A chronology of the life of M. I. Merican

M. I. Merican

Year	Age	Life	Remarks
1882		14 February: born in Church Street, George Town, Penang.	The settlement of Penang was a colony of Great Britain at that time.
1884	2	27 July: lost his father, Vapoo Merican Noordin.	Vapoo who was implicated for his involvement in the Penang riot of 1867 reportedly met a sudden death.
1884	2	Brought up by his uncle, Mohamad Habib Merican Noordin.	Habib, a favourite son of Noordin, was appointed executor and trustee of his father’s estate upon his demise.
c 1889	7	Starts school at Penang Free School (PFS).	He was reportedly one of the brilliant pupils in the Queen’s Scholarship class.
c 1900	18	Becomes a teacher at PFS.	One of his colleagues at PFS was Mohamad Iskandar.
1904	22	His name appears in a List of Qualified Jurors, Penang, 1904.	The Straits Settlements Government Gazette, December 23, 1904.
c 1908	26	He has become a senior teacher at PFS.	He was reportedly one of the favourite teachers.
1909	27	August: lost his uncle, Habib Merican Noordin.	The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 20 August 1909, p 5.
1910	28	Resigns his post at PFS.	He was persuaded by Tunku Ibrahim to come over to Alor Star to work under Kedah Government.
1911	29	6 February: appointed as Headmaster of Government English School (GES).	GES was the state’s first English school founded at the end of 1908. It was later renamed Sultan Abdul Hamid College.
1911	29	7 February: made Chief Clerk of the Census Office. GES was closed for about three months to allow him to complete his task at the Census Office.	At the time the first census covering the Unfederated Malay States was being held. Hence the Kedah Government decided to hold its first census.
1912	30	Mid-January: he is Acting Superintendant of Education.
1913	31	January: a proposal is forwarded by the Secretary to Government to the British Adviser nominating him (MIM) as Superintendent of Education.	The proposal did not work out in his favour.
1913	31	9 March: appointed Senior Auditor, North Kedah.
c 1914	32	Marries Chik binti Hassan of Satun (Malay: Setul), Thailand.	He had no children from this marriage; adopted Abdul Hamid and Darus who were nephews of his wife.
1916	34	28 January: appointed to sit on the Enactment Translation Committee.
1918	36	10 June: appointed Registrar, High Court.
1918	36	27 September: appointed member of the Committee to deliberate on the laws of the State.
1919	37	26 September: promoted to class IV in the Kedah Malay Civil Service.
1921	39	16 November: works as Registrar and Acting Sheriff.
1922	40	Mid-August: the inaugural of the Court of Appeal.	He was largely responsible for every preparation concerning the inaugural of the Court of Appeal.
1922	40	October: appointed to carry out the work of special Translator of Enactments etc.	He started translating the enactments during his spare time.
1922	40	22 October: appointed Assistant Superintendant Monopolies and Custom, Sungai Petani.
1923	41	10 November: appointed Assistant Legal Adviser.	Working as Assistant to the LA for almost 14 years, he was responsible for the translation of hundreds of enactments and rules.
1926	44	11 July: made Office Assistant, Legal Adviser’s office.	There seemed to be difference of opinion regarding the title of his appointment.
1926	44	Promoted from class IV to class III in the Kedah Malay Civil Service.
1927	45	Becomes Assistant Legal Adviser.
1931	49	1 June: lost his only (elder) brother, Mohamed Hussain Merican Noordin.	The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 2 June 1931, p 8.
1933	51	Promoted from class III to class II in the Kedah Malay Civil Service.	Kedah Gazette. The Straits Times, 9 December 1933, p 13
1935	53	He is acting Legal Adviser, Kedah, in place of Mr. C. W. Dawson.	Social and personal. The Straits Times, 7 September 1935, p 10
1936	54	Acting Superintendent of Education	Appointments in Kedah. The Straits Times, 9 May 1936, p 13.
c 1937	55	Lost his wife, Chik binti Hassan.
1937	55	He is acting as Superintendent, Monopolies and Customs, Kedah, in place of Che Kassim bin Che Ismail who is on four months’ leave.	Malaya Tribune, 20 May 1937, p 4.
1937	55	Acting Under Secretary II, State Council Office.
1937	55	April: asks for retirement.	He retired on pension as from 23 September 1937.
c 1939	57	Marries Che Chah, widow of one Che Daim.	He had no children from his second marriage.
1939	57	Late December: He is in Penang, sending Abdul Hamid to Deli.	Malaya Tribune, 28 December 1939, p 2.
1940	58	18 February: Made Justice of the Peace.
1940	58	Mid-July: Abdul Hamid is seriously ill at his (MIM’s) new house in Alor Star.	Malaya Tribune, 11 July 1940, p 2.
1942	60	10 February: Reemployed and appointed as Legal Adviser and Public Prosecutor.	He served during the Occupation period through the British Military Administration (10 February 1942 to 31 August 1946). He was reportedly the first Malay legal adviser in the country.
1942	60	Made Head of Judicial Department during Japanese Military Administration (1942-1943)
c 1945	63	Lost his wife, Che Chah.	She passed away after suffering from oedema for some time.
c 1946	64	Lost his adopted son, Abdul Hamid.
1946	64	21 May: asks for retirement again and requests for “increased pension and additional gratuity” by reason of his re-employment (1942-1946).	His request was not approved by the Federal Secretariat.
c 1946	64	Marries Che Gayah binti Abdul Rahman.	They had three children from this marriage.
c 1947	65	Takes up private practice.
1947	65	16 April: birth of his first child, a son.	Straits Echo, 22 April 1947.
1948	66	Appointed unofficial member of Executive Council and Council of State.	Kedah Councillors. Malaya Tribune, 29 January 1948, p 5.
1948	66	29 December: birth of his second child, a son.	Straits Echo, 31 December 1948.
1952	70	16 March: birth of his third child, a daughter.	Straits Echo, 18 March 1950.
1954	72	Expiry of his term of office as unofficial member of the State Executive Council and Council of State.
1956	74	24 November: dies and buried in Alor Merah.