The true story of my maternal grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman

Assalamualaikum Good Day. Dear readers, the following article is about my maternal great-grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman as narrated by my uncle Shaikh Mohamed Noordin. Even though I was not yet born at that time, the story itself made me feel close to my great-grandfather as though I know him personally. Please continue reading this story and I hope you too will to get to know him better.

The true story of my maternal grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman 

By Shaikh Mohamed Noordin

The story that I want to share here this time is about the father of my mother Shamsam Nihar - my maternal grandfather who was named after his grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir Khasab. His official name was Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman as his father was Sheikh Abdul Rahman. I called him Tok Yan as his family nickname was Chik Yan.

Tok Yan was born in Ipoh, Perak circa 1909 as the second child of 16 siblings from parents of aristocratic lineage. His grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir Khasab was an entrepreneur who had as one of his many businesses the Hajj pilgrimage and tourism in Mecca. Tok Yan’s father Sheikh Abdul Rahman was a pioneer member of the Perak State Legislature. He lived in quite an isolated home in the 3rd mile, off Kuala Kangsar Road.

My grandfather Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman @ Tok Yan.

Although Tok Yan’s father Sheikh Abdul Rahman was born in Penang in Jawi Peranakan family, he settled down in Ipoh Perak after taking Che Mariam as his second wife. Sheikh Abdul Rahman had two daughters with his first wife in Penang. 

Tok Yan's father, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Shaikh Abdul Kadir Kashab.(Left)

Tok Yan's mother, Che Mariam bte Kulup Anjang Yusuf.(Right)

Tok Yan's grandmother, Andak Sindik.

Tok Yan's house in 3rd mile, Kuala Kangsar Road.

Tok Yan’s mother Che Mariam or Che Yam was the second daughter of Andak Sindik and Mohamed Yusuf @ Kulup Anjang Yusuf, the 10th Dato Panglima Kinta. Her sisters were Che Zaliha @ Che Ah, and, Yang Kalsom @ Che Yai. The three siblings Che Ah, Che Yam, and Che Yai carried the aboriginal bloodline of their mother Andak Sindik. Andak Sindik's father, Uda Kecil, was Chieftain of the native tribe of Temiar. Uda Kecil was also an elephant herder.

Perak State Council members 1932. Tok Yan's father, Sheikh Abdul Rahman was at the last row and in the middle.

Tok Yan's grandfathar, Kulup Mohamed Yusuf @ Anjang Yusuf, 10th Dato' Panglima Kinta.

Tok Yan married his second cousin Fatimah bte Che Ros - my grandmother. Following the style of address of a grandmother in the Panglima Kinta tradition, I as a descendent of this tradition called my grandmother “Ta”.

Ta Fatimah's mother Andak Bakyah and Tok Yan’s mother Che Mariam were first cousins - their mothers Andak Sindik and Ngah Manah were siblings and the daughters of Uda Kecil.

My Tok Yan and his first wife, my granny Ta' Fatimah.

Sadly, Tok Yan divorced Ta Fatimah after they had three children, namely my elder uncle Shamsudin @ Lope, my mother Shamsam Nihar @ Che The, and my younger uncle Nuruddin @ Che Mu. After the divorce, they both re-married. Tok Yan married Teh Bakyah, and they adopted a daughter named Mariani as they could not conceive a child together. Ta Fatimah married a Chinese man named Ong Seng Hee @ Mohamed Ariff bin Abdullah, and they too had no children from their union.   

Tok Yan and Teh Takyah, his second wife and their adopted daughter, Mariani.

My grandfather Tok Yan, my uncle Shaik Buniamun @ Mamu Bachik and myself.

I am grateful to be able to grow up within the lifetime of my maternal grandfather Tok Yan as my paternal grandfather Shaik Natar died young. Thus, I knew Tok Yan intimately before he died at the age of 64 in 1984.

When Tok Yan was a boy of 10, he caught the typhoid fever, which caused him to lose his hearing and he became deaf and mute for the rest of his life. Due to this tragedy, he was lavished with a lot more attention from both his parents as well as other members of the family than his siblings. In fact, he was adopted by his aunt Che Zaliha or Che Ah who had no children of her own. Che Ah also cared for two of his younger brothers Chik Khalid and Chik Shuib. 

Tok Yan's aunty as well as his adopted mother, Che Ah and his cousin Shamlan.

Both his parents as well as his adoptive mother Che Ah died soon after that, and Tok Yan’s disability coupled with his lack of an education made his life difficult compared to his other siblings. Nevertheless, it would be during hard times that a human’s virtues would shine through, and in the case of Tok Yan, it certainly did. His tenacity and perseverance in facing life’s challenges made him resilient. He refused to bother anyone, let alone ask for help from his siblings, even though most of them were doing way better than him in their respective lives.Tok Yan’s handicap and his aristocracy saw to it that he was pampered. As his family was wealthy enough to guarantee his future, indeed not very much was demanded of him at all to get a proper education compared to his other siblings. However, this proved unfortunate when Malaya fell during the Second World War. The luxurious mollycoddled life of his adolescence and young adulthood ended when the Japanese captured and occupied Malaya from 1942 to 1945.

After Merdeka, to lift himself from financial indigence, Tok Yan secured himself a job as a plumber with the Ipoh Municipal Council until his retirement. To supplement his income, he applied his skills in the art of photography. Many relatives and friends patronise his creative services for their private functions.

Tok Yan also possessed remarkable talent in repairing and assembling technical equipment. He repaired TVs, watches, electric generators, and so on, and was able to disassemble and reassemble electrical items easily. He was also very innovative in creating toys for his grandchildren such as "magic cube", desk games, leaving his grandchildren with fond memories.

Later in life, his eldest brother Tan Sri Datuk Chik Mohamad Yusuf @ CM Yusuf, former Dato' Bendahara of Perak and former Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (1964 to 1974), gave Tok Yan a monthly allowance out of his own pocket. But once again tragedy hit and his brother died in a road accident on 26 June 1975 at the age of 68. The monetary assistance ended. 

Tok Yan's eldest brother, Tan Sri Datuk Chik Mohamed Yusuf, former Speaker Dewan Rakyat, 1964 – 1974.

Let us pray for Tok Yan and departed family members so that their souls may be placed together among the good and blessed.Tok Yan’s younger brother Datuk Ridhuan @ Chik Wan was former Deputy High Commissioner of Police; another younger brother Datuk Khalid was Protocol Officer to the Chief Minister of Sabah; Chik Musa @ Chik Mad worked and resided in Saudi Arabia; and the youngest Datuk Wan Zahir was former Deputy Secretary of the Parliament of Malaysia.

Special Thanks

I am especially indebted to my mother Puan Shamsam Nihar bte Sheikh Abdul Kadir and her adopted sister Puan Mariani bte Abdul Kadir for their reminiscence and revelation about my grandfather Tok Yan @ Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman as my main source of reference in constructing the family tree of Shaik Ahmad Meah bin Shaik Gulam Meah.

PS: Some of the names used in the family tree are nicknames of the person. Therefore, the information can always be updated at any time.

Family tree Indicators:

•  Names in green boxes - stand for male descendents

•  Names in pink boxes - stand for female descendents

•  Names in red font - stand for female names

•  Names in bold - stand for direct descendents

•  Names in italic - stand for spouses