It was a few years ago when I stumbled upon Tun Hanif Omar at what was once known as the Taman Perpaduan Restoran Nasi Vanggey outlet. It was a fine Sunday morning, and Tun Hanif Omar was enjoying breakfast at the restaurant with his family.
It was a long time ago, and I couldn’t really remember what we were talking about, but it led to Tun Hanif Omar revealing that he has many relatives living in and around Tambun. Honestly speaking, I didn’t think much about it then since I was very ignorant and knew nothing about Tun Hanif Omar’s grandfather at that point in time. In fact, back then, I didn’t even know much about my own ancestor who hid behind the alias known today as Kulup Lembang!
Grandson of Mohamed Jabar bin Bardot
The tall, towering personality we all know today as Tun Mohammed Hanif bin Omar is the well-known former Inspector General of Police who held that coveted position from 1974 to 1994.1
He is the grandson of Mohamed Jabar bin Bardot, and Tun’s late first cousin once wrote a lengthy discussion regarding the identities of Mohamed Jabar bin Bardot and the famous Ngah Jabor, contemporary of J.W.W. Birch. I have read the lengthy written discussion several times, and I am convinced that Tun’s late first cousin stopped short of denying or confirming that their grandfather was the famous Ngah Jabor. What is obvious is the incredible relationship between their grandfather and Raja Idris (sometimes spelled as Raja Dris, later Sultan Idris Shah I); they were revealed to be milk brothers, apparently breastfed by the same woman. It is also undeniable that Mohamed Jabar was one of the first pioneers of tin mining in Kampar. Interestingly, the famous Ngah Jabor was also very close to Raja Idris, and he was trusted to look after Sultan Idris Shah I’s mining ventures in Kampar. If Mohamed Jabar bin Bardot was indeed the famous Ngah Jabor, then descendants of Kulup Lembang ought to ponder upon what Tun’s late first cousin had written in his lengthy discussion. Pay attention, for he wrote that Jabor bin Bardot can “always be seen in both the households of the Dato Sagor in Kampung Gajah as well as that of Dato Maharaja Lela across the river in Pasir Salak.”2
As the Kampar pieces fall into place at Tambun
There are numerous peculiar coincidences linking Kampar and Tambun, but I'll outline only a few too bizarre to dismiss as chance.
Tambun’s hilltop palace
The million-dollar hilltop palace at Tambun was built by the late Sultan Idris Shah II in the late 1970s. He was the grandson of Sultan Idris Shah I. Sultan Idris Shah II was also a contemporary of Che Mohd Senawi, who served as the acting State Secretary of Perak during the Sultan’s reign. Many years later, Che Mohd Senawi’s son became the Chairman of Idris Hydraulic (Malaysia) Bhd, a company that has its origins deeply rooted in the historic Sultan Idris Mines.3
Former UMNO Kampar division chief at Tambun Height
Peja Azumu is a familiar figure to many descendants of Kulup Lembang, and it is believed that his father-in-law currently resides in Tambun Height. Peja’s father-in-law is a former UMNO Kampar division chief, and he was also one of the Board of Directors of Idris Hydraulic (Malaysia) Bhd, serving from 1992 to 1998.4
Blood relatives of Mohamed Jabar in Tambun
This is it! This is the Eureka moment that made me realize that there is a strong, unexplainable connection between Kampar and Tambun!
Lot 28518 is a peculiar parcel of freehold land located right at the heart of Tambun, the playing ground of Kulup Lembang. It is more or less 4 acres in size, but this peculiar freehold land has a lot of names in its list of ownership. The following names are the ones that made all the difference, and surprisingly, they are all blood relatives of Mohamed Jabar bin Bardot: Saejah binti Anjang Ahmad (grandniece of Mohamed Jabar), Maimon binti Montak (great-grandniece of Mohamed Jabar), Hashim bin Montak (great-grandnephew of Mohamed Jabar), Khalid bin Montak (great-grandnephew of Mohamed Jabar), and Abu bin Nordin (great-grandnephew of Mohamed Jabar).5
Tun Hanif Omar certainly wasn’t kidding when he said that he has many relatives over in Tambun a few years ago, and the ones mentioned earlier are just a few.
Who could explain Tambun’s bizarre oddity?
It has been quite some time now that I have had this growing belief that those from Kampar and Gopeng could very well explain the oddity surrounding Tambun. It is highly likely that they even know who Kulup Lembang really was!
With the publication of this short post, descendants of Kulup Lembang who are not familiar with Tambun or have been relentlessly fooled by their own relatives should now have a good reference to guide them toward uncovering the truth regarding their mysterious ancestor.
1Urus Setia KPN (Komunikasi Korporat), “Tun Mohammed Hanif Bin Omar,” Polis Diraja Malaysia, 2016, https://www.rmp.gov.my/infor-korporate/ketua-polis-negara/tun-mohammed-hanif-bin-omar
2Mohd Hashim bin Sam Abdul Latiff, “The Identity of Ngah Jabor and Mohamed Jabor Bin Bardot (1858-1921),” Journal of the Malaysian Branch, Royal Asiatic Society 53, no. 2 (1980): 7, 8, 10, 16, 17.
3“Hilltop Palace,” The Straits Times, December 8, 1976, 18, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19761208-1.2.95.9; “Daim’s Nephew Set to Take over Ailing Idris Hydraulic,” The Business Times, July 14, 2000, 13; Commonwealth Relations Office, The Commonwealth Relations Office List (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1965), 330.
4“DATO’ MOHAMMED RADZI @ MOHD RADZI BIN MANAN,” I3investor, accessed February 23, 2024, https://boston.i3investor.com/web/corporatefigure/detail/B_11824_1331682109?id=7098-19440-1989700338; Jennifer L. Carr, Major Companies of The Far East and Australasia 1993/94: Volume 1: South East Asia (Springer Science & Business Media, 2013), 80; John Bunyan Sylvia Looi, “New Perak MB Keeps It in the Family,” Malay Mail, 2018, https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/05/14/new-perak-mb-keeps-it-in-the-family/1630456; “Umno Polls: Perak Gets Nine New Division Chairmen,” The Star Online, 2018, https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/01/umno-polls-perak-gets-nine-new-division-chairmen.
5Pejabat Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Perak, “Catatan Carian Persendirian: GRN 31839, Lot 28518” (Mukim Hulu Kinta, 2015).
Bibliography
Carr, Jennifer L. Major Companies of The Far East and Australasia 1993/94: Volume 1: South East Asia. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.
Commonwealth Relations Office. The Commonwealth Relations Office List. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1965.
“Daim’s Nephew Set to Take over Ailing Idris Hydraulic.” The Business Times, July 14, 2000.
“DATO’ MOHAMMED RADZI @ MOHD RADZI BIN MANAN.” I3investor. Accessed February 23, 2024. https://boston.i3investor.com/web/corporatefigure/detail/B_11824_1331682109?id=7098-19440-1989700338.
“Hilltop Palace.” The Straits Times, December 8, 1976. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19761208-1.2.95.9.
Latiff, Mohd Hashim bin Sam Abdul. “The Identity of Ngah Jabor and Mohamed Jabor Bin Bardot (1858-1921).” Journal of the Malaysian Branch, Royal Asiatic Society 53, no. 2 (1980): 16.
Pejabat Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Perak. “Catatan Carian Persendirian: GRN 31839, Lot 28518.” Mukim Hulu Kinta, 2015.
Sylvia Looi, John Bunyan. “New Perak MB Keeps It in the Family.” Malay Mail, 2018. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/05/14/new-perak-mb-keeps-it-in-the-family/1630456.
“Umno Polls: Perak Gets Nine New Division Chairmen.” The Star Online, 2018. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/01/umno-polls-perak-gets-nine-new-division-chairmen.
Urus Setia KPN (Komunikasi Korporat). “Tun Mohammed Hanif Bin Omar.” Polis Diraja Malaysia, 2016. https://www.rmp.gov.my/infor-korporate/ketua-polis-negara/tun-mohammed-hanif-bin-omar.
No comments:
Post a Comment