Zainal Abidin was probably the greatest Panglima Kinta, or territorial chief of Kinta, in the history of Perak before he was deposed from office by the British. He witnessed everything: the blissful tranquility, the turmoils of war, and the sudden growth of Kinta. He saw it all in Kinta, from before and after the mass arrival of Europeans, or white men, that was bound to happen right after the conclusion of the Perak War. He was not known to be fabulously rich like other Kinta territorial chiefs, but nobody can deny that he led Kinta through her finest and darkest hours right before his unfortunate deposition.
I often wonder what he actually looks like.
Is it true that somewhere out there we have an actual photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin?
The sudden appearance of the alleged photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin
I saw the alleged photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin twice, both at gatherings held a few years ago here in Ipoh. Both gatherings that I attended were quite lively but orderly, unlike those held at fun fairs with nasty clowns running around twisting facts, spinning lies, and frightening children and even adults. No, luckily, there were no scary clowns.
Gathering at Masjid Al-Khairiah
I first saw the photograph at a gathering that was held at Masjid Al-Khairiah, Kepayang (Fair Park) on July 16th 2016. For the record, I didn’t crash the party. I was cordially invited.
The photograph was presented in a suspicious manner, and the shoddy label claimed that it was taken back in 1881 at Kuala Kangsar. The label also claimed that Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin sat on the first elephant from the left and Toh Muda Mohamed Yusof on the second elephant from the left.
Gathering at Masjid Panglima Kinta
I saw it once again almost two years later at another gathering that was held at Masjid Panglima Kinta on June 23rd 2018.
This time, it was presented in a much better manner, but it was labeled with the same description as the one I saw back in 2016 at Masjid Al-Khairiah.
I guess the same individual or group must have been responsible for putting the alleged photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin on public display for everyone to see at those two gatherings.
When was it really taken?
There was something not quite right with the photograph that was seen back in 2016 at Masjid Al-Khairiah. Due to its suspicious public display and obviously shoddy presentation, my gut feeling compelled me to conduct a little research into its origins.
1886, according to Colonial Trading Company
It turned out that the photograph was a reproduction produced by the Colonial Trading Company and posted on their Facebook and Instagram accounts on February 9th 2014.1
The reproduced photograph came with a nice frame and a title claiming it was a picture of the 10th Panglima Kinta and his entourage, taken somewhere in Perak in 1886. Under the title, it was stated in smaller print that the reproduced photograph was attributed to a pictorial book authored by Wendy Khadijah Moore and published in 2004.2
1886, according to Wendy Khadijah Moore
Wendy Khadijah Moore included the photograph in her book.3 The inclusion was part of her admirable attempt to create a delightful visual representation of Malaysia’s past history from the year 1850 to 1895.4 She didn’t provide many details about the photograph, just a simple note saying that it is a photograph of “Panglima Kinta, Enche Yusof”, taken circa 1886.5
What if it was taken in or around 1886?
If the photograph was taken in 1886, as alleged by the Colonial Trading Company and Wendy Khadijah Moore, then it is indeed logical to see the 10th Panglima Kinta in the photograph.
It is due to the fact that Zainal Abidin had already been deposed by the British from office when he met Jacques de Morgan at Kelian Kindin (somewhere between present-day Changkat Kinding and Tanjung Rambutan) on August 2nd 1884. It was a double blow for the ex-Panglima Kinta, for he was not only removed from the office of Panglima Kinta but also from his position as Dato' of Ulu Kinta.6 Zainal Abidin’s successor was indeed Yusuf, who is also known today as the 10th Panglima Kinta.7
Nobody knows when it was really taken
Due to its strange inconsistencies, I sent an email to Arkib Negara Malaysia on February 16th 2022,8 enquiring about a copy of the photograph that is still in their possession today. Their copy is titled “PANGLIMA KINTA, KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK, T.T.” and has the description “PANGLIMA KINTA, ENCIK YUSOH KETIKA MENAIKI GAJAH DI KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK. G.103 (NG. 103)”.9
“Adalah dimaklumkan berdasarkan semakan awal sistem COMPASS, tiada catatan tarikh berkenaan bahan tersebut.”10
On February 18th 2022, Puan Nurul Huda Abdullah (Pegawai Arkib) replied to my email, and I was not really surprised when she said that the photograph did not come with any information that could help researchers determine when it was taken. Without that critical piece of information, any Tom, Dick, or Harry could claim that it was taken in 1881 or 1886!
What if it was taken during the first Durbar in 1897?
There was something odd, yet unique, about the man seen holding an exquisite umbrella, perhaps a ceremonial umbrella fit for royalty, while sitting on the first elephant from the left of the photograph. The man had two distinct features which set him apart from the others in the photograph:
He wore a uniform that was highly likely white in colour.
He wore a sash that ran from his left shoulder to his right waist.
Sultan Idris Shah I and his followers
I had a suspicion early on that the man would be key to unlocking the truth regarding the alleged photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin. I began discussing the photograph with someone who also has a deep interest in the history of Kinta. He loves surfing and could very well be my distant blood relative. I will not mention his name here, but he is registered in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks database. It was he who pointed out to me the existence of a photograph of Sultan Idris Shah I and his followers.
Arkib Negara Malaysia has a copy of the photograph, titled “SULTAN IDRIS, PERAK WITH HIS FOLLOWERS, KUALA KANGSAR; 1897.” On their system, the photograph is dated December 31st 1897, but I suspect that the date is not entirely correct. In this photograph, four men can be seen wearing sashes that run from their right shoulders to their left waists, and one of them is wearing what appears to be a white uniform.11
The National Archives UK has an excellent copy of the photograph, which on their site is titled 'Sultan of Perak and personal staff.' dated simply 1897. In this very clear copy, the sashes worn by the four men can be seen clearly, and one of them clearly wore a white uniform.12
Taken during the first Durbar at Kuala Kangsar
I believe the photograph in the possession of Arkib Negara Malaysia was not taken on December 31st 1897, but rather sometime during the first Durbar held at Kuala Kangsar from July 13th to July 17th 1897.13 My argument is simple: another photograph, clearly taken during the first Durbar, is also dated December 31st 1897, by Arkib Negara Malaysia,14 and that is clearly a significant mistake!
Henry Lionel Velge
So, who was the man wearing a white uniform with a sash running from his left shoulder to his right waist, as seen in the photograph with Sultan Idris Shah I?
The man was Henry Lionel Velge. Despite his unmistakably foreign name and overall appearance, he wasn’t actually born in a foreign country. He was born in Malacca on June 17th 1868, and later married Alice Bertha Cropley in 1894 in Taiping.15
Clerk to three Sultans of Perak
Henry L. Velge, or H. L. Velge, was best known as the clerk to not one, but three Sultans of Perak, beginning with Sultan Idris Shah I, Sultan Abdul Jalil, and finally Sultan Alang Iskandar Shah.16 He was sometimes described as their Private Secretary or English Secretary.17
Why did Henry Lionel Velge wear a white uniform?
Henry L. Velge joined the Perak Government service back in 1889 and was appointed as the Sultan of Perak’s clerk in 1894.18
In other words, he had joined the British Colonial Service and must have been given approval to wear specific uniforms when he was on duty. The white uniform he wore on the day he was photographed together with Sultan Idris Shah I looks very much like the White Tropical uniform that was commonly used by Colonial officials stationed in tropical countries.19
That White Tropical uniform was not an entirely new uniform when Henry L. Velge wore it back in 1897. Shocked and bewildered Perak Malays had seen it years earlier when British administrators like Birch and Swettenham reached Perak shores in the 1870s.20 Perhaps their white uniforms were the reason why they were called ‘Orang Putih’ in the first place.
Why did Henry Lionel Velge wear a sash?
After taking a closer look at the photograph where Henry L. Velge was photographed together with Sultan Idris Shah I, it is clear that only three other individuals wore the same sash as Velge. I do not know who the other two were, but one is certainly quite familiar, for he was none other than Dato' Setia Jeragan Abdul Shukor.
It is obvious that the photography session was special to Sultan Idris Shah I. It was a photograph of the Sultan with his loyal followers or personal staff. A group of people who were close to the Sultan, and I believe those four who each wore an identical sash were among the closest.
Henry L. Velge was Sultan Idris Shah I’s clerk for many years. Before he was known as Dato Setia, Jeragan Abdul Shukor was the Sultan’s Malay secretary for many years as well. Both of them had been named in the past as part of Sultan Idris Shah I’s household.21 It is highly likely that Henry Lionel Velge and the other three wore the same, identical sash because of their importance and closeness to the Sultan. It had to be!
The mysterious man who hid behind the alias Kulup Lembang was also known to be close to Sultan Idris Shah I, but he was not known to be a part of the Sultan’s household. Here is an interesting thought: Did Sultan Idris Shah I’s close followers or personal staff know who Kulup Lembang really was?
To be honest, I haven't seen other photographs showing the same sash being worn in any other occasions or events. It's possible that the sash was created and used solely during the reign of Sultan Idris Shah I, and it's quite fortunate that it was captured in at least one photograph taken during the first Durbar held at Kuala Kangsar in 1897.
This is obviously off-topic, but it is worth mentioning that a religious teacher known as Haji Wan Mohamed (Haji Wan Muhammad) was also considered to be part of Sultan Idris Shah I’s household.22 In fact, it was Sultan Idris Shah I who appointed him as the Mufti of Perak.23 His descendants today have flourished in Tambun, Tanjung Rambutan, Chemor, and various other places in Ipoh. His granddaughter also happened to be married to Toh Sedewa Raja Dato Tak.
Conclusions
From this point onward, photograph XXX will refer to:
The photograph displayed publicly at Masjid Al-Khairiah, Kepayang (Fair Park) on July 16th 2016.
The photograph displayed publicly at Masjid Panglima Kinta on June 23rd 2018.
The photograph reproduced by the Colonial Trading Company.
The photograph included in Wendy Khadijah Moore’s book.
The photograph in the possession of Arkib Negara Malaysia.
After years of research, I can safely conclude that:
Photograph XXX was not taken in 1881 nor 1886. It is highly likely that it was taken during the first Durbar held at Kuala Kangsar from July 13th to July 17th,1897.
The man seen holding an exquisite umbrella, perhaps a ceremonial umbrella fit for royalty, and sitting on the first elephant from the left of photograph XXX, could not be ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin. It is plain obvious that the man was actually Henry Lionel Velge, who is well known as the clerk to three Sultans of Perak.
Certain parties may have purposely manipulated photograph XXX and concocted a foolish hoax to fool innocent bystanders into believing that ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin was a tall and thin man.
The big questions
Yes, Kulup Lembang was a former Dato' or ex-Dato', but I want to make it clear that he was not the jealous Dato' who murdered one of his wives out of silly, blind jealousy.
Now, I began publicly sharing my research into the history of my mysterious ancestor back in 2015, which is more or less 10 years ago. But before it all began, I had never come across any known photograph of ex-Panglima Kinta Zainal Abidin. Abdul Talib bin Haji Ahmad never mentioned anything about it in his controversial Riwayat Kinta booklet. Heck, even both Salma Nasution Khoo and Abdur-Razzaq Lubis didn’t mention anything about it in their Kinta Valley book. If such photographs exist, past local history book authors would have made some effort to either mention or include them in their books.
The sudden appearance of such a hoax is unprecedented. For me, the timing is suspicious!
Why did such a hoax suddenly appear out of the blue in 2016?
Why did such a hoax suddenly appear out of the blue a year after I publicly shared my research into the history of Kulup Lembang?
Why did it have to suddenly appear out of the blue at a gathering where I was invited to attend?
Enough is enough
As for those big questions, I can only speculate on the answers in silence.
But for now, I am calling on those working overtime to shamelessly twist and spin Kinta's history at their whim and fancy to stop their foolish antics at once. Don’t you ever again dare to think that every single Malay in Kinta is gullible and stupid.
1Colonial Trading Company Pty Ltd, “The 10th. Dato’ Panglima Kinta and Entourage. Perak, Malaysia 1886,” Social Media, Facebook, February 9, 2014, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=611776478893480&set=a.480541125350350; Colonial Trading Company, “The 10th. Dato’ Panglima Kinta and Entourage. Perak, Malaysia 1886,” Social Media, Instagram, February 9, 2014, https://www.instagram.com/p/kLw8j_Iymv/?taken-by=colonialtrading.
2Colonial Trading Company Pty Ltd, “The 10th. Dato’ Panglima Kinta and Entourage. Perak, Malaysia 1886.”
3Wendy Khadijah Moore, Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400-2004 (Singapore: Archipelago Press, in association with Arkib Negara Malaysia and The New Straits Times Press, 2004), 60.
4Moore, 41.
5Moore, 61.
6Andrée Jaunay, Jacques de Morgan’s Explorations in the Malay Peninsula, 1884 / Andrée Jaunay, with Contributions by Christine Lorre, Antonio J. Guerreiro, Antoine Verney ; Preface by Genevieve Dollfus ; Foreword by Christian Pelras ; Translated by Allison Calla, Mary De (Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2020), 30–31.
7R. J. Wilkinson, Papers on Malay Subjects: History, Part IV. Council Minutes, Perak. 1880-1882 (Kuala Lumpur: J. Russell at F.M.S. Govt. Press, 1909), 65.
8SAS, second great-grandson of Kulup Lembang, “Photograph of Panglima Kinta, Kuala Kangsar, Perak,” February 16, 2022.
9Jabatan Arkib Negara Malaysia, “PANGLIMA KINTA, KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK, T.T.,” Website, Arkib Negara Malaysia, accessed June 13, 2018, http://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/868038.
10Nurul Huda Abdullah, “Fwd: Photograph of Panglima Kinta, Kuala Kangsar, Perak,” February 18, 2022.
11Jabatan Arkib Negara Malaysia, “SULTAN IDRIS, PERAK WITH HIS FOLLOWERS, KUALA KANGSAR; 1897,” Website, Online Finding Aids, December 31, 1897, https://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/868497.
12The National Archives UK, “CO 1069-505-07,” Website, Flickr, 1897, https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/7893293158/in/album-72157631302263418/.
13Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, “PERSIDANGAN DURBAR,” Website, Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, 2001, https://www.pnm.gov.my/yangpertama/Sidang_Durbar.htm.
14Jabatan Arkib Negara Malaysia, “FIRST FMS DURBAR, ISTANA NEGARA, KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK; 14-17 JULY 1897,” Website, Online Finding Aids, December 31, 1897, https://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/867775.
15David Mason, “Henry Lionel Velge,” Website, Geneanet, accessed March 21, 2025, https://gw.geneanet.org/dmmason?lang=en&n=velge&oc=0&p=henry+lionel.
16The Straits Times, “HE WAS CLERK TO THREE SULTANS,” The Straits Times, June 19, 1953, 7, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19530619-1.2.89.
17C. K. Campbell, “Reminiscences Of A Malayan Old Timer,” Singapore Standard, January 11, 1953, 8, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/sundaystandard19530111-1.2.70; Rimba, “BYGONE PERAK,” The Straits Times, December 3, 1920, 9, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19201203-1.2.66.
18Malaya Tribune, “Untitled,” Malaya Tribune, May 30, 1917, Singapore edition, 3, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/maltribune19170530-1.2.12.
19Lord Chamberlain’s Office, Dress and Insignia Worn at His Majesty’s Court, ed. Herbert A. P. Trendell (London: Harrison & Sons, 1921), 53–54, https://archive.org/details/dressinsigniawor00greauoft.
20John Falconer and J. M. Gullick, “The Bandar Bahru Photograph of 1875,” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 62, no. 1 (1989): 24, 27, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41493625.
21The Straits Times, “The Sultan of Perak.,” The Straits Times, March 30, 1914, 10, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19140330-1.2.70.
22The Straits Times, 10.
23Talib Samat, Kenali tokoh berjasa, vol. 1 (Ampang, Selangor: Pekan Ilmu Publications Sdn Bhd, 2010), 144.
Bibliography
Abdullah, Nurul Huda. “Fwd: Photograph of Panglima Kinta, Kuala Kangsar, Perak,” February 18, 2022.
Campbell, C. K. “Reminiscences Of A Malayan Old Timer.” Singapore Standard, January 11, 1953. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/sundaystandard19530111-1.2.70.
Colonial Trading Company. “The 10th. Dato’ Panglima Kinta and Entourage. Perak, Malaysia 1886.” Social Media. Instagram, February 9, 2014. https://www.instagram.com/p/kLw8j_Iymv/?taken-by=colonialtrading.
Colonial Trading Company Pty Ltd. “The 10th. Dato’ Panglima Kinta and Entourage. Perak, Malaysia 1886.” Social Media. Facebook, February 9, 2014. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=611776478893480&set=a.480541125350350.
Falconer, John, and J. M. Gullick. “The Bandar Bahru Photograph of 1875.” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 62, no. 1 (1989): 14. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41493625.
Jabatan Arkib Negara Malaysia. “FIRST FMS DURBAR, ISTANA NEGARA, KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK; 14-17 JULY 1897.” Website. Online Finding Aids, December 31, 1897. https://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/867775.
———. “PANGLIMA KINTA, KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK, T.T.” Website. Arkib Negara Malaysia. Accessed June 13, 2018. http://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/868038.
———. “SULTAN IDRIS, PERAK WITH HIS FOLLOWERS, KUALA KANGSAR; 1897.” Website. Online Finding Aids, December 31, 1897. https://ofa.arkib.gov.my/ofa/group/asset/868497.
Jaunay, Andrée. Jacques de Morgan’s Explorations in the Malay Peninsula, 1884 / Andrée Jaunay, with Contributions by Christine Lorre, Antonio J. Guerreiro, Antoine Verney ; Preface by Genevieve Dollfus ; Foreword by Christian Pelras ; Translated by Allison Calla, Mary De. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2020.
Malaya Tribune. “Untitled.” Malaya Tribune, May 30, 1917, Singapore edition. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/maltribune19170530-1.2.12.
Mason, David. “Henry Lionel Velge.” Website. Geneanet. Accessed March 21, 2025. https://gw.geneanet.org/dmmason?lang=en&n=velge&oc=0&p=henry+lionel.
Moore, Wendy Khadijah. Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400-2004. Singapore: Archipelago Press, in association with Arkib Negara Malaysia and The New Straits Times Press, 2004.
Office, Lord Chamberlain’s. Dress and Insignia Worn at His Majesty’s Court. Edited by Herbert A. P. Trendell. London: Harrison & Sons, 1921. https://archive.org/details/dressinsigniawor00greauoft.
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. “PERSIDANGAN DURBAR.” Website. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, 2001. https://www.pnm.gov.my/yangpertama/Sidang_Durbar.htm.
Rimba. “BYGONE PERAK.” The Straits Times, December 3, 1920. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19201203-1.2.66.
Samat, Talib. Kenali tokoh berjasa. Vol. 1. Ampang, Selangor: Pekan Ilmu Publications Sdn Bhd, 2010.
SAS, second great-grandson of Kulup Lembang. “Photograph of Panglima Kinta, Kuala Kangsar, Perak,” February 16, 2022.
The National Archives UK. “CO 1069-505-07.” Website. Flickr, 1897. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/7893293158/in/album-72157631302263418/.
The Straits Times. “HE WAS CLERK TO THREE SULTANS.” The Straits Times, June 19, 1953. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19530619-1.2.89.
———. “The Sultan of Perak.” The Straits Times, March 30, 1914. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19140330-1.2.70.
Wilkinson, R. J. Papers on Malay Subjects: History, Part IV. Council Minutes, Perak. 1880-1882. Kuala Lumpur: J. Russell at F.M.S. Govt. Press, 1909.
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