Gambar bersejarah Kuala Terengganu (Historical pictures of Kuala Terengganu)

Untuk melengkapkan siri gambar yang diambil semasa berada di Kuala Terengganu, biar disajikan sedikit lagi untuk tatapan semua... Semoga ia memberi faedah dan sedikit pengetahuan untuk semua, Insyaallah!
To complete the series of pictures taken while at Kuala Terengganu, let some more be shown for everybody's viewing... Hopefully it will bring benefit and a bit of knowledge to everyone, God willing!
Oh... Saya sudah kembali ke Kuala Lumpur petang tadi setelah bermalam di Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang. Tetapi saya cuma dapat berehat sebentar sahaja kerana esok perlu berkelana lagi untuk kembali ke kampung ibu di Muar, Johor. Selepas itu mungkin saya akan ke Kedah untuk melihat pemandangan di utara tanah-air pula...
Oh... I am back in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon after spending the night at Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong Pahang. But I would only get a brief rest as tomorrow I have to travel again to return to my mother's hometown in Muar, Johor. After that, I might go to Kedah to see the view up north....
Untuk makluman pembaca sekalian, memang penat sentiasa berkelana begini. Tetapi buat masa ini, saya seolah-olah terpaksa kerana menurut gerak hati, selagi belum selesai beberapa perkara yang perlu dilunaskan terlebih dahulu. Perjalanan lepas sahaja sudah memakan hampir 2 minggu di Terengganu, Kelantan dan Pahang, tak tahu pula bagaimana perjalanan akan datang nanti. Penat memang penat... Bayangkan berjalan kaki berbatu-batu membawa beg sandang besar campur naik bas dan menumpang kereta serta lori orang dalam lingkungan perjalanan lebih 1,000 kemudian bermalam di masjid-masjid lama. Apa boleh buat? Itulah kehidupan seorang pengembara dalam mencari makna hidup...
For information of all readers, of course it's so tiring always travelling like this. But for the moment, it's like I have to follow my instincts, as long as certain matters are not settled first. The last trip alone took almost 2 weeks in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang, don't know how the next one will turn out. So tired of course... Imagine walking for miles with a big rucksack plus taking buses and hitchiking cars and lorries over a distance of 1,000km or so and then spending the nights at old mosques. But what can I do? That is the life of a traveller seeking the meaning of life...

Menara masjid Tokku Paloh. Masjid ini dibina semasa wali Allah itu masih hidup penghujung abad ke 19.
The tower of Tokku Paloh's mosque. The mosque was built while the saint of Allah is still alive late 19th century.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Satu seksyen Muzium Negeri Terengganu dilihat daripada menara masjid Tokku Paloh.
A section of the Terengganu State Mosque as seen from the tower of Tokku Paloh's mosque.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Makam Sultan Zainal Abidin I di Bukit Keledang. Baginda adalah Sultan pertama Terengganu daripada dinasti sekarang, memerintah penghujung abad ke 17 hingga awal abad ke 18. Dinasti ini berasal daripada keluarga Tun Habib Abdul Majid, Bendahara Johor semasa zaman pemerintahan Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Di-Julang.
The tomb of Sultan Zainal Abidin I at Bukit Keledang. His highness is the first Terengganu king from the current dynasty, ruled late 17th century till early 18th century, The dynasty came from the family of Tun Habib Abdul Majid, the Bendahara (something like a prime minister) of Johore during the rule of Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Di-Julang (he who died while being carried on a pedestal)
---------------------------------------------------------------

Sebuah makam lama bersebelahan makam Sultan Zainal Abidin I, dipercayai milik Megat Panji Alam, anak raja Terengganu dahulukala yang mati dibunuh Hang Tuah dan rakan-rakannya sekitar abad ke 15 dahulu.
An old tomb beside the tomb of Sultan Zainal Abidin I, believed to be that of Megat Panji Alam, a Terengganu prince of old killed by the well-known Malay warrior Hang Tuah and his friends sometime in the 15th century.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Masjid Abidin di tengah bandar Kuala Terengganu, juga dikenali sebagai "masjid putih"... Dibina semasa zaman pemerintahan Sultan Zainal Abidin III penghujung abad ke 18.
The Abidin Mosque in midtown Kuala Terengganu, also known as the "white mosque"... Built during the reign of Sultan Zainal Abidin III late 18th century.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Gambar berkaitan Tokku Paloh (Pictures to do with Tokku Paloh)

Masyarakat Malaysia yang celik sejarah perkembangan Islam di Kepulauan Melayu serta cerita para wali yang terlibat mesti pernah mendengar nama Tokku Paloh. Beliau atau nama sebenarnya Sayyid Abdul Rahman Al-Idrus adalah ulamak terkenal yang menjadi guru kepada Sultan Zainal Abidin III, pemerintah Terengganu penghujung abad ke 19. Tokku Paloh juga dikenali sebagai wali Allah penuh karamah yang sangat ditakuti penjajah.
Malaysian community who is aware of the history of the propagation of Islam in the Malay Archipelago and the stories of the saints involved surely must have heard the name Tokku Paloh. The man whose real name is Sayyid Abdul Rahman Al-Idrus is a famous religious scholar and teacher to Sultan Zainal Abdin III, the ruler of Terengganu late 19th century. Tokku Paloh is also known as a saint of Allah full of miracles and was much feared by the colonialist.
Ada diceritakan bahawa apabila Inggeris cuba berunding meminta tanah kepada Sultan Zainal Abidin, baginda menyuruh mereka berjumpa Tokku Paloh kerana katanya Terengganu ini ada tuannya... Maksudnya Tokku Paloh lah yang lebih berhak membuat keputusan. Pegawai Inggeris telah pergi ke rumah wali Allah itu untuk berunding. Tokku Paloh bertegas tidak mahu memberi walau seinci pun tanah. Inggeris yang berang bangun untuk menunjukkan kemarahan tetapi kerusi pula melekat dipunggung mereka. Lalu Tokku Paloh memerli mereka: "Sudahlah tanah kita mahu diambil, kerusi kita pun mahu dibawa lari..."
It is told that when the English tried to negotiate asking for land from Sultan Zainal Abidin, he asked them to see Tokku Paloh because he said Terengganu has its owner... Meaning Tokku Paloh has more right to decide the matter. The English officers when to the saint of Allah's house to negotiate. Tokku Paloh insist he won't give even an inch of land. The English went mad and rose up to show their displeasure but the chairs were stuck to their bottoms. So Tokku Paloh commented: "Not only do they want to take our land, they also want to take away our chairs..."
Dalam peristiwa lain pula, Inggeris mengajak Tokku Paloh berunding di atas kapal perang. Tujuan mereka adalah untuk mengugut secara halus dengan mempamirkan kekuatan angkatan laut mereka dengan meriam berkuasa tinggi yang mampu membedil pantai Terengganu, satu taktik yang dikenali sebagai "gunboat diplomacy". Tokku Paloh cuma menyengetkan serbannya lalu seluruh armada kapal laut Inggeris turut senget sama! Pada masa yang lain pula, mereka cuba menghampiri perairan Terengganu tetapi melihat ia dijaga pahlawan-pahlawan Melayu siap bersenjata sejauh mata memandang. Ini menyebabkan mereka takut menjajah Terengganu selagi Tokku Paloh masih hidup.
Di sini, saya sajikan sedikit gambar berkaitan Tokku Paloh, diambil ketika perkelanaan di Pantai Timur baru-baru ini. Silakan...
In another scene, the English invited Tokku Paloh to negotiate on a warship. Their intention was to scare him discreetly by showing off their naval might with high-powered cannons capable of bombarding Terengganu shores, a tactic known as "gunboat diplomacy". Tokku Paloh only had to shift his headgear to one side and the whole English armada shifted on their sides too! At other times, they tried to approach the coast of Terengganu only to see it guarded by Malay warriors as far as the eyes can see, This made them scared to colonialise Terengganu as long as Tokku Paloh is still alive.
Here, I want to show some pictures related to Tokku Paloh, taken while travelling the East Coast recently. Go on...

Bangunan makam lama di Jalan Makam Lama, Cabang Tiga, Kuala Terengganu.
The old tomb at Jalan Makam Lama, Cabang Tiga, Kuala Terengganu.
-------------------------------------------------------

Makam lama milik Sayyid Mustafa Al-Idrus, dikatakan meninggal dunia tahun 1794. Beliau adalah antara ahli keluarga kabilah Al-Idrus yang terawal sampai ke Terengganu. Untuk makluman, Sayyid Mustafa adalah moyang Tokku Paloh.
The old tomb of Sayyid Mustafa Al-Idrus said to have passed away the year 1794. He was among the earliest member of the Al-Idrus family to have arrived in Terengganu. For information, Sayyid Mustafa is Tokku Paloh's great grandfather.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Masjid Tokku Paloh berdekatan Muzium Negeri Terengganu.
The mosque of Tokku Paloh near Terengganu State Museum.
---------------------------------------------------------

Kawasan tanah perkuburan yang mengandungi makam Tokku Paloh di Kampung Paloh
The cemetery area containing the tomb of Tokku Paloh at Kampung Paloh.
-------------------------------------------------------

Makam Tokku Paloh ditanda batu sungai.
The tomb of Tokku Paloh marked with river stones.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Pemandangan Bukit Puteri (Views at Bukit Puteri)

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Sudah agak lama blog ini tidak dikemas-kinikan, lebih 2 minggu sudah. Saya masih dalam perkelanaan setelah meninggalkan Kuala Lumpur 16 Disember untuk ke Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Berang, Kota Bahru kemudian ke Kuala Krai, Kuala Lipis dan Raub. Sekarang saya berada di Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang berehat menikmati udara pergunungan untuk satu malam.
Greetings dear readers. It's been a while since this blog is updated, more than 2 weeks ago. I'm still in the midst of travelling after leaving Kuala Lumpur 16 December to go to Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Berang, Kota Bahru and then to Kuala Krai, Kuala Lipis and Raub. Now I'm at Kampung Janda Baik in Bentong, Pahang to rest and enjoy the mountain air for a night.
Di sini, saya tergerak untuk berkongsi beberapa gambar yang diambil ketika berkelana. Biar dimulakan dengan gambar yang diambil di Bukit Puteri, Kuala Terengganu. Untuk makluman, Bukit Puteri yang terletak di belakang Istana Maziah dan berhadapan Pasar Payang merupakan sebuah bukit yang strategik dalam struktur pemerintahan kerajaan Terengganu dahulukala. Seringkali ia ditawan terlebih dahulu ketika berlaku perang dan ini boleh menentukan pihak yang menang. Maka di atasnya masih terdapat beberapa buah meriam tinggalan dahulukala.
Here, I'm moved to share some pictures taken during the trip. Let us start with pictures taken at Bukit Puteri, Kuala Terengganu. For information, Bukit Puteri (literally translated as the hill of the princess) which is situated behind Istana Maziah (the state palace) and in front of Pasar Payang (the town's main marketplace) is a strategic hill for the old Terengganu government. Often it is conquered first whenever there's battle as it can decide the winners. So there still exist a few cannons of olden days there.
Legenda rakyat pula menyebut, Bukit Puteri adalah pusat sebuah kerajaan bunian. Samada benar atau tidak, ia tidak dapat disahihkan. Yang pasti, terdapat sebuah makam lama milik seorang ulama yang memiliki cerita sendiri. Sila tatap gambar-gambar ini...
Local legend says, Bukit Puteri is the centre of a fairy kingdom. Whether true or not, this can't be verified. What is sure, there is an old tomb there of a religious scholar from days of yore with its own story. Do have a look at the pictures...

Dua buah meriam menghadap ke Pulau Duyung di kuala Sungai Terengganu. Meriam-meriam ini masing-masing memiliki nama tersendiri tetapi saya pula tidak membuat catatan. Menara yang kelihatan antara dua meriam adalah sebahagian daripada komplek baru Pasar Payang yang sedang dalam pembinaan. Bangunan yang nampak di seberang pula ialah bangunan kelab kapal layar yang didirikan sempena Piala Monsun yang diadakan setahun sekali sejak tahun lepas.
Two cannons facing the island of Duyung at the Terengganu river estuary. The cannons each have unique names but I didn't take note. The tower seen between the cannons is part of the new marketplace complex of Pasar Payang under construction. The buildings seen across are the yatch club building built for the Monsoon Cup held once a year since last year.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Bandar Kuala Terengganu dilihat daripada puncak Bukit Puteri.
Kuala Terengganu town seen from the summit of Bukit Puteri.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Satu pemandangan yang menarik di atas, seperti di taman bunian pula!
An interesting sight on top, as if in a sort of fairy land!
---------------------------------------------------------------


Makam Sayyid Yassin, seorang ulamak berketurunan Arab Hadramaut. Beliau juga adalah menantu kepada Sultan pertama Terengganu (dari keluarga yang memerintah sekarang), Sultan Zainal Abidin I yang memerintah awal abad ke 18.
The tomb of Sayyid Yassin, a religious scholar of Arab Hadramaut descent. He is also the son-in-law of the first Terengganu king (from the current dynasty), Sultan Zainal Abidin I who ruled in the early 18th century.
---------------------------------------------------------------



Bukit Puteri dilihat daripada hadapan Istana Maziah.
Bukit Puteri as seen from the front of Istana Maziah.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Membetulkan kain batu nesan (Repositioning the cloth on tombstones)

Salah satu perkara yang saya selalu buat apabila berjalan jauh terutama di Perak, negeri kelahiran ayahanda adalah menziarahi makam-makam lama milik para wali dan kerabat diraja. Dalam perjalanan ke Perak pada Sabtu dan Ahad lalu, saya sempat menziarahi lagi makam Keramat Kuala Bidor dan Sultan Perak ke 22, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad I di Teluk Intan serta makam Raja Ahmad di Pulau Besar.
One of the things I usually do when travelling far especially in Perak, the state where my father was born in is to visit the old tombs of saints and members of the royalty. In the Perak trip made Saturday and Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit again the tombs of Keramat Kuala Bidor and the 22nd king of Perak, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad I at Teluk Intan along with the tomb of Raja Ahmad at Pulau Besar.
Makam Raja Ahmad sebenarnya adalah sebuah kawasan dengan batu peringatan yang menandakan tempat baginda hilang setelah jatuh ke Sungai Terus. Baginda adalah datuk kepada Sultan Abdullah Muhammad II yang dibuang ke Pulau Seychelles tahun 1877. Seorang lagi cucu baginda ialah Sultan Idris II yang membuka Bukit Chandan serta bandar diraja Kuala Kangsar.
The tomb of Raja Ahmad is actually an area marked by a stone to commemorate the place where he disappeared after falling down the river Terus. The man is the grandfather to Sultan Abdullah Muhammad II who was exiled to the Seychelles Island in 1877. His other grandchildren is Sultan Idris II who opened up Bukit Chandan and the royal town of Kuala Kangsar.
Apapun saya bercerita kali ini kerana tergerak apabila memerhatikan koleksi gambar yang diambil dalam perjalanan terbaru ke Perak ini. Gambar di atas diambil rakan saya Zaidi ketika saya sedang membetulkan kedudukan kain kuning yang diikat pada batu nesan ahli keluarga Sultan Abdullah Muhammad I, raja yang juga dikenali sebagai Marhum Durian Sebatang.
Anyway I'm telling you this because I was moved after going through the collection of pictures taken during the recent Perak trip. The picture above was taken by my friend Zaidi when I was repositioning the yellow clothing tied to the tombstones of family members of Sultan Abdullah Muhammad I, the deceased king also known as Marhum Durian Sebatang (he who died at Durian Sebatang, the name of the place where he spent his last days)
Untuk pengetahuan, kain kuning selalunya diikat pada batu nesan untuk menandakan pemiliknya adalah seorang berdarah raja. Saya terpanggil untuk membetulkan kedudukannya setelah mendapati kain-kain di makam itu diikat pada batu nesan di bahagian kaki sedangkan ia sepatutnya berada di bahagian kepala.
For information, yellow clothing are usually tied to tombstones to mark the grave of royalty. I was moved to correct the positioning after realising the clothes at the tombs were tied at the tombstones marking the foot while it should be at the head.
Di sini saya ingin mengambil peluang... Mana-mana kaum keluarga yang berkenaan, jika terlihat mana-mana kain kuning di kawasan makam diraja diikat pada batu nesan bahagian kaki sehingga lebih terserlah daripada bahagian kepala, silalah betulkan. Mungkin orang yang mengikatnya dahulu tidak sedar di manakah bahagian kepala kerana tidak mengambil kira arah kiblat terlebih dahulu.
Here I'm taking this opportunity... To whom it may concern especially family members, if you see any yellow clothing at royal tombs tied to the part marking the foot making it appear more prominent than the head, please correct it. Maybe the people who tied the clothers before were not aware which is the head as they forget to consider the direction for prayers (the kiblat referring to the Ka'abah in Mecca).
Adapun tidak elok bahagian kaki dibiarkan lebih terserlah daripada bahagian kepala, janggal saya melihatnya sehingga terasa wajib membetulkannya. Sebelum ini, saya juga pernah memperbetulkan kedudukan kain di makam-makam diraja lain. Mungkin betul kata Zaidi, saya "dipanggil" ke Teluk Intan untuk membetulkan ini sedangkan perjalanan ini asalnya mahu dibuat sampai ke Tanjung Malim sahaja tetapi kami kemudian berjalan sekitar lagi 100km lebih jauh lalu sampai ke sini!
It is not good to have the foot-part appearing more prominent than the head, it felt so strange to me that I feel I must correct it. Previously I have done the same thing at other royal tombs. Maybe Zaidi was right, I was "called" to Teluk Intan to remedy this as the trip was originally made to go up to Tanjung Malim only but we ended up travelling some 100km further and so here we are!

Lagi perjalanan ke Perak (Another trip ke Perak)

Kubah masjid lama Ampang Pecah di Kuala Kubu Baru.
The dome of the Ampang Pecah old mosque at Kuala Kubu Baru

Beberapa hari lepas, saya telah mendapat gerak hati untuk berjalan ke Tanjung Malim dengan niat mencari rumah-rumah lama di sana. Kali ini, saya terasa malas hendak berjalan seorang diri atau menaiki pengangkutan awam maka saya telah mengajak seorang kawan rapat Zaidi turut sama dalam perjalanan ini. Maka kami menetapkan hari Sabtu sebagai hari yang sesuai. Perjalanan mungkin mengambil masa 2 hari bergantung pada apa yang terjadi.
A few days ago, my instincts told me to go to Tanjung Malim looking for old houses. This time I felt too lazy to travel alone or use the public transport so I invited a close friend Zaidi to tag along. We set Saturday as the best day to start. The trip might take 2 days depending on what happens.
Pada hari Sabtu jam 11 pagi, Zaidi pun muncul di rumah ibu saudara tempat saya menginap di Ampang. Teringat pula jaket biru kegemaran saya yang tertinggal di dalam kereta ibu saudara lain berserta 50 naskah buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti." Saya pun mengajak Zaidi ke rumah ibu saudara itu di Petaling Jaya. Sampai di sana, baru saya tahu barang-barang ini masih berada di dalam kereta dan ibu saudara itu sedang berada di sekitar Selayang untuk membeli-belah barangan harian. Maka pergilah kami ke sana, nasib baik dapat juga berjumpa. Dipendekkan cerita, setelah makan tengah-hari di Selayang, barulah kami bergerak ke Perak.
On Saturday 11 am, Zaidi showed his face at my aunty's place in Ampang where I'm staying at the moment. My favourite blue jacket which was left in another aunty's car came to mind along with 50 copies of the novel "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti." And so I asked Zaidi to go to her house in Petaling Jaya. Upon arrival then I learned the goods were still inside the car and my aunty was around Selayang. So we went there and luckily managed to bump into her. To cut the story short, we only started the trip to Perak after having lunch in Selayang.
Kami sengaja memilih jalan lama kerana mahu melihat pemandangan. Oleh kerana kami bermula dari sekitar Selayang, rasanya elok juga kalau lalu jalan Empangan Batu sampai ke Ulu Yam. Lagipun rasanya sudah hampir 5 tahun saya tidak lalu di situ sedangkan Zaidi pula baru sekali pernah ke sana. Kami pun lalu tetapi tidak singgah di tasik sebaliknya terus melepasi Ulu Yam. Sampai simpang ke Kuala Kubu, tergerak pula untuk ke sana. Dalam perjalanan itulah saya ternampak sebuah masjid lama yang agak cantik lalu singgah di sana. Rupa-rupanya masjid lama Ampang Pecah yang didirikan tahun 1926. Kami singgah minum di pekan sebelum meneruskan perjalanan.
We consciously chose the old road for the view. As we started around Selayang, it felt good to pass through the Batu Dam to Ulu Yam road. Its been nearly 5 years since I was anywhere there and Zaidi had only been to the place once. We went by the road but did stop at the lake as we went straight pass Ulu Yam. Then at the Kuala Kubu junction, we got the urge to go to the small town. On the way, I saw a beautiful old mosque and paid a visit. It is the old Ampang Pecah mosque built in 1926. Then we went for a drink at the small town before continuing the journey.
Kami sampai ke Tanjung Malim sekitar waktu Asar, itupun nyaris terlepas pekan kerana kami mengikut jalan baru yang dibina untuk mengelak kawasan pekan. Niat saya, paling kurang pun mesti menziarahi Masjid Syeikh Ismail di Ulu Bernam. Nasib baik sempat bertanya arah lalu berpatah balik mengikut sebuah jalan yang lalu di bawah landasan keretapi barulah sampai ke masjid itu... Rupa-rupanya tak jauh pun daripada stesyen bas Tanjung Malim. Singgahlah sebentar di masjid yang berumur sekitar 80 tahun itu.
We arrived at Tanjung Malim around Asar (around 4.30pm or so) but almost overshoot the town as we used the new road built to avoid the town. My intention was, at least go visit the Syeikh Ismail mosque in Ulu Bernam. Luckily we have to time to ask for direction and so had to turn back to follow a road which passes under the railway tracks to get to the mosque. As it turned out, it is not far from Tanjung Malim bus station. So we stopped for a while at the mosque which is around 80 years old.
Perjalanan ke Perak ini asalnya dibuat untuk sampai ke Tanjung Malim, lebih kurang 80km dari Kuala Lumpur tetapi timbul pula gerak baru untuk naik sampai ke Sungkai, lagi 30km begitu. Di sana, kami masuk pula sampai ke Changkat Sulaiman semata-mata kerana nama itu... Apakah ada kena-mengena dengan Nabi Sulaiman? Entah lah... Kemudian baru kami menunaikan solat Maghrib dan Isyak di masjid lama Sungkai. Setelah itu timbul pula keinginan untuk berjalan terus ke Bidor seterusnya Teluk Intan, lagi 80km lebih begitu. Maka bermalamlah kami di masjid lama kampung Batak Rabit menghadap kawasan permakaman keluarga Laksamana Raja Mahkota di hadapan.
This trip to Perak was to be up to Tanjung Malim, some 80km from Kuala Lumpur but then came a new-found urge to go up to Sungkai, another 30km or so. There, we went up to Changkat Sulaiman just because of the name... Has it anything to do with Nabi Sulaiman (King Solomon)? God knows... Then we did the Maghrib and Isyak prayers at the Sungkai old mosque. After that came the urge to just travel straight to Bidor and then Teluk Intan, another 80km plus or so. And so we ended spending the night at the Batak Rabit old mosque facing the Laksamana Raja Mahkota (old admiral nobility title)'s family tomb area.
Keesokannya kami pergi menziarahi makam Sultan ke 22 Perak, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad I kemudian pergi ke Kampung Bahagia untuk menziarahi makam Keramat Kuala Bidor. Setelah itu kami masuk ke kawasan Teluk Memali untuk menziarahi masjid lama misteri yang gambarnya ada dalam posting sebelum ini, sempat juga ke makam Sultan ke 19 Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik serta kubur J.W.W. Birch. Kemudian barulah kami keluar daripada kawasan itu lalu pergi ke kawasan Pulau Besar, Perak untuk menziarahi makam Raja Ahmad dan berehat sebentar di masjid lama sana.
The next day, we visited the tomb of the 22nd king of Perak, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad 1 then went to Kampung Bahagia to visit the tomb of Keramat Kuala Bidor (a legendary saintly figure of yore). After that, we went inside Teluk Memali area the visited the old mysterious mosque which picture has been posted here and have time to go to the tomb of the 19th king of Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik and J.W.W. Birch's grave. Then only we went out and head for Pulau Besar, Perak area to visit the tomb of Raja Ahmad (a royalty whose descendant formed the last few generations of Perak rulers) and rest at the old mosque there.
Selesai semua ini, kami pun ke Kampung Gajah lalu mengambil jalan Tanjung Tualang masuk ke Kampar sebelum ke Kuala Lumpur. Insyaallah cerita ini akan dihuraikan lagi di sini nanti...
After completing all this, we then went to Kampung Gajah and took the Tanjung Tualang route to Kampar before heading back to Kuala Lumpur. God willing, this story will be elaborated here soon...

Pengembalian jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin ke Makam Diraja Perak (The return of Admiral Muhammad Amin's remains to the royal mausoleum of Perak)

Subhanallah... Dalam kesibukan (dan keasyikan?) melayari dunia Internet serta melihat balik blogspot-blogspot saya sambil memikirkan apakah tambahan artikel yang perlu dibuat, timbul gerak untuk memaparkan kembali sebuah peristiwa bersejarah yang julungkali diadakan di Malaysia malah mana-mana jua di dunia. Peristiwa itu ialah pengembalian kembali jenazah dua orang pejuang lama Perak iaitu Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin serta Menteri Paduka Tuan Ngah Ibrahim ke negeri tanah-tumpah darah asal mereka, berlangsung 9 September 2006.
Praise be to God... In the labour (and wonderment?) of surfing the Internet and looking back at my blogspots while figuring out what to add, came the urge to show again an historical event rarely seen in Malaysia or at any part of the world. The event is the returning of the remains of two olden Perak warriors Laksamana Raja Mahkota (an official royal admiral title) Muhammad Amin and Menteri Paduka Tuan (minister) Ngah Ibrahim to their much beloved land, in September 9, 2006.
Kedua pejuang ini telah dibuang negeri ke Pulau Seychelles di perairan Afrika pada tahun 1877 akibat dituduh terlibat dalam komplot pembunuhan Residen British pertama ke Perak J.W.W. Birch (mati tahun 1875 di Pasir Salak). Turut dibuang sama adalah Sultan Abdullah (Sultan Perak ke 26, memerintah 1874-1877) dan Syahbandar Uda Ma'amor. Untuk makluman mereka semua bersaudara. Syahbandar dan Menteri Paduka Tuan juga merupakan menantu Laksamana.
Both fighters were exiled to the Seychelles Islands in Afrika in 1877 after being implicated for involvement in the murder of the first British Resident in Perak J.W.W. Birch (died 1875 at Pasir Salak). Also exiled were Sultan Abdullah (Perak's 26th king, ruled 1874-1877) and Syahbandar (harbour-master) Uda Ma'amor. For information, they were all related. The Syahbandar and Menteri also happens to be the son-in-laws of the Laksamana.
Sultan Abdullah telah "diampunkan" British lalu sempat kembali ke Perak dan meninggal di negerinya tahun 1922 sedangkan yang lain-lain dipaksa menghabiskan sisa umur mereka masih dalam buangan tetapi di Singapura pula. Maka di sinilah timbul sedikit kekhilafan apabila ada pihak mendakwa Ngah Ibrahim sempat melarikan diri balik ke Perak dan meninggal dunia di Beruas... Lalu mereka menambah jenazah yang dibawa kembali dalam upacara ini bukanlah jenazahnya yang sebenar.
Sultan Abdullah was "pardoned" by the British and so managed to return to Perak where he died 1922 whereas the others had to spent the rest of their lives still in exile but in Singapore. Thus here exist a certain confusion when there emerge parties who claimed Ngah Ibrahim managed to return back to Perak in secret... So they added, the remains brought back at the ceremony was not actually his.
Apapun, di sini saya cuma mengenengahkan proses pengembalian jenazah Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin demi menjunjung rasa kasih dan hormat sebagai keturunan ke-5 almarhum. Gambar-gambar ini saya ambil sendiri ketika mengikuti rombongan membawa jenazah daripada Lumut di mana kapal Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin mendarat setelah lebih sehari belayar membawa jenazah ke luar Singapura. Setelah selesai adat-istiadat penyambutan jenazah di Lumut, barulah jenazah dibawa melalui jalan lama untuk ke Makam Diraja Perak di Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar di mana Laksamana akhirnya disemadikan kembali.
Anyway, I'm here to bring forth the process of returning the remains of Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin out of love and respect as his 5th descendant. These pictures were taken personally while following the convoy to bring the remains from Lumut where the Malaysian royal navy ship KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin berthed after sailing over a day to bring the remains outside of Singapore. After the reception ceremony at Lumut, then only were the remains brought along the old road heading for the royal mausoleum at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar where the Laksamana finally returns.
Oh... Minta maaf jika gambar kurang terang. Ini disebabkan saya telah menggunakan format GIF semasa memasukkan gambar-gambar ini on-line untuk ditunjukkan kepada rakan-rakan di sebuah forum kegemaran. Malah inilah gambar yang sama, dengan komen yang sama di bawah seperti dipaparkan di forum itu lebih 2 bulan lalu... Elok juga diletakkan di blogspot ini pula supaya lebih ramai orang dapat melihatnya, Insyaallah!
Oh... Sorry if the pictures are not so clear. This is because I've used the GIF format when putting the pictures on-line to show to some friends at a favourite forum. In fact this is the same pictures and same comments (except it was originally in Malay) as shown in the forum more than 2 months ago... Well, it's good to put it in this blogspot in turn so that more people can see it, God willing!

Konvoi membawa jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin dan Ngah Ibrahim dalam perjalanan dari Lumut ke Kuala Kangsar melalui jalan lama, setelah selesai adat-istiadat sambutan oleh pihak tentera di Markas TLDM Lumut. Ketika ini, konvoi sepanjang 1.5 km itu baru berada di sekitar Sitiawan, dalam jam 10.15 pagi gitu.
The convoy carrying the remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin and Ngah Ibrahim en-route from Lumut to Kuala Kangsar via the old road, after the completion of the reception ceremony by the army at the Lumut Naval Base. Here, the 1.5km-long convoy were somewhere in Sitiawan, at about 10.15 am.

Konvoi sedang melalui kawasan Masjid Jamek Kampung Kota di Beruas, hampir jam 11 pagi. Untuk makluman, tidak jauh di belakang masjid ini terletak makam-makam diraja Beruas yang mana banyak makam ditanda dengan batu nesan Aceh jenis berkepak, lebih kurang seperti batu nesan yang terdapat di makam Sultan Malikus Salih di tapak kerajaan Samudera-Pasai, Aceh, juga batu nesan di satu-satunya makam Sultan Melaka yang masih wujud di Malaysia kini iaitu makam Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah di Kampung Raja, Pagoh, Muar… Begitu juga rupa batu nesan Sultan pertama Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah di Telok Bakong, Bota Kanan.
The convoy passing near Kampung Kota main mosque in Beruas at almost 11am. For information, not far behind the mosque are situated tombs of the kings of Beruas of which many are marked with winged-type Aceh gravestones, similar to the ones found on the tomb of Sultan Malikus Salih situated at the former centre of the Samudera-Pasai kingdom in Aceh, also similar to the gravestone at the only remaining tomb of a Malaccan king in Malaysia, that of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah at Kampung Raja, Pagoh, Muar... And, almost the spitting image of the gravestones marking the tomb of Perak's first king, Sultan Muzaffar Shah at Telok Bakong, Bota Kanan.



Konvoi sudah sampai ke simpang tiga jalan lama Lumut ke Ipoh untuk menghala ke Kuala Kangsar melalui Manong dalam pukul 11.15 gitu.
Convoy arrives at the t-junction of the old Lumut-Ipoh road to head for Kuala Kangsar via Manong at about 11.15.



Konvoi menghampiri Kuala Kangsar. Dah dekat pukul 12 tengahari dah…
Convoy nears Kuala Kangsar. The time is almost 12 noon...



Jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin diusung penuh istiadat memasuki kawasan pemakaman diraja Perak di Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. Waktu sekitar 12.15 tengahari gitu… Dah ramai dah orang berkumpul di sana termasuk para jemputan, kaum kerabat dan orang yang nak tumpang sama meramaikan majlis…. Kelihatan di belakang adalah bangunan makam yang menempatkan beberapa Sultan Perak daripada keluarga terdekat Sultan Idris I yang membuka Bukit Chandan awal tahun 1900an gitu…
The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin ceremoniusly brought into the Perak royal mausoleum area at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. The time is about 12.15... Many have converged there including guest, relatives and those who just want to be part of the happenings... Seen at the background is the main mausoleum building housing a few kings of Perak closely related to Sultan Idris I who opened up Bukit Chandan in the early 1900s...



Jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin sedang dibawa menghampiri bahagian kawasan makam yang menempatkan kaum kerabat yang rapat dengan Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, Sultan Perak yang dibuang ke Pulau Seychelles tahun 1877 bersama-sama Laksamana, Shahbandar Uda Ma’amor dan Ngah Ibrahim kerana terlibat dalam pembunuhan Residen Inggeris J.W.W. Birch tahun 1875. Kedua-dua Uda Ma’amor dan Ngah Ibrahim adalah menantu Muhammad Amin sedangkan Laksamana itu adalah saudara tiga pupu Sultan Abdullah.
The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin brought near the mausoleum area which housed the bodies of the close kins of Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, the Perak king exiled to the Seychelles Islands in 1877 along with the Laksamana, Shahbandar Uda Ma'amor and Nga Ibrahim for being involved in the murder of the British Resident J.W.W. Birch in 1875. Both Uda Ma'amor and Ngah Ibrahim are Muhammad Amin's son-in-laws while the Laksamana is the third cousin of Sultan Abdullah.



Angkatan tentera laut dan para hadirin memberi penghormatan terakhir sebelum jenazah dimasukkan ke dalam liang-lahat yang tersedia di hadapan. Di belakang adalah sebahagian kawasan Masjid Ubudiyah di Bukit Chandan.
The navy and those present paying their final respect before the remains are to be lowered down the ground. Seen in the background is part of the Ubudiyah Mosque of Bukit Chandan.



Para pekerja sedang mengemaskan kedudukan keranda dengan jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin di dalam kotak istimewa yang dibawa dari Singapura di dalamnya.
Workers making sure the coffin is put properly in place along with the remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin inside the special box brought from Singapura.




Para petugas TLDM turut bertungkus-lumus menutup liang-lahat dengan tanah merah yang disediakan sambil diperhatikan para hadirin.
Navy personnel working hard to cover the ground with red earth as prepared while those present watched.



Liang lahad hampir siap dikambus.
The burial is almost completed.


Jenazah Laksamana Muhammad Amin selamat dikebumikan di makam diraja Perak, Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. Hadirin pun menyambut doa selamat yang dibacakan tok imam ke siapa, lupa pulak nak check… Tak tahu pulak tentera laut boleh sambut doa pakai sebelah tangan je! Gaya doa dalam persediaan perang agaknya?
The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin safely buried at Perak's royal mausoleum, Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. Those present followed the special prayers recited by the imam (prayer congregation leader), forgot to check who he is... Didn't realise the navy can follow the prayer with just one hand? Perhaps it's the way done during war-time?


Raja dihilir Perak, Raja Jaafar dengan gaya Laksamana Raja Laut tampil ke hadapan memberi hormat sambil diperhatikan MB Perak Tajol Rosli.
The Raja dihilir of Perak (second in-line to the throne) Raja Jaafar with the poise of an admiral, the king of the sea coming forth to pay his respects while Perak chief minister Tajol Rosli watches on.



Giliran Tajol Rosli pula menabur bunga dan menyiram air ke makam Laksamana Muhammad Amin… Keliling tu banyak orang istana termasuk kaum kerabat yang berkait ngan aku tapi haram sorang pun aku tak kenal kecuali sorang dua.
TAMAT!
Tajol Rosli's turn to spread the flowers and water the tomb of Laksamana Muhammad Amin... In the picture were many palace people including those related to me but I don't know any of them except one or two.
DONE!

Menjejaki cerita lama di sebalik pekan Lumut

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Di sini saya ingin berkongsi beberapa buah gambar yang diambil sekitar Lumut lebih 2 bulan lepas. Kebetulan gambar-gambar ini diambil lebih-kurang seminggu selepas jenazah Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin dikembalikan ke makam diraja Perak di Bukit Chandan. Jenazah almarhum telah dibawa ke Lumut melalui kapal, mungkin ada sesuatu yang tersirat di sebalik ini? Sambil itu, biar kita jejaki sedikit cerita-cerita lama berkenaan pekan yang sekarang terkenal sebagai tempat pelancungan serta destinasi perhentian untuk ke Pulau Pangkor.Greetings dear readers. Here I want to share some pictures taken in and around Lumut more than 2 months ago. It happened that the pictures were taken almost a week after the remains of Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin were returned to the Perak royal mausoleum at Bukit Chandan. The remains were brought by ship through Lumut, perhaps there's a hidden meaning and significance behind this? At the same time, let us track through some old stories regarding this town which is famous for being a tourist place and the destinated stop to go to Pangkor Island.


Masjid jamek Lumut. Perhatikan senibinanya yang serupa dengan senibina Melayu lama yang sudah diketengahkan dalam blogspot ini, terutama bahagian seperti lidah menjulur daripada setiap sudut atap.
The main mosque in Lumut. Note the architecture which is similar to the ones potrayed before in this blogspot, especially the "tounges" hanging down from every corner of the roof.

Saya agak terperanjat melihat bangunan besar tempat letak kereta di belakang ini. Lumut telah banyak berubah berbanding keadaan ketika saya di situ lebih setahun sebelum gambar ini diambil. Sengaja saya pilih sudut yang menonjolkan nama jalan sempena Nakhoda Mohamad Taib, seorang pahlawan handal yang dikatakan datang dari Batubara di Sumatera awal abad ke 19 untuk menghalau lanun yang bermaharajalela sekitar Lumut lalu memajukan daerah itu.
I was surprised to see the big car-park building seen in the background. Lumut have changed much since I was there a year before this picture is snapped. I consciously chose this angle to bring up the road dedicated to Nakhoda (Ship-captain) Mohamad Taib, a skilful warrior who was said to hail from Batubara in Sumatera early 19th century to chase away the pirates which hold sway over Lumut and to cultivate the area.



Muara Sungai Dinding dilihat daripada pekan Lumut. Kelihatan di belakang adalah bukit-bukau di Pulau Pangkor.
The estuary of the Dinding river seen from the small town of Lumut. At the background are the hills at Pangkor Island.

Pekan Lumut dilihat daripada tengah Sungai Dinding. Ketika itu saya sedang menaiki bot untuk ke seberang. Kelihatan di belakang adalah Bukit Engku Busu setinggi lebih 1,000 kaki, bukit yang dinamakan sempena seorang kerabat diraja Bugis yang pernah bermastautin, kalau tak silap penghujung abad ke 18.
The small town of Lumut as seen from the middle of the Dinding river. At the time, I was on a boat heading across the river. Seen in the background is the hill of Engku Busu which is more than 1,000-feet tall, a hill named after a Bugis royalty who stayed in the area, correctly or not at the end of the 18th century.

Damar Laut dilihat daripada bot menghampiri jeti. Tempat ini terletak di seberang pekan Lumut.
Damar Laut seen from the boat approaching the jetty. This place is situated across Lumut.

Petunjuk kewujudan bandar Melayu lama (Clue to the existence of an old Malay town)

Lihat gambar-gambar di bawah ini, gambar-gambar yang pernah diposkan di sini di bawah tajuk-tajuk berikut (lihat di bawah gambar). Sudahkah anda nampak kaitannya?

Look at the pictures below, pictures which have been posted here under the following titles (look under the pictures). Have you figured out the connection?

Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque)

Petunjuk untuk masjid misteri (Clue for mysterious mosque)

Lagi petunjuk (More clue)

Sekarang fikirkan dalam-dalam... Sebuah masjid lama dengan senibina Melayu indah terperosok jauh daripada mana-mana penempatan umum malah terletak di dalam sebuah kawasan estet kelapa sawit. Tidak jauh daripadanya pula terletak makam Sultan ke 19 Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik (memerintah 1806-1825), seterusnya kubur Residen British pertama ke Perak, J.W.W. Birch yang dibunuh orang-orang Datuk Maharajalela tahun 1875. Apakah makna semua ini? Apakah rahsia sebenar kawasan ini?

Now think deeply... A old mosque with beautiful Malay design situated far away from any human settlement, in fact left inside a palm oil estate. Not far way from it is the tomb of the 19th King of Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik (ruled 1806-1825), and then the grave of the first British Resident to Perak, J.W.W. Birch who was killed by the followers of the nobleman Datuk Maharajalela in 1875. What is the meaning of all of these? What is the real secret of this area?

Baiklah... Biar saya berterus-terang. Di kawasan ini pernah terletak sebuah kawasan penempatan Melayu yang luas malah di sinilah terletak ibu negeri Perak semasa Sultan Abdul Malik memerintah... Namanya Bandar Baharu kerana tidak jauh daripada situ, menyeberangi Sungai Perak, terletak sebuah lagi penempatan besar yang sudah wujud lebih lama, dikenali sebagai Bandar yang mengikut cerita lama didirikan oleh para pengikut Sultanah Aceh!

Alright... Let me come straight. Here was situated a big Malay settlement, in fact the capital of Perak during the rule of Sultan Abdul Malik... Its name is Bandar Baharu (literally translated meaning the new town) since not far from it, across the Perak river, there was another huge settlement which have existed much earlier, known as Bandar (the town) which according to old tales were built by the followers of the Queen of Aceh!

Sebagai pusat pemerintahan negeri awal abad ke 19, sudah tentu ia memiliki sebuah istana raja bukan? Dan mengikut adat senibina Melayu dahulukala, mesti terdapat kota berlapis dengan masjid negeri, makam diraja diikuti kawasan perniagaan dan penempatan awam terutama kampung para pembesar dan pengikutnya. Jadi ke manakah menghilangnya semua ini? Kenapa tinggal estet kelapa sawit, masjid lama yang tinggal begitu sahaja serta makam raja? Lebih pelik lagi, kenapa pula terdapat kubur J.W.W. Birch di situ?

As the 19th century state capital, of course there should be the king's palace there isn't it? And according to old Malay building code, there must be a well-manned fort with the state mosque, the royal burial ground, an area for commercial activites along with mass settlement especially village areas assigned to the noblemen and their followers. So where have all this disappeared? Why is it left only with a palm oil estate, an old unused mosque and the king's tomb? More strangely, what on earth is J.W.W. Birch's grave doing there?

Kalau nak tahu, apa yang berlaku di Bandar Baharu adalah contoh apa yang berlaku kepada bandar-bandar Melayu di seluruh Tanah Melayu setelah penjajah merampas kuasa penuh. Malah Bandar Baharu telah dijadikan pusat pemerintahan British di Perak sebaik sahaja termetrai Perjanjian Pangkor 1874! Sebab itu J.W.W. Birch ditanam di situ walhal dia dibunuh di Pasir Salak, di kawasan seberang Sungai Perak.

Apapun, selepas Birch dibunuh dan para pahlawan Melayu yang dituduh terlibat ditangkap lalu dihukum bunuh atau dibuang negeri, British telah melaksanakan program social engineering secara besar-besaran untuk menjatuhkan terus martabat dan kekuasaan orang Melayu di samping menaikkan bangsa-bangsa lain... Maka bandar-bandar Melayu seperti Bandar Baharu dibumi-hanguskan dan tapaknya dijadikan estet perkebunan untuk menghilangkan kesan sejarah Melayu. Pada masa yang sama, bandar-bandar baru dengan aktiviti ekonomi berpaksikan kekuatan bangsa lain seperti bandar Taiping dinaikkan. Lalu jadilah kita bangsa Melayu yang hilang punca kerana sejarah sebenar kita telah digelapkan. Nasib baik masih tinggal sedikit bukti seperti masjid lama yang gambarnya tertera di atas sebagai renungan mereka yang sanggup berfikir dan mendapat petunjuk. Sekian!

If you want to know, what happened in Bandar Baharu is an example of what happened to Malay towns and cities all over the Malay Archipelago after the colonialist assumed full power. In fact, Bandar Baharu was made the British centre of administration immediately after the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was signed! That's why J.W.W. Birch is buried there although he was killed at Pasir Salak which is across the Perak river.

Whatever, after Birch was killed and many Malay warriors and patriots accused of being involved in the murder then caught and sentenced to death or exile, the British pulled of a major coup in the form of a huge-scale social engineering effort to eliminate the pride and power of the Malays while raising those of other races... And so Malay towns like Bandar Baharu were destroyed and razed or burned to the ground, what's left of it were turned into plantation estates to erase its past glory. At the same time, new townships with commercial centres belonging to other races were built and promoted, for example the township of Taiping. Thus we the Malays became lost as our real heritage and history were made dark. Luckily, there still remains some evidence like the old mosque shown here as something to ponder on for those who wants to think and take a hint. So there!

Bangunan lama Tanjung Malim (Old buildings at Tanjung Malim)

Seorang kenalan di sebuah forum Internet iaitu Forum CVT telah menghantar beberapa gambar bangunan lama yang ditemuinya sekitar Tanjung Malim. Bangunan ini mempunyai ciri-ciri senibina Melayu lama dengan "lidah terjulur" daripada setiap sudut atap seperti yang saya suka. Maka saya pun tergerak untuk memaparkannya di sini agar dapat dilihat semua!
Bangunan-bangunan ini mungkin dibina sebagai kediaman peribadi atau balai kampung tetapi telah diubahsuai untuk tujuan lain... Maka jangan terperanjat jika ada yang akhirnya menjadi kediaman kakitangan klinik gigi atau rumah orang Cina.

An acquaintance at an Internet forum known as Forum CVT sent some pictures of old buildings he found around Tanjung Malim. The buildings have the kind of old Malay architecture with "tounges" coming down from every corner of the roof which I admire. So I was moved to put it so everyone can see it too!
This buildings may have been originally been built as private homes or the village meeting hall but then renovated for other use... So don't be surprised if it ends up as lodging for dentist clinic staff or a Chinese home.


Rumah pekerja kerajaan di klinik pergigian Tanjung Malim.
Tanjung Malim dentistry staff home.

Masjid Sheikh Ismail, Ulu Bernam, Selangor.
The mosque of Sheikh Ismail at Ulu Bernam, Selangor.

Sebuah rumah berhampiran Masjid Tanjung Malim.
A house near the Tanjung Malim Mosque.


Rumah lama yang sudah dijadikan kediaman orang Cina.
An old house which is now owned by a Chinese.

Lagi petunjuk (More clue)

Di atas ini adalah kubur J.W.W. Birch, Residen pertama British di Perak yang mati dibunuh orang-orang Datuk Maharajalela di Pasir Salak tahun 1875. Ini berlaku kerana orang Melayu tidak tahan lagi dengan sikap biadab Birch campurtangan dalam hal-ehwal negeri Perak sejak termetrainya Perjanjian Pangkor 1874.
Saya terjumpa kubur ini tepat masuk waktu Maghrib, ketika berjalan memasuki sebuah kawasan estet kelapa sawit berhampiran Sungai Perak untuk mengkaji beberapa kesan sejarah lama. Kebetulan kubur ini terletak sekitar 100 meter sahaja daripada makam Sultan Perak ke 19, Sultan Abdul Malik yang gambarnya sudah diposkan di sini sebelum ini... Dan makam Sultan itu pula terletak tidak jauh daripada masjid misteri yang gambarnya juga telah diletakkan di blogspot ini.
Sekarang fikirkan... Apakah kaitan semua ini? Di sebalik ini terletak cerita rahsia bagaimana kekuasaan ekonomi orang Melayu di atas Tanah Melayu berjaya dilenyapkan penjajah!

Above is the grave of J.W.W. Birch, the first British resident in Perak who was killed by the followers of the nobleman Datuk Maharajalela at Pasar Salak in 1875. This happened because the Malays were tired of Birch's rude interruptions into Perak state affairs since the conclusion of the Pangkor Treaty 1874.
I found this grave just before nightfall, while walking inside a palm oil estate near the Perak River to study some historical sites. It happens the grave is situated some 100 metres from the tomb of the 19th king or Sultan of Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik, the one whose tomb was shown in the previous post. And the tomb happens to be near the mysterious mosque as shown previously in this blogspot.
Now think... What is the connection between all these? Behind it is a secret story on how Malay economic dominance in this land was succesfully eliminated by the colonialist!

Petunjuk untuk masjid misteri (Clue for mysterious mosque)

Lihat gambar di atas. Ia menunjukkan sebuah makam lama milik Sultan ke 19 Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Shah (ikut papan maklumat dalam gambar, memerintah 1806-1825 Masihi). Makam ini terletak lebih kurang 50 meter daripada masjid misteri yang ditunjukkan dalam posting sebelum ini. Agak-agaklah, apakah kaitan antara makam ini dengan masjid tersebut?

Look at the picture above. It shows an old tomb belonging to the 19th ruler of Perak, Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Chah (according to the information board in the picture, ruled 1806-1825 AD). The tomb is situated some 50 metres from the mysterious mosque highlighted in the previous posting. Come figure... What is the connection between this tomb the mosque?

Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque)

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Di sini adalah gambar sebuah masjid lama yang agak misteri, sudah lama ditinggalkan dan tidak digunakan lagi kerana ia sekarang terletak di dalam sebuah kawasan estet kelapa sawit, tidak jauh daripada sebuah sungai utama di Malaysia. Kenapa saya gunakan perkataan "sekarang terletak di dalam sebuah kawasan estet"? Apakah suatu masa dahulu ia pernah terletak di dalam sebuah kawasan lain, mungkin sebuah bandar besar? Di manakah ia sebenarnya terletak? Kenapa masjid sebegini cantik boleh jadi masjid tinggal? Kenapa ada begitu banyak tanda-tanya?
Di sini saya ingin mengajak para pembaca membuat spekulasi sendiri, sahaja untuk perbincangan pembuka minda. Saya sendiri sudah ada sedikit jawaban tetapi biarlah orang lain menduga. Hmm... Baiklah... Saya beri sedikit petunjuk -
Apabila melihat masjid inilah baru saya faham bagaimana sejarah kegemilangan Melayu boleh dilenyapkan begitu sahaja oleh penjajah British... Bagaimana bandar-bandar yang dikuasai bangsa asing boleh naik bermula dengan Taiping tahun 1880an lalu merebak ke seluruh Tanah Melayu sedangkan orang Melayu yang pernah menerajui segala bidang ekonomi tanah-air sendiri pula terpinggir sehingga jadi tenggelam punca dan tidak kenal asal-usul serta kegemilangan sebenar bangsa sendiri!

Greetings dear readers. Here is a picture of an old mosque which is rather mysterious, abandoned and thus not in use because it is now located inside a palm oil estate not far away from one of the main rivers of Malaysia. Why did I use the words "now located inside a palm oil estate"? Maybe it's possible, once upon a time the mosque was situated within a totally different sort of environment, like a flourishing big city maybe? Where is it actually located? Why would a mosque this beautiful be left behind? Why so much questions?
Here, I'd like to invite readers to make your own speculations, just for fun, or at least to open up discussions. As for me, I do have some answers but let others make some foray OK... Well... Let me give some clue -
Seeing this mosque for the first time made me understand how whole loads of history of the greatness of the Malays were wiped out just like that by the colonial British... How, towns and cities controlled by other races began to appear on the scene with the establishment of Taiping in 1880an (the first town in Malaysia engineered by the colonialist) until the whole concept (leave the Malays out, give economic control to others) spread throughout the Malay lands while the natives which used to lead all aspects of the local economy were pushed to the fringe until they become a lost race, not knowing where they really come from and not understanding the greatness of their forefathers!

Cukuplah untuk hari ini (Enough for the day)

Tajuk di atas sudah cukup untuk menerangkan... Blogspot ini baru dicipta kira-kira 3 jam lalu dan saya telah pun menyertakan 3 pos bergambar. Jika awalnya, ia dibuka dengan satu posting mukadimah, maka eloklah sumbangan hari ini di sini ditutup dengan satu post tersendiri. Maka jadilah keseluruhannya 5 posting, cukuplah syarat kerana saya memang sukakan nombor ganjil dalam memulakan sesuatu kerja... Kalau tidak ada posting ini, maka jumlah itu jadi 4 posting sahaja dan saya akan merasa janggal.

Selain itu, 1 posting mukadimah campur 3 posting bergambar dengan 1 posting penutup boleh dikira bersamaan dengan salah satu nombor kegemaran saya iaitu 131. Jadi cukuplah sumbangan buat waktu ini OK, biarlah saya menyambung tidur kembali... Tadi pun terbangun sebab buah hati menalifon malam-malam meminta perhatian seraya mengajak bercerita. Kemudian timbul pula gerak mahu membuat blogspot baru, jadilah cerita ini... Sekian!

The title above should be enough explanation... This blogspot was created some 3 hours ago and I've already made 3 postings with pictures. If earlier, this site was started with an introductory post, then it would be nice to close the day with a post in itself. So the number of postings become 5, enough to meet the conditions as I like to began any new endeavour with odd number of things... If not for this posting, the total would be just 4 and I would feel strangely unsatisfied.

Besides, 1 introductory posting plus 3 with pictures + 1 closing story is equivalent to one of my favourite numbers which is 131. So enough contributions for the day OK, let me continue snoozing... Earlier, I got up as my darling sweetheart called in the wee hours asking for attention and some talk. Then came the urge to start a new blogspot and here we are... Cheers!

Sebuah madrasah di Teluk Intan (a religious school in Teluk Intan)

Ini adalah sebuah madrasah di Teluk Intan, Perak yang terletak bersebelahan masjid lama bandar. Saya tidak tahu berapa umurnya tetapi senibinanya kelihatan begitu menarik terutama ukiran kayu seperti lidah yang menjulur ke bawah daripada setiap sudut atap.
Sebaik sahaja gambar ini diambil, seorang pengunjung muda masjid menegur. "Buat apa ambil gambar ini? Abang ni mata-mata kah?" dia bertanya curiga.

Saya ketawa gelihati. Kemudian dia menerangkan, sebelum ini seorang lelaki misteri pernah muncul di masjid ini dan gelagatnya agak serupa dengan saya. Apabila polis menahan lelaki ini dan bertanyakan asal-usulnya, dia terus meminta dirinya di bawa ke balai polis berdekatan tanpa sedikit pun rasa takut ditangkap. Dan kebetulan lelaki itu juga membawa sebuah komputer laptop walaupun dia sedang berpakaian buruk... Lebih kurang seperti gaya sayalah juga. Mungkin sebab itu pemuda yang menegur itu terfikir mungkin saya ini seorang mata-mata, mungkin juga pengintip tentera? Gaya itu ada, he! he!

Apapun, saya menerangkan tentang minat terhadap senibina Melayu lama terutama rumah dan masjid lama dengan ukiran "lidah" di hujung atap, ukiran lama yang saya rasa ada kena-mengena dengan Aceh... Lalu terkeluarlah sedikit cerita tentang kajian saya mengenai kaitan Tanah Melayu dengan Aceh, sempat pula mempromosi buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti." Dapatlah jual senaskah, lepas juga sedikit belanja makan dan pengangkutan...


This is a madrasah (religious school) in Teluk Intan, Perak which is situated next to the old town mosque. I didn't know how old it is but the architecture is very attractive especially the wood-carving design which looks like tounges pointing down at every corner of the roof.
Right after the picture was snapped, a young visitor to the mosque curiously asked: "Why did you take the picture? Are you a detective?"

I found it funny and laughed. Then he explained, before this a mysterious man appeared at the mosque and his character was similar to mine. When the police stopped him and asked his origins, the man requested to be brought to the nearest police station without showing the slightest hint of fear of being arrested. And it happens that he had a laptop computer with him although he was poorly dressed... Something like me, I guess. Maybe that's why the young man who interrupted me thought I might be a detective, maybe military intelligence? The style is there, ha! ha!

Whatever, I explained my interest with old Malay architecture especially on houses and old mosque with "tounge" carvings at the corners of the roof, old carvings which I feel have a certain relation with the land of Aceh. So some stories regarding my personal research on the relations of Aceh and the Malay lands came out, and there was time to promote the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti,", loosely translated - "The trip to Aceh: On search of self and meaning". Managed to sell a copy, enough to cover some food and transportation.

Masjid Kampung Gajah (Kampung Gajah Mosque)

Yang ini pula adalah masjid lama Kampung Gajah di Perak. Minta maaflah kerana gambar ini kelam... Sebab diambil semasa waktu Subuh selepas bermalam seorang diri di sana. Kalau mahu gambar yang lebih cantik, saya harus menunggu sehingga matahari naik tetapi saya pula tidak dapat menahan kehendak untuk terus mengembara, maka cukuplah gambar ini sebagai kenangan.

This one is the old mosque of Kampung Gajah in Perak. Sorry, the picture is dim... Because it was taken during Subuh (before dawn) after I spent the night alone there. For a nicer picture, one would have to wait till the sun is up but I was too restless to continue travelling, so this picture should be good enough for remembrance.

Untuk pengetahuan, masjid berusia lebih 100 tahun ini sudah jarang digunakan. Pagi itu, terdapat cuma 3 orang bersolat Subuh sahaja, seorang imam dengan 2 orang makmum termasuk saya. Mungkin kerana sudah ada masjid lebih besar dan moden di seberang jalan besar, sekitar 500 meter daripada sana?

For information, the 100-plus year-old mosque is hardly used anymore. That morning, there were only 3 people for the Subuh prayers, the imam (leader of prayer) and 2 behind including me. Maybe because there is a much bigger and modern mosque across the main street, some 500 metres from there?

Masjid Batak Rabit (Batak Rabit Mosque)

OK... Biar kita mulakan dengan gambar masjid lama di Kampung Batak Rabit, Teluk Intan, Perak. Struktur asal masjid ini dikatakan berumur tidak kurang daripada 100 tahun. Beberapa tambahan moden telah dibuat termasuk dalam tahun ini. Rasanya pembaca dapat melihat sendiri yang mana bahagian baru, yang mana lama.

OK... Let me start with this picture of the old mosques at Kampung Batak Rabit, Teluk Intan, Perak. The original structure of the mosque is said to be not less than 100 years old. Some modern renovations have been made including this year. I believe readers can see for themselves which part is new, which part is old.

Apapun, saya lebih tertarik pada bentuk ukiran kayu yang terdapat di hujung setiap sudut bumbung seperti yang kelihatan di bahagian kubah dan menara masjid di atas, ukiran yang terjulur ke bawah seperti lidah gayanya . Saya pun tidak apakah namanya, tetapi ada orang beritahu itulah yang dipanggil "sulur bayur", wallahualam.

Whatever, I'm more interested in the particular wood-carving design at the corners of the roof as can be seen at the middle-part and the tower of the mosque, the carving pointing downwards like some sort of tounge. I don't know what it's called but some people say that is the "sulur bayur", God knows best.

Insyaallah saya akan sertakan beberapa buah gambar masjid atau rumah Melayu lama dengan tema senibina yang serupa terutama bahagian "lidah" terjulur itu. Tunggu...

God willing, I will post more pictures of mosques or old Malay houses with similar theme and design especially with the "tounge". Just wait...

Mukadimah (Introduction)

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Tadi, saya tergerak untuk membuka blogspot baru sebagai kesinambungan 2 blogspot saya, "Catatan Si Merah Silu" yang ditulis dalam Bahasa Melayu dan "Berpetualang ke Aceh" dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Kenapa blogspot baru? Kenapa tidak terus menggunakan apa yang sedia ada? Ini kerana saya mahu blogspot ini boleh digunakan sepenuhnya sebagai wadah perbincangan mengenai seni Melayu lama, terutama seni pembinaan rumah tradisional. Dan saya mahu blogspot ini menggunakan kedua-duanya Bahasa Melayu dan Inggeris supaya boleh ditatap pembaca semua golongan.

Greetings dear readers. Just now I was moved to start a new blogspot as a continuation to the 2 blogspots I already have, "Catatan Si Merah Silu" which is presented in Malay and "Berpetualang ke Aceh" in English. Why new blogspot? Why not just stick and use the present existing ones? Well, this is because I want to fully use this blogspot to discuss olden Malay art especially traditional house-building. And I want this blogspot to use both Malay and English so that it can be appreciated by readers from all walks of life.

Terus terang saya mengaku bukan pakar seni, tetapi minat dan rasa itu kuat, maka biarlah apa yang menarik minat itu dapat dikongsi bersama. Semoga dengan cara itu, secara tidak dirancang, pengetahuan saya juga para pembaca sekalian akan bertambah hasil komen orang yang lebih mengetahui? Selain itu, mungkin juga ia dapat membuka mata pembaca di luar Malaysia untuk mengenali seni lama Melayu. Insyaallah... Mari kita mulakan!

Frankly, I'm no expert in arts but the interest and feel is strong, so let's just share whatever catches our attention OK! Hopefully, this would indirectly increase my knowledge on the matter, and of course yours too through the comments of those who know more? Besides, it might just open the eyes of readers outside Malaysia to learn about Malay olden art. God willing... Let us start!