Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

A Visit to Telok Blangah

J.S.

A 2o..millule drive from Johore Bahru. across the Causeway. along Bukit Tirnah. Clementi. Pas.1f P:mjang and Telok U/:mgah roads will bring you to a phlcc steeped in history though the remaining landmnrks a rc now rest ricted to the Telok Ulangnh mosque area only. The name "Telak Blangn" is indicated north of Pulau Brani in J .N. Bellin's map of 1755.

On the 11th of March. 1823 Colonel Farquhar, Singapore's First Resident was severely wounded by an Arab trader $yed Yassin when Farquhar discovered him hiding in an outhouse in Kampong Glam. Earlier in the evening Syed Yassin had run amok and murdered a businessman. Pcngernn Sharif Omar. who hOld caused Syed Yassi n to be jailed as he was unable to pay him back a debt of S400.00. This incident wus one or the r~asons that prompted Ramcs to advise Tcmcnggong Abdul Rahman and his rollowers. con­sisting mostly or Orang LaUi rrom Siak, to movc from Kampong Glam 10 Tclok Dlangah. An a r~a or about 200 acres st retching rrom Tanjong Pagar to TcJok IlInngah was allotted to the Temenggong and his people. Munshi Abdullah has wriH~n in llikayar Abdltllah thai Rames o rdered a thousand dollars to be sent to the Tcmenggong and ror the houses or the men who went with the T~m~nggong. Raf11es paid to some a hundred dollars, to others fifty or sixty. Farquhar'S son-in­law. Mr. F.J . Bernard. head or the Police a nd Prisons provided labour to clem the si l~. It is recorded in Tile Journal oj Ihe huJian Archipdago that "on 28th April, 1823 lOCo'l l convicts were: ordered 10 work on the rouds us there was a scarcity or labour."

Temenggong Abdul Rahman had made his headquarters in Singapore: since HIJ I­Together with Suhun Hussain "'Iohamed Shuh. he signed the Singapore Treaty with

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III,Nlty

Stamrord Rames on 6th February. 1819. Temenggong Abdul Rahman was a very understanding and helprul person. as evident in his dealings with Vice-Adm iral Wolterbcck and Stamrord Rames. It would be unrair to make any fina l pro­nouncement about Temenggong Abdul Rahman without taking into consideration the o ... crall politic.11 situation that cxisted in the 1820s and the numerous tasks he had to racc in rel ation to his rollowers at TcJok Blang'lh. In a report dated 10th January. IRN addressed to George Swinton, Secreta ry to the Government. Fort William. John Crawfu rd. Resident of Singaporc from 1823 to 1826. wrote, '"The residence of the Tumongong and his numerous and disorderly followers was a nuis,,'lncc of the first magnitude". Some months later Crawru rd wrote. " the TUl1lunggong in particular. the most in­fluential and intelligent individual of the two, has been highly respectable and steady throughout the whole of the prescnt negotiations and l owe in great measure to his support such success as I may venture to anticipatc·'. Tcmenggong Abdul Rahman died on 8th December. 1825 and was succccdcd by his second so n Tun Ibmhim . who was only 15 years o ld .

Haji Mohamed Said bin Haji Sulaiman in his flikarol Johor writes ... Bemllfla sa-le/lIII Temenggollg Abdltl Rahman manx­kat maka plttera-nyo bernama Ibrahim (Ii­OIlgkull11enXgallljkanjadi Temenggong o/eh Bem/ahara Tun Ali yang dalang berallgkat dar; Pahang di-persertakan a/ell Tuan Yallgll'rlltllma Gabnor Singnpura bemamo Bonllam di-hadapan orallg ramal di-Bukit Tanjollg Aur di-Telok Blanga."

"Shahadan ada-Ial! hal Temenggong /broham illt amot-/ail pandai membOlfo <lir; serla baik budi bailasa dan lingkall Jakll-llya )'allg demik;an kaseh sayong-Iah orang2 akon dla."

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Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

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Map of SinJ.:opore and Tf.'lok Blal/gall /8]3.

-- 3INVlrtlllf 1971--

Map of Singapore coast /jne in /97/. - 33-

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Temenggong DOling Ibrahim was e\en more energelie than his father and on lSI September. 1846 III Government 1I0use. then on FOri Canning. Go\'t~rnor UUllerworth presented him with .. sword of honour received from the Indian Govern­ment for hi s active role in suppressing piruey. Temenggong Daing Ibruhim died in 1862 lilld w .. s succeeded by his eldest SUII. /\bu Ulikar.

The gru\es of Temcnggollg Abdul Rahman . of his son Temenggong Daing Ibrahim and 34 o ther groves arc in all imposing cream-coloured building. As I stood In fronl of the build mg. I could see the ceaseless flow of traflic paSSing along Telok llJangah roud \\itll a deafening din on ly to be punctuated by the sporadic chriping of the 'riallx-riaIlX' (cicada) in the nearby graves on the slope ~lf the hill. Ikyond the zinc-roofed shops along the rO:ld ure the factories and godowns above which rose the mllsts of ships anchored lit the wllierfront. In the distance lie Pulau Urnni and Ulukang Mati.

Behind the building. co\ering the entire slope of the hili, lie the remains of .. few thous.and people, some of \\hom might ha\'e contributed to preserve the fe\\

remaming landmarks in Tclok llIangah and other parts of Singapore. The mosque, which is octugonal in shupe. was once" Dalai Rong Seri. (Audience I-Iall). The most va luable possession in the mosque is the 1000year old pulpit ( milllhar ) lind the mosque C:111 easily accommoda te about 500 worshippers. The Imam. Enche lIisham bin Musanif and five members of his staff are entrusted with the responsi bility of looki ng after thi s historic place ...... hich is owned by the GO\ernmcnl of Johore.

On 1st February, 18"'9. it was reported in thc Sil/gtlpore f,t'f' Prf'SS. "the greal changcs and in most instances irnpro\c­ments. which have I:I!..en placc of laic years m Smgapore. both as regards Ihe architecture of Ihe town and Ihe culti­\'ation of Ihe coun lry, arc nowhwcrc so ~trikingly manifested as at Telok Rlangah. the residence of His Highness the Tumunggung".

Telo!.. llIangah shuuld 1"10 longer be a Illere synonymn for Temcnggong Abdul Rahman but should be the object of hisToric .. 1 research leading to the en­deavours "hieh culminated in the found­ing of Modern Juhorc.

Tilt, Tt'/Qk B/ungoll Mosque, sid(' ~iew.

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Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1971 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia

Gel/cm/l'ieM' of Mount Faber. sholl'illg Telok BltllIgah Mosque on thl! Icft. ~/oM'.

The Millibar (pulpit) : it is 100 years old.

The Tombs al/d lomb stones of Temellggo11g Abdul Rahman alld Temel1ggollg Daeng Ibrahim.

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