A Discovery: Kadayan Connection
I have been receiving calls and letters once a while since 1994 from my new friend, a Kadayan who is living in Kulim, Kedah.
I have not seen him in person. He told me he got my contact number and address from Berita Harian. I reckoned it must had been from one of Kadayan Association’s press releases or contact documents.
In 2004, I thought of visiting him. The problem was, as always I had difficulty in apportioning my time. When there was time then budget was not readily available. I need a lot of practice to be good at managing these two items. The rest so far I could just square it up.
Talking about time, I could never find the right time because there is no such thing as right time for this kind of work. At the back of my mind, I had contingency plan that is to squeeze it during Hari Raya Day.
Hari Raya is scared day to some Muslim, in Malaysia its time to go home to kampong called balik kampong where the parents and relatives are waiting. It is a yearly event and a big day for kids too.
However, the trend of balik kampong is now applies to all Malaysians.
In any public holidays, especially that to do with celebrating religious occasion balik kampong is a kind of ritually must.
Cities and towns depopulated, street and main roads are ghostly disserted for a few days. It shows quite significant number of cities and towns dwellers are from kampong.
I drove to Kampong Pantai, Sipitang, 150 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu at the wee hour to perform my Idil Fitri prayer held at 7.30 am at my kampong mosque. The idea was to be in Kuala Lumpur by 3.00 evening.
Driving, ha…now I realised the different between going to places with a driver, and you sit at the back seat compare with when you now driving on your own. Lots of guessing work involved, equally troubling when your co driver whom you dependent on was not performing.
We reached Kulim in good time, the earlier confusion was looking for a decent hotel, after a few rounds missing the turns we settled with Hotel Malaysia, the only bigger hotel in town.
After shower, hunger and thirst served then only the pursuit of locating my friend continued.
Fortunate enough Ariffin’s house was just about a par five from the Hotel.
Remember this was Hari Raya people came and went; Ariffin’s house had no exception.
After short introduction to family and his cousins, he brought me with some Kadayan’s artefacts -maps, dairies, diagrams, kris and medals among them in his keeping. I could not make out much at that time, no doubt there were interesting.
This first meeting did not mean much except to know more about my friend and his family. Moreover, time like ths was not suitable to discuss serious historical matters. The best was to decide some other time specifically set for the purpose.
Then came one young man asking where I was from, to my surprise he said his mother came from the same kampong as my mother. Ariffin then introduced this young man his son in law, he had not mentioned to me earlier.
I found out later his mother is my first cousin from my mother’s side, another Kadayan’s statistic in Kedah!
I made the arrangement for nasi kandar later that night just to confirm that he was my nephew.
I had little problem continuing my research on Kadayan descendent in Kulim. My materials were kept in abeyance for another one and half year. One of the reasons was I could not travel to meet Ariffin in Kulim in good time. Arffin changed his contact numbers a somewhat disappeared.
August 2006, came a surprise call from Ariffin inviting me to attend his daughter’s wedding in Kulim.
Ariffin’s latest call was something I have been anxiously waiting for-this was after several meetings, in my endeavour to locating Kadayan blood as put by Harun Aminurrashid.
I am now able to insert to my earlier materials, withheld by my publisher because of my indecisiveness either to put in or to put out due to unconfirmed materials. This little discovery is news to Kadayan community both in Malaysia and in Brunei.
Malaysia current Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi is the sixth descendent of Kadayan in Pinang from the martenal side. According to the source, that Abdullah Badawi’s mother Hajjah Kailan Hajj Hassan was the daughter Hajjah Khatijiah, the daughter of Hajji Mohammad Salleh II. Hajji Muhammad Salleh II was the grandson of Hajj Muhammad Salleh I Ibni Raturati a Kadayan from Brunei with the title Pemanca whilst Raturati was a local title.
Some Kadayan are still found in Jelutong, Rawa, Melintang, Sungai Pinang and Kadayan’ graves found in Bayan Lepas area.
More details about this material is found in the author’s latest book – The Lost People of Borneo, published by Universe Inc, Lincoln, expected to be available at MPH bookstore Malaysia by the end of the year, see also About Kadayan Part 4 at kadayanuniverse.com.
(Read Amde's biography HERE)
Comments
SD |2008-10-13 08:15:30
Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi's mother Hjh Kailan was daughter of Hjh Kamariah @ Maria @ Antah not Hjh Khatijah. She was daughter of Hj AbdulRazak who was brother of Hj Mohd Salleh (II).
As Hjh Kamariah and Hjh Mahzum binti Hj Mohd Salleh were first cousins, Abdullah and siblings used to refer to their maternal grandmother as Tuk Antah and Hjh Mahzum as Tuk Su Mahzum.
amde sidik |2008-10-13 16:39:28
haa sounds interesting, there are reasons if you find my materials such and such...(...) I wish I could meet you if you don't mind
salam, amde
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