SIBLINGS 26: JAMALIAH/YUNUS

Surviving Haji Yaacob's children/ from left: Mak Ngah Hajah Habibah, Pak Teh Haji Khalid and Mak Chik Sayang @ Hajah Solehah.

Since Alun was asking about more information on his maternal grand mother and also for the benefit of Nana and her cousins, I did some enquiries orally from her Mak Yah’s surviving siblings i.e. Mak Ngah Habibah, Mak Chik Sayang and Pak Teh Khalid. I have to enquire from the three of simultaneously since Pak Teh Khalid's accounts of his father was very loose. I also proceeded with some research from the historical notes written by Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard. From my scanty research, I am convinced that Mak Yah’s family lineage has some influences on the development of her character.

Mak Yah’s grand mother was the younger sister of Cik Menjalara, the fourth wife of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah. She was a Siamese by birth and her Muslim name was Jamaliah. She was the daughter of Luang Nara Borirak. Luang Nara Borirak was descended from Chao Phya Maha Kota and Khun Yip Sup (Lady Sup). Chao Phya Maha Kota was the head of the state of Mataban and when Burma attacked Siam in 1774, he and his family fled to Bangkok.

Sultan Abdul Hamid’s eldest sister, Tunku Aminah, who often visited Bangkok, saw and was attracted to the little daughter of Luang Nara Borirak named Nearng which was later known as Menjalara. With Nara Borirak’s permission Tunku Aminah adopted Nearng @ Menjalara and brought her back to Kedah. Tunku Aminah took Menjalara to live with her mother, Wan Hajar at the walled palace. Wan Hajar was equally attracted by the girl and in 1886, she gave Menjalara to Sultan Abdul Hamid to be his fourth wife.

Later on Cik Menjalara took her three other younger siblings back to Kedah and were converted to Islam. They were Jamaliah (Mak Yah’s grand mother), Wangi and Che Mat (Bang Man Toyu' great grand father). Jamaliah married a Kwantung Chinese Muslim by the name of Yunus. Jamaliah gave birth to four children namely Zaharah, Yaacob (Mak Yah’s father) , Saad and Khatijah.

Yaacob married Hindun and they have seven children namely Mohd. Noor, Rodziah, Habibah, Ahmad, Khalid, Ismail and Omar. Since Yaacob was the nephew of Menjalara, Yaacob was also send to study in Bangkok together with her sons, Tunku Muhammad Jiwa and Tunku Abdul Rahman. As such, Yaacob was also fluent in the Thai language. Before the Second World War, Yaacob was the chief clerk at the Kedah Customs Department in Padang Serai. While serving in Padang Serai his cousins Tunku Muhammad Jiwa and Tunku Abdul Rahman were the regular visitors to his office. The three of them would communicate fluently in the Thai language.

Yaacob Yunus did not give much priority on the education of his children. The eldest boy, Pak Tam Mat studied at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College and became an English Primary School Teacher. Pak Teh Khalid only went to the Malay Primary School in Kancut. Pak Chik Ismail and Pak Su Omar finished their education at the lower secondary education at St. Michael School.

Although Yaacob allowed his boys to pursue their English education but he was very strict on his daughters not to pursue their English education. His reason was very simple. Although with English education, at the end of the day, his daughters would only be housewives, As housewives, they did not need for an English education. Apart from that, he strongly believed that with English education, his daughters would have the ability to write love letters to their boy friends.

With his narrow minded philosophy on English education, Yaacob send his eldest daughter Rodziah @ Mak Yah to pursue religious education at Al Mashoor Religious School in Penang. While studying in Al Mashoor, Rodziah stayed at the school's hostel. Yaacob’s younger daughters Habibah and Solehah were sent to the Malay School in Tasik Gelugor. The three girls ended their education abruptly when the Second World War broke out in 1941. Yaacob has got to evacuate her eldest daughter from Penang with the use of a sampan. Yaacob then brought all his family to seek refuge at Kampung Guar Lobak during the the beginning of the war.

Meanwhile Yaacob also took his nephew, Salleh Khir under his care. Salleh Khir was the son of his cousin Bahari who was residing in Satun Thailand. Bahari was sent by the Kedah Government to Satun, Thailand to propagate Islamic teachings in Satun. In Satun, Haji Bahari married Kalsum and they have five children namely Solleh, Aziz, Azizan, Habsah and Khir. The eldest son, Solleh died at an early age. Since Yaacob wanted to foster closer relationship with his relatives in Satun, he asked Haji Bahari for the permission to adopt his youngest son Khir.

Yaacob then accelerated the process of naturalizing Khir as a Kedah citizen with the name Mohd. Salleh Khir in memory of his eldest brother Solleh who has passed away in Satun. All the other siblings of Mohd. Salleh Khir remained as Thai citizens. With the new name of Mohd. Salleh Khir, Haji Yaacob’s adopted son received the best education available in Kedah that was at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. He was the Head Prefect of the College for 1946 and 1947. AImmediately after the war, Haji Yaacob arranged the marriage of his eldest daughter Rodziah to Mohd. Salleh Khir. Although married, yet Mohd. Salleh Khir continued his education until he successfully obtained his Senior Cambridge School Certificate. One of his classmates was Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, Malaysia fourth Prime Minister.