlimau.
Source:
Fadzilah Abdul Majid
_____________________
4b. ZABHA – Zainal Abidin b Haji Alias (Tok Andak)
I loved spending weekends with Maimun at Zabha’s house in Singapore. We used to sneak out to parties. It was a compound brick house. Not sure if it belonged to them or rented – it belonged to the Utusan Melayu. That was around 1965 onwards. Maimun's husband Abu Bakar was a cadet journalist with ZABHA in Singapore. They later moved to KL and he worked at the Straits Times (as columist, I think), until he retired.
Source: Rose
Mustapha
4c. ZABHA - Zainal Abidin Bin Haji Alias – ZABHA
INTRODUCTION
TO ZABHA’S PERSONAL HISTORY AND WORK.
The section
below contains a longer description about our grand uncle ZABHA’s personal life
and work as he played a significant role in the in the world of journalism and
the education sector. He was teacher, a journalist and editor of Utusan Melayu
in Singapore. Most of the information below was sourced from the book “Tempat
jatuh lagi di kenang”, 1968, Ghazali Ismail, an autobiography about Zabha’s
life, work and struggles in journalism.
ZABHA was one of a group of people who established Utusan Melayu in Singapore in 1939, the first newspaper ever entirely owned, financed, written and managed by Malays. ZABHA worked as a journalist and was also the editor of Utusan Melayu. Utusan Melayu was first printed in Jawi before being romanised in 1967. While other pre-independence newspapers closed down one after another due to declining circulation and advertising revenue, Utusan Melayu managed to survive and surged ahead to ignite the fervour for independence and later patriotism and nationalism.
Personal History
ZABHA was born at Parit Jamil, Muar, Johore, Malaysia on 10 January 1910.
He received his education in English, Malay and Arabic at the public school named “Madrasah Al Haji Taib” at the same village. The school had a total of 12 – 15 students. ZABHA succeeded to complete his studies to grade 8, in the English stream. He completed his schooling in 1929, and in 1930 he became a trainee teacher. He taught at the same school till 1935 when he married one of his former students.
He was then 25 years old.
Zabha’s wife was Aisyah Haji Jaafar. His wedding was held in a style called - a mass wedding - “akad nikah secara beramai ramai”. According to ZABHA, at that time, mass wedding had never been held in the Malay society. Five couple were married that day. The wedding attracted attention in the local Malay newspapers and received lots of publicity.
Aisyah passed away on 21 February 1973, aged 52, at her brother’s – Ishak Haji Jaafar - house in Johore. She died of cancer and was buried at her home village, Parit Jamil. She left behind two children and three grandchildren. (Source: Berita Harian, 22 February 1973, page 30)
Aisyah’s father was Haji Jaafar bin Haji Taib who owned his own printing press in his village at Parit Jamil. The name of the printing press was “Jamiliah Press” which published a monthly edition of the “Masa” magazine.
According to the Malaysian Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Institute of Language and Literature), Jamiliah Press was established in mid 1920’s at Parit Jamil, Muar, Johore by Haji Jaafar Haji Taib in partnership with Haji Kassim Haji Salleh. Haji Kassim was our grand uncle who also opened his own printing press at Parit jawa. The press owned three manual pressing machines and one paper cutting machine.
(Source: http://prpmv1.dbp.gov.my/Search.aspx?k=tenaga+manusia&d=8)
Zabha passed away in 1994 at the age of 84 due to old age. (Source: Berita Harian, 10 June 1994, Kuala Lumpur)
Warta Malaya
In 1936 ZABHA worked as a clerk at a law firm “M V Pillay”. There he first started sending news to Singapore to be published at Warta Malaya, the most famous Malay newspaper there at that time. His articles received attention and in the end he became a part time journalist for Warta Malaya while in Muar. Many of his articles were published by Warta Malaya. It was at that moment that he first got interested in journalism.
In January 1936, the General Manager of Warta Malaya, Syed Hussain bin Ali Alsagoff, drove to Zabha’s house in the evening and offered him one position at the newspapers in Singapore – in the editorial department. Zabha requested a month to consider the offer as he had to discuss it further with his family etc. A month later, Zabha moved to Singapore to work as a journalist for Warta Malaya.
Zabha remembered with fondness how he had received a letter two weeks after the visit from Syed Hussain stating that he was to attend an interview no matter whether he got the job or not. He arrived on his first day at work, dressed in a suit and a songkok – “betul betul gaya orang Johor” he commented about that incident. However, instead of being interviewed, he was asked by the General Manager to translate an article into Malay which was immediately sent out for publication that morning, unlike the norms as with other newspapers which would have papers published at lunch time.
Warta Malaya was established on 1 January 1930. Local news covered were related to events which occurred in Singapore and Johore. News in other parts of Malaya were also included. They had representatives in Kuala Lumpur and the intention was to include stories on all of Malaya. It could be said that Warta Malaya contributed to the developments of the Malay people. There were sections in the newspaper for debates and exchange of information. Controversial issues were given coverage such as the distribution of the different states, work of the Malay people within the Government Departments etc.
Zabha initially worked as a writer, then a sub editor and in addition to that, he performed duties that were related to editorials.
Abdul Rahim Kajai was the author of Warta Jenaka.
Zabha’s initial salary was $30 a month (Febuary 1936). Three months later it was increased to $45 a month. In 1938 his salary was $60 a month and the paper provided him with a furnished house and Tanjong Katong. This indicated that he was holding a senior position at the newspaper.
In the meantime, about 20 Malay leaders held a meeting to discuss the possibility to create/establish a Malay newspaper which truly reflects the desire of the Malay people/race. At that time, the spirit of Malay nationalism had intensified. That meeting lasted 3 hours. Yusof Ishak was one of the group and had worked for Warta Malaya for 7 years. Kajai agreed to manage the creation. The initial capital was $2000, the office to be located at 64 Queens street.
In April 1939, Zabha and Ishak left Warta Malaya and joined the new newspaper “Utusan Melayu”.
On 3 September 1939, the second World War erupted. Yusuf was stationed to Changi. Ghazali took his place Kajai started at Utusan Melayu at the end of 1939.
Warta Malaya was bought by Ibrahim Yaakub – at the time of the publication of this book – was in Indonesia.
In December 1941, Kajai left for Kuala Lumpur to visit his family. Staff of the editorial at that time was Zabha, Ramli and Samad. Kajai was brought back to Singapore by the Japanese to start the newspaper “Berita Malai”. Yusuf then left for Perak. Kajai, not long after, passed away.
World War II
February 1942: 8 Feb Japan invaded Singapore. He knew from his contacts the places Japanese invaded Singapore – Pantai Barat and Pasir Laba. Zabha lived at Lorong 40 Geylang Singapore at that time and as a journalist, he felt it was his responsibility to inform and report to the public about the Japanese invasion, the locations and timing etc – through his newspapers Utusan Melayu. With all the bombings and chaos it was difficult for him to file a story through the Utusan Melayu papers. He was adamant not to leave the agency to the enemies. At one moment, when a friend asked him to leave the office and head for home he said “Let me die in this office too. I do not want the enemies take our office and take control of this place”. Whether he was serious with what he said, it could not be confirmed. But Zabha admitted that when he said it “My spirit was indeed burning/enflamed.”
Japan’s invasion was received with mixed feelings – some supported it as they will chase away the British rulers – others believed the Japanese wanted to replace the British and rule Singapore. Zabha did not want to comment on this. He did not say whether he was anti or whether he welcomed the arrival of the Japanese. In his heart, he said “Every incursion is a crime. Even though it is true that the arrival of the Japanese is to free the people of East Asia from colonisation, this arrival is a form of invasion and thus needed to be completely opposed” (pg 10).
His book talked about the sacrifices made by the Malay army officers during the war. While Zabha was not in the field he was able to gather all the information on the war field. Utusan Melayu was taken over by the Japanese and stories on those incidents could not be published. Zabha worked for them, the name changed to “Berita Malai” – till the British regained control on Singapore.
Journalism: In times of war, the spirit of a journalist is the same as the spirit of a warrior. (pg 13)
Utusan Melayu
Pg 14 – when talking about the history of Utusan Melayu, Zabha’s name cannot be separated from that history. There is a strong and significant correlation between the two. In fact, people did say “Utusan Melayu itu Zabha. Zabha itu Utusan Melayu”= “Utusan Melayu is Zabha. Zabha is Utusan Melayu”. Zabha was involved with Utusan Melayu even before the birth of Utusan Melayu, when it was still in planning stage. According to the author of his autobiography (published in 1968), if Abdul Hamid Kajai was accepted as the “Father of Malay Journalism”, Zabha could be awarded as the “Uncle of Malay journalism” because of his extensive experience in journalism, since January 1938. Zabha, Yusuf Ishak (first Singaporean President) and Kajai were the three who developed Utusan Melayu, while working with Warta Malaya. The ambition is to establish the first Malay newspaper that is owned by the Malays. It was registered in June 1938. The original intention is to sell the shares to the Malays only so that the company is owned by the Malays. Shares were sold to Malay farmers, car drivers, fishermen from kampungs etc. the number of shares sold to the elite group was small. The share was worth 10 ringgit per share and holders only have one share each as people were not confident with Malay companies. Only 600 shares were sold. The paper was established in 29 May 1939 with a small capital but all staff contributed their services. First editor group, Kajai, Zabha, Yusof Ishak etc. Sale of shares was still very low and there were even attempts to get sales in Johor. UM was a free newspaper until it was taken over by the Japanese on 13 Feb 1942. Yusof Ishak and a few other colleagues themselves went out to sell the papers as there were no agents.
Japanese force took over, issued the contents for translation and publication. All staff were under the control of the Japanese army. The paper was renamed to “Berita Malai”.
Many staff left the agency as they did not want to be involved in the propaganda for the Japanese. Zabha was one of the editorial staff who continued to work for the agency. After Japan surrendered in September 1945, Zabha still worked with his colleagues (including Yusof Ishak who returned from Malaysia) to manage the paper and issue publications using printing equipments loaned by the Straits Times as the Japanese had taken the printing equipment.
1946 -Zabha was assigned to Batu Pahat Malaysia to be the representative for Utusan Melayu. He was also the writer, responsible for advertisement, distribution etc.
17 June 1947 – Zabha was recalled back to Singapore to take over Hamdan’s resignation at Utusan Melayu as acting Author.
1 Sep 1947 UMNO held their second congress in Johore. 3 journalists and 1 cameraman were sent by Utusan Melayu to cover the story. There were interesting exchanges between Syed Alwi, General Secretary of Federation of Malaya and Zabha about what were said during a speech Syed made at the congress meeting. Zabha reported it in Utusan Melayu but denied by Syed (pg 32).
Acknowledgment of Zabha’s work (information below retrieved from various online sources)
· Tengku Ampuan Besar Trengganu in 1947, praised Utusan Melayu as the one responsible for raising the spirit to motivate the Malay youths to now be brave to fight for their rights and justice. Zabha’s articles were posted in the front page of Utusan Melayu on 6 ,8, 16, 24 and 25 December. In the 27 December 1947 edition, not only his name was posted but also a big photo of himself smoking a pipe in his office in Singapore. This is the first time during that period, in the history of Malay news world, a journalist was given such a huge publicity on his work. Utusan Melayu posters also advertised his name. Everyone in that era knew his name. In fact, it was always spoken of as further as in remote villages in Trengganu and Kelantan.
· Zabha was awarded the following titles in recognition for his journalistic work and contributions namely:
o BBM - Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star), instituted in 1963, awarded to any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of Singapore, or who has distinguished themselves in the field of arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour movement. Bars may be issued for further service.
o AMN – Ahli Mangku Negara – awarded for meritorious service to the country (Malaysia).
5. Salbiah
No information
6. Jamilah (Mak Milah)
"Mak Milah kahwin dengan orang kaya, Penghulu Parit Jamil. Anak dia Cheah, dah meninggal. CheAh kahwin DO (District officer) bandar Muar, Laki dia dah pangkat Datuk. "
Source:
Samsiah Mohammad 2015
7. Jamal
Haji Alias (Tok Uteh)
He was a cheerful man, was a manual worker for one of the government departments, always helpful. He and his wife Mak Uteh Mehram were well known in the village to be ‘rengan tulang’ because of their consistently reliable stance in helping out at weddings, funerals and kenduris. The Jamal family lived in the ancestral home inherited by our grandfather Haji Mohamad ( see photo).
Source:
Fadzilah Abdul Majid
8. Mahpoz (Tok Usu)
He was a school teacher, taught at the Malay school at Sungai Balang – on the way to Batu Pahat. Excellent in mathematics when he was alive.
Source:
Fadzilah Abdul Majid
Rumah Kampong
Below is a photo of Haji Mohammad house -
courtesy of Mohidin Jamal. 
Salleh
Mohamad’s kampung house at Parit Kangkong. It was rebuilt in the 70’s and
repaired/renovated around 2019.
SELECTED
COLLECTION OF ‘TREASURES’ FROM OUR ANCESTORS
Salleh
Mohammad has in his possession 2 bowls left to him by his mother Salbiah - see
below
Olden Vintage
items - washing hand bowl used during Saleha's era - courtesy Salleh Mohammad
Glass bowl c1950s -
courtesy of Salleh Mohammad
"Fine
kain benang, probably hand woven with fine stitching of silver of tompok buah
manggis, and stitching of single line running up and down the cloth, handed
down from our great great great mother Hajah Saleha to Tok Cik (Salleh's mum),
then to Fadzilah." - source: Fadzilah Majid. Kain @1950s.
Tikar/Coconut leaves woven mat - courtesy of Fadzilah Majid
Sewing machine
used by Raha’s grandmother Kalsom Abu Bakar in 1950’s and 1960’s
Tempat sirih Tembaga – Betel nut set (Raha’s collection)
SELECTED
CONTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL ‘TREASURES’ FROM THE EXISTING GENERATION.
Dr Fadzilah Abdul Majid/Fadzilah Majid Cooke
- great great granddaughter of Rais Sulaiman
- first daughter of of Sapurah Haji Muhammad and Abdul Majid Haji Ahmad
Dr Fadzilah Abdul Majid was a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, from 2003 to 2013 and a Professor of Environmental Sociology at the same University from 2014-2016. Since her retirement in 2016 she engages in socio ecological research among the Bajau Laut of Semporna, Sabah. A selected number of front pages of her publications are detailed below:
Photo above: Dr Fadzilah Majid Cooke – speaker at the 2024 Conference on the “Sulu Zone”,
November 12 –14 2024, Mindanao State University, Tawi Tawi, Philippines.
Fara Azlin Buang, great great great granddaughter of Rais Sulaiman
- eldest daughter of Hafizah Anim Mustapha - daughter of Mustapha Haji Mohammad
When Covid-19 hit, Fara’s PSLE workshops were adversely affected as borders closed and the whole nation was forced to lockdown. Fortunately, she had investments and savings to rely on due to early financial planning. But when she looked around, she saw her own family members and many others from her community struggle financially. This made her realise her second calling, to guide and educate the Muslim community on both financial planning and islamic estate planning.
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Samsiah Abdul Majid, great great granddaughter of Rais Sulaiman
- second daughter of Sapurah Haji Muhammad and Abdul Majid Haji Ahmad. Also known as Kak Achi.
After refusing a temporary teaching position in a small town in the state of Pahang, I (Samsiah Abdul Majid, aka Kak Achi, daughter of Sapurah Haji Muhammad and Abdul Majid Haji Ahmad) am now (April 2025) principal of a Saturday Islamic school of a mosque in Pleasantville, NY, about 30 miles north of Manhattan. It was a circuitous 50-year journey via journalism in Malaysia, the United Nations in Bangkok and New York, and palliative care chaplaincy at a hospital near my current home, where I continue to serve (my second calling). I never envisaged the journey would lead me to teaching, fulfilling my mother’s dream of being one, if not for Japan’s occupation of Malaya in WWII.
The Islamic school is completely volunteer run with about 250 students of pre-Kindergarten to high school age and more than forty teachers, teaching Quranic Arabic reading, Tafsir of the Quran and prophetic seerah. This one day a week school turns out to be almost a fulltime job, and I have come to love it, challenges and all. I view my involvement from the larger perspective of rooting Islam in America, in honor of enslaved African Muslim who were not able to practice their faith, and in honor of my parents who trusted me.The aspect that I
enjoyed most is shaping students’ experience of lived Islam, their “aha” moments about Islamic teachings and their everyday life. I hope having experienced safe space in the
school-cum-mosque environment, the students will be encouraged to have continuing engagement with Muslim communities or create one where it does not exist and be life-long seekers of Islamic knowledge. That’s my Du’a for my students as we claim our space in a Muslim-minority country like the US. The other aspect of my work which contributes to both education and rooting Islam is chaplaincy (I think I can claim to be the first Muslim Malaysian to be board certified by an American certifying body). In this relatively new profession for Muslims, I advocate for patients, inform clinicians about Islam and the needs of Muslim patients, as well as publish research articles to mainstream the work of Muslim chaplains among the wider American public. In June this year (2025) I will be presenting at the annual conference of the multi-religious Association of Professional Chaplains (Minneapolis, US)
and the International Conference of Muslim Chaplaincy (Fribourg, Switzerland).
Jamie Warden, great great great grandson of Rais Sulaiman
Innovative educational programs
Educational apps provide personalised, accessible, and flexible learning opportunities, making education more engaging and effective. Some research suggests that educational apps can lead to positive impacts on academic performance and learning outcomes.
One of Jamie's work included the design of Key Word Kids - an educational therapy program app, supporting children's language development by increasing their understanding of instructions through Key Words.
As a child visits various scenes, they must listen, retain information from increasingly complex sentences, and act out instructions to improve their language comprehension skills.
Join Key Word Kids, Steffy and James in hundreds of fun scenarios, with optional text for reading comprehension, a 'level check' feature that provides a recommended starting level, 5 fun mini games and an expressive recordable freeplay mode. It is loved by all children but has been designed for those aged 2 to 8 years with Language Disorder or Delay, Apraxia of Speech, Autism Spectrum Disorder and learners of English as a second language.
https://www.
Jamie graduated with a Bachelor in Game Design from Griffith University, Australia. He currently works as a Production Manager overseeing the operations of the 3D production team to unsure high quality outputs hat meet every projects needs and timeframe.
Dewi Cooke
ReplyDeleteAfter an early career in journalism, predominately at The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Dewi moved into the community sector where she is currently the CEO of not-for-profit social enterprise, The Social Studio. Working with refugee and newly-arrived communities to provide work and training opportunities across fashion and the creative industries, here she oversees an RMIT-accredited training program, an ethical manufacturing studio and a socially-conscious retail venture as well as numerous creative and community projects.
Under her tenure, The Social Studio has received numerous awards including the Victorian Premier's Design Award for Fashion, as well as commendations in the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence. For her journalism work, Dewi is also a past-recipient of a Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence and has been commended in the UN Association of Australia's media peace awards
She has a Masters in Journalism from Columbia University in New York and an undergraduate degree in journalism from RMIT University. Dewi lives in Melbourne with her husband, Roland, and three kids - Arlo, Nico and Amina.