I have noticed lately that the younger generations today often say that Bukit Gantang is located somewhere in Kinta. I don’t know what has led them to say so, but they'd better get their bearings right. Any good old or new maps of Perak would clearly show that Bukit Gantang is a locality that is certainly not located in Kinta.
Speaking of Bukit Gantang, there was one Panglima Bukit Gantang, one of the Orang Besar Lapan, who was very close to the man who hid behind the alias known today as Kulup Lembang. They were often mentioned in old news articles, shedding light on their participation in official events, standing shoulder to shoulder with territorial chiefs and other significant figures of Perak.
Who was Panglima Bukit Gantang Haji Mahmud?
The following photo was taken at the tomb of Panglima Bukit Gantang Haji Mahmud, who was interred not at Bukit Gantang as one might have expected, but rather at the burial ground of Masjid Paloh, Ipoh. In the same burial ground, you may also find the final resting place of Sri Adika Raja Wan Mohamed Salleh, the great-grandson of Kedahan Wan Mat Saman.
Haji Mahmud (sometimes spelled as Haji Mohamed) was installed straight away as a full-fledged Panglima Bukit Gantang back in early 1917, during the reign of Sultan Abdul Jalil. It was a rare honor for Haji Mahmud, as holders of such titles normally had to first serve as Toh Muda or Datoh Muda in the old feudal days of Perak. It is by the grace of God that he became one, since that particular title of Orang Besar Lapan had been vacant for a very long time, ever since Perak fell, in a graceful manner, under the protection of the British.1
“...Dato’ Gantang Mahmud Taib yakni waris keturunan golongan Bangsawan O.K.K. Panglima Bukit Gantang keluarga Paloh dan Kepayang.”2
Haji Mahmud, also known as Dato Gantang Tua, was the grandfather of Dato Haji Abdul Wahab, the Panglima Bukit Gantang, who was also a well-known Malayan statesman. Descendants of Kulup Lembang should pay attention to the quotation that I have cited earlier. Perhaps it could answer some, if not all, questions regarding Paloh and Kepayang. Take note that they are not at all descended from Tun Kelawang.3
When he was known as Che Mahmud of Kuala Kangsar
Long before receiving the title of Panglima Bukit Gantang, he would have been known simply as Haji Mahmud or Che Mahmud, and I believe he was the same person who was often seen together with Kulup Lembang at a number of events involving the late Sultan Idris Shah I. Two such events will be shared here today.
1909 1st Federal Council meeting, Kuala Kangsar: The elephant procession of Sultan Idris Shah I and retinue
On December 10th, 1909, in conjunction with the first Federal Council meeting held in Kuala Kangsar, a huge procession of Sultan Idris Shah I and his royal retinue was assembled and put on parade. Fifty majestic elephants were involved in the procession, but only the first thirty-three elephants and their riders were named due to their significance and importance. Among the familiar names consisting of young and old Perak Malay Rajas, territorial chiefs, and various Penghulus who participated in the procession, one can find two surprising names in the list: Kulup Lembang and Che Mahmud, both riding an elephant named Mek Weh.4
The event took place four years after the death of Panglima Kinta Abdul Wahab. At this point in time, Kulup Lembang is believed to be busy attending to his given responsibility as the executor (administrator, according to other records) of the estate of the late Panglima Kinta.5
1911 Swettenham Wharf, Penang: Sending off Sultans of Kedah and Perak
On May 20th, 1911, a large group of people boarded the SS Delhi, a steamship of the Peninsular & Orient Line, to send off and bid farewell to the Sultans of Kedah and Perak, who were on their way to attend the coronation of King George V. The majority of those who came aboard seemed to be Kedahan dignitaries, but a few from Perak were mentioned: Sri Adika Raja Wan Mohamed Salleh and his wife, Toh Puan Saripah, Setia Bijaya Diraja Abdul Shukor, Kulup Lembang, and Che Mahmud of Kuala Kangsar.6
This is quite bizarre. The apparent closeness between Sultan Idris Shah I and Kulup Lembang raises many questions. It is also evident from this event that Sri Adika Raja Wan Mohamed Salleh, Toh Puan Saripah, Setia Bijaya Diraja Abdul Shukor, and Che Mahmud were well acquainted with Kulup Lembang. I am left wondering if the Kedah dignitaries and Sultan of Kedah were aware that Sri Adika Raja Wan Mohamed Salleh was the great-grandson of Kedahan Wan Mat Saman when they saw him onboard the SS Delhi on that fateful day. According to some descendants of Kulup Lembang, their common ancestor is believed to have Kedahan origins that are yet to be fully understood today. If that is true, then we can only wonder whether those Kedahan dignitaries and the Sultan of Kedah knew who he really was when they also saw him onboard the ship.7
The center of Kulup Lembang's secret and Che Mahmud's riddle
I felt really glad inside after stumbling upon a number of news articles regarding my mysterious ancestor. I have been wondering for quite some time why he was chosen to be the executor of the estate of Panglima Kinta Abdul Wahab. I have also been wondering why an official of Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Melayu Perak once told me that Kulup Lembang is known to those in the know as ‘orang kuat’ to the late Sultan Idris Shah I. It is now crystal clear that Kulup Lembang was not only known and trusted but also held in high regard by the late Sultan Idris Shah I. With that in mind, other descendants of Kulup Lembang who have the belief that their common ancestor was a wicked man can now start looking at him from a different perspective.
Even though it helped answer a few questions regarding Kulup Lembang, I couldn’t help but ponder a few lingering, troubling questions regarding the relationship between Kulup Lembang and Che Mahmud:
With regard to Kulup Lembang and Che Mahmud riding the same elephant together on December 10th, 1909, protocol-wise, why did the powers that be arrange it in such a manner?
Why did Sultan Abdul Jalil choose to fill the vacant office of Panglima Bukit Gantang in early 1917, a few years after the supposed death of Kulup Lembang in 1915?
Why did previous Sultans of Perak, such as Sultan Yusuf and Sultan Idris Shah I, choose not to fill the vacant office of Panglima Bukit Gantang?
Is there any shred of truth to the claim that Kulup Lembang was murdered?
Do you have the answers?
1“Perak Sultanate. Installation of New Chiefs.,” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, January 11, 1917, 4, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19170111-1.2.14.
2Nor Azhar Abdul Hamid, Kembara Seorang Negarawan Dato’ Panglima Bukit Gantang Abdul Wahab (Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat Malaysia (MUBARAK) Cawangan Negeri Perak, n.d.), 5.
3Nor Azhar Abdul Hamid, Kembara Seorang Negarawan Dato’ Panglima Bukit Gantang Abdul Wahab (Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat Malaysia (MUBARAK) Cawangan Negeri Perak, n.d.), chap. 1.
4“THE GOVERNOR IN PERAK, OPENING OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL, IMPORTANT INAUGURAL SPEECH,” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, December 13, 1909, 5, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19091213-1.2.41; “THE FEDERAL COUNCIL. First Meeting at Kuala Kangsar on December 10,” The Straits Times, November 4, 1909, 7, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19091104-1.2.80.
5Kinta Land Office, “K.L.O. 242/06: Applies for the Renewal of Ancestral Mining Lease No. 40 for Further Period of 21 Years” (Kuala Lumpur: Arkib Negara Malaysia, 1906); “TO-DAY IN HISTORY,” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, November 6, 1909, 2, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19091106-1.2.7; Perak Government, The Perak Government Gazette for the Year 1907, vol. 20 (Kuala Lumpur: F.M.S. Government Printing Office, 1907), 27, https://archive.org/details/perak-govt-gazette-1907v20.
6“SULTANS IN PENANG. FAREWELL ON P. & O. STEAMER,” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, May 22, 1911, 5, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19110522-1.2.50; “SS Delhi,” Wikipedia, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Delhi.
7Hairi Yahya, Tok Lembang: Pengasas Pekan Tambun, 2014, 7.
Bibliography
Hamid, Nor Azhar Abdul. Kembara Seorang Negarawan Dato’ Panglima Bukit Gantang Abdul Wahab. Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat Malaysia (MUBARAK) Cawangan Negeri Perak, n.d.
Kinta Land Office. “K.L.O. 242/06: Applies for the Renewal of Ancestral Mining Lease No. 40 for Further Period of 21 Years.” Kuala Lumpur: Arkib Negara Malaysia, 1906.
Perak Government. The Perak Government Gazette for the Year 1907. Vol. 20. Kuala Lumpur: F.M.S. Government Printing Office, 1907. https://archive.org/details/perak-govt-gazette-1907v20.
“Perak Sultanate. Installation of New Chiefs.” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, January 11, 1917. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19170111-1.2.14.
“SS Delhi.” Wikipedia, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Delhi.
“SULTANS IN PENANG. FAREWELL ON P. & O. STEAMER.” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, May 22, 1911. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19110522-1.2.50.
“THE FEDERAL COUNCIL. First Meeting at Kuala Kangsar on December 10.” The Straits Times, November 4, 1909. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19091104-1.2.80.
“THE GOVERNOR IN PERAK, OPENING OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL, IMPORTANT INAUGURAL SPEECH.” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, December 13, 1909. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19091213-1.2.41.
“TO-DAY IN HISTORY.” Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, November 6, 1909. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/pinangazette19091106-1.2.7.
Yahya, Hairi. Tok Lembang: Pengasas Pekan Tambun, 2014.
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