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!