My great-grandfather

1. My great-grandfather, Mohamed Noordin or Mohamed Merican Noordin, was a prominent merchant and community leader in 19^th century Penang. He was born in 1778, Pondicherry, India. He came over from India with his mother, Fatma, and elder brother, Cauder Moheedin Merican, to seek greener pastures. They landed at Batu Uban and lived there for some time before moving to a place now situated in Kampong Kolam, Georgetown.

2. Mohamed Noordin started his own business in the early 1820s, and by the 1830s he emerged as one of the most influential business figures in Penang. His businesses comprised textile trading and spices. He also provided transport services for immigrants and hajj pilgrims.

3. Mohamed Noordin was very successful in transit trading and bartering Indian textiles with pepper from Acheh. Apart from calling at ports along the Straits of Melaka, such as Acheh and North Sumatra, his fleet of ships also went as far as Burma and India.

4. By the end of 1830s, Mohamed Noordin had risen to prominence as the consigner who had sent the most number of cargo shipments to ports in Acheh, north Sumatra, Burma and India. For example in 1938, it was recorded that he sent 17 trading ships to Deli, Acheh, Pudu, Pedir, Chittagong, Arakan, Cuddalore, Nagapatnam, Calcutta, Cochin China, and Singapore. Later in 1852, he even sent a trading consignment to China.

5. By the end of 1860s, Mohamed Noordin had established himself as an important and well-known merchant and planter who lived and managed his company in Chulia Street. By virtue of his status, he held leadership positions in major socio-economic organizations. He was appointed a committee member of Penang Chamber of Commerce in 1838. He became the first Tamil Muslim to be appointed a municipal commissioner, and made Justice of the Peace. Mohamed Noordin succeeded his brother, Cauder Moheedin, as Kapitan Keling when the latter passed away in 1834.

6. As a wealthy trader and community leader, Mohamed Merican Noordin played an active and significant role in the welfare of the Penang people. He contributed generously to ensure their well-being through philanthropic activities. He built a school for local children to learn the Quran and Islamic religion, English and Arabic. It was situated next to the Kapitan Keling Mosque which was founded by his brother. After his death in 1870, the family business was continued by his children. Mohamed Noordin had a street in Georgetown (Noordin Street or Lebuh Noordin) named after him.

Childhood memories

1.   I have only hazy memories of my childhood. When I was 4 or 5 years old, my father used to take us to Pulau Pinang. What still remains in my memory are vague images of a grand mansion, moving trams on the streets of Georgetown, monkeys and snakes.
   
2.   It was the mansion that had fascinated me most. It was situated on a slope by the side of a lonely road, with a flight of stone steps which led to the door. The surrounding area was still green virgin forest. On the other side of the road, the greenery was fenced off by long bamboo stems raised on posts about a metre high. The place was so quiet and peaceful. My mother used to tell me that my father’s mother lived in the “big house.”
3.   Sometimes it makes me wonder why my father, a scion of a well-to-do family, had come over from Pulau Pinang to pursue a career in civil service in Alor Star. One account stated that

   “... Through the influence of H.H. Tunku Ibrahim, Ismail Merican, another Senior Assistant Master at the Penang Free School and … a great friend of Ibrahim, was appointed headmaster of the  school (Government English School)* in 1911.” - http://kevinlim95.blogspot.my/

4.   It might have been his aptitude for the English language that had driven him to become a teacher and then to work his way up and become an assistant in the Legal Adviser’s office. During his time in the Kedah Civil Service, he had also worked as auditor and registrar of the High Court. But I think it was during his time in the Legal Adviser’s office that he had made a significant contribution to the state namely his work in translating the enactments.
   
   
   
   *Mine in brackets.