Kg Sg Gelugor, Penang

Kg Sg Gelugor has an interesting history.

(1) Historical perspective of the Shaik Ahmad Clan in Kg Sg Gelugor

When Shaik Ahmad (Hyderabad & clan founder) came to Malaya in the British Indian Army, he lived in Butterworth and married, before coming to live in Glugor, Penang. I believe he had lived at Kg Sg Gelugor, a Malay coastal village. His youngest son, Cpt Mohamed Noor was born in 1890 in Glugor. Cpt Mohamed Noor's eldest daughter Zainab Bee was born in Kg Sg Gelugor. She went to school in Glugor.


(2) The Shaik Ahmad Clan mainly resided in Kg Sg Gelugor, Penang

On the rear of an old 1952 photo of Dr Che Lah, was written "Kg Sg Gelugor". This Malay coastal village is situated just across the main road from Cangkat Minden (Minden Heights). This village was by the sea at Gelugor before the 1960s/1970s/1980s, ie before land reclamation was done and before Penang bridge was built.

Dr Che Lah (up on the verandah) and his children visiting his eldest sister (Mak Besar Bee/Aunty Besar) in Kg Sg Gelugor 1952. Standing from left: Philip, Mami Tam (Mamitam), Esther, Daisy Yvette, Khala Wan Chik (Kalawan Chik) and June. Aunty Besar had 4 children - Abu Hassan, Khala Wan Chik (Kalawan Chik), Mami Tam (Mamitam) and Ibrahim (Naim).

(3) Descendants of Shaik Ahmad in Kg Sg Glugor, Penang

Shaik Ahmad (Hyderabad) married Hajar (Butterworth)

They had 6 kids:

1. Hamidah Bee

2. Jan Bee*

3. Mohd Joonos**

4. Mohd Ali

5. Mariam

6. Cpt Mohd Noor (born 1890, Glugor)

*Jan Bee bt Shaik Ahmad (Tok Jan) married Nasarudin

They had 5 kids:

1. Omar***

2. Mohd Ebram

3. Hashim (Tok Bar)

4. Daud

5. Makwan Bee

**Mohd Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad married Juma Bee bt Kassim

They had 5 kids:

1. Mak Besar Bee (Aunty Besar)****

2. Dr Che Lah

3. Ali Baba

4. Osman

5. Mohamad

***Omar bin Nasarudin married Mak Besar Bee bt Md Joonos****

They had 4 kids:

1. Abu Hassan

2. Khala Wan Chik (Kalawan Chik) ... elder sister

3. Wan Tam/Mami Tam (Mamitam) .... younger sister

4. Ibrahim/Naim

(4) Language spoken by the Shaik Ahmad Clan at a wedding in Kg Sg Gelugor, Penang

In 1978, my mother and I attended a wedding reception of Dr Che Lah's relatives at Kg Sg Gelugor. I heard the relatives spoke (what I think is) Urdu. I remember asking my mother what language they were speaking and she replied she didn't know. Her relatives spoke to her in English and invited us to eat lunch. I was a bit intimidated as I didn't know what language they were speaking and yet we were related. I am not a native Urdu speaker nor do I speak any Urdu. The relatives did not speak Arabic because I did not hear any Arabic words. It must have been Urdu. If the relatives spoke Urdu, then Dr Che Lah's grandfather must have been a northern Indian Muslim and not a southern Indian Muslim as southerners spoke Tamil.

I suspect that Dr Che Lah was of Punjabi descent. His female relatives had the Bee suffix in their names. His people were fluent Urdu speakers in 1978 (3rd and 4th generations). His people resided in Kg Sg Gelugor, across the road from his last residence in Minden Heights. The village and houses are extant (still there), but many of the original home owners may have passed on and modern kampung houses have replaced the olden wooden and rattan houses (rumah asal yang diperbuat daripada kayu dan rotan).

(5) Location, roadsigns and landmarks of Kg Sg Gelugor

On my return leg to Kelantan, we exited Minden Heights and I saw 3 old signboards in this village which were very close to the main road (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah) that indicated this is Kg Sg Gelugor. I didn't take any photos of the signboards as Affandi drove too fast and I didn't have time to pull out my camera as I least expected to see the 3 signboards.

4-Junction of Minden Heights and Kg Sg Gelugor, viewed from Minden Jalan 1. 12 January 2013. The Malay village is beyond the traffic lights, closer to the sea and land reclamation for constructing the peripheral expressway. The Malay village is now land-locked by 2 modern expressways, and the villagers no longer have free access to the sea. 

A brick community hall of Kg Sg Gelugor is its landmark. Most old houses here are wooden. Modern houses have a brick base and a wooden upper floor. 12 January 2013

(6) Famous acar buah from Kg Sg Gelugor

The main delicacy of this Malay coastal village used to be chutney or fruit pickles (acar buah).

Back in 1982/83, when I was working at USM, Penang main campus, I lived with my parents in Minden Heights. I remember my mother told me about her father's female relative who made delicious acar buah.

My mother then ordered some acar buah from Kg Sg Gelugor. She went to pick up the acar buah herself. I tasted the pickles and they were delicious. We made a few orders. Later on I heard that the lady who made it had passed away. That was in 1982/83. Who was the lady who made delicious acar buah in Kg Sg Gelugor in the 1980s?


(7) Habib Noh's descendants in Kg Sg Gelugor

Apart from Shaik Ahmad descendants, Habib Noh's descendants also lived in Kg Sg Gelugor.

We went to visit Aunty Chom in Kg Sg Gelugor. Aunty Chom is Kalsom bt Shaik Emam. Aunty Chom is the elder sister of Aunty Intan - Kamaruddin's wife. She is the middle sister; Aunty Latifah is the eldest of the 3 sisters.

The 3 sisters are related to Azeeza Begam bt Habib Noohu, and all are descendants of the Muslim saint Habib Noh Alhabshi, who is buried at Makam Habib Noh in Singapore.

Aunty Chom, a very good storyteller of practices of traditional Malay medicine. She related the treatment of diabetic foot in Penang dialect, which was captivating to listen to.

Aunty Chom was cleaning rice grains when we visited her in the evening. Here, the spoiled rice grains and foreign matter are separated from the unspoiled rice grains. The spoiled rice grains are called "padi-padi" and are fed to birds in the garden. 

Sadly, Aunty Chom passed away on 4 January 2016. She is interred at Tanah Perkuburan Masjid Jamek Gelugor, which is near her home. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rojiuun.

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