Penang Arabs

The Arabs whom we see today are from the former British Settlements of Penang, Singapore and Malacca. The Arabs at these 3 settlements are related by way of marriage of their ascendants and descendants.

I am fortunate to have some updates from today's Arab community. We can see how they are connected to the early Malay doctors and to business and religion in this region.

This post contains information which I received from a paternal relative, Syed Alwi Aidid. He stumbled upon my blog on The Early Malay Doctors (TEMD) long ago and wrote to me on 28 March 2013, to "fill in the gaps" of my previous post on "Penang Arabs".

It is quite difficult to document the Arab male lineages properly as they migrated and intermarried among Arabs of the Straits Settlements. They intermarried, but rarely married to outsiders (to Chinese ladies, and ladies of the royal Malay households).

I have gathered here all the possible Arab names I have collected over the course of the research on The Early Malay Doctors. I have included Syed and non Syed Arab names for a more complete write-up on the Arabs of the Straits Settlements. I have also maintained full names of the Arab persons as their names can be easily confused without mentioning the full name and clan name.


Arab name convention

1. The Syed male name prefix is inherited from a Syed father. The Sharifah female name prefix is inherited from a Syed father, irregardless of the mother. The Sheikh male name prefix is acquired by a non Syed male who is educated or knowledgeable.
2. The family trees and names are usually written in Jawi script. Thus, when the Arab names are spelled using the Roman alphabet, there tends to be discrepancy in the name spellings in different accounts and sources. This is expected as the Jawi spelled names do not use vowels (a=alif, e/i/o=ya, u=wau). My name Faridah is fa, alif, ro, ya, dal, ha (missing an alif between dal and ha). Abu Bakar is alif, ba, wau and ba, kaf, ro (missing alif between ba and kaf, and between kaf and ro).
3. Name suffix points to a family or clan origin. It could be an added name based on a centre of learning or taken after a noble man's origin or clan name. Eg, Makawi suffix points to origin in Makkah or implies one had completed extensive studies in Makkah. Other suffixes are Algardrie, Alkaff, Aidid, etc.

PENANG ARABS

Syed Omar bin Hassan Aidid had a son

1. Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid

Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid married 3 wives:

1. Sharifah Salmah bt Abdulrahman Algardrie

2. Siti Nor Khaiyath

3. Tok Wah (her real name is unknown)

Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid married Sharifah Salmah bt Abdulrahman Algardrie. They have a daughter, Puan Sri Datin Sharifah Rahmah bt Syed Alwi Aidid (elder sister of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid, Prof Syed Mohsin's mother). 

Sharifah Salmah bt Abdulrahman Algardrie had 5 children:

1. Sharifah Sheikhah Aidid married to Syed Alwi Alhabsjie (both passed away in Palembang). They have 7 children and many grandchildren.
2. Sharifah Noor Aidid married to Syed Mohammad bin Salim Albar
3. Sharifah Rugayah Aidid married to Syed Alwi bin Sheikh Alhabshee. They migrated to Seiyun, Hadhramaut in 1955 and passed away in South Yemen. Sharifah Rugayah passed away at age 93 in 2007. She had only one daughter Sharifah Fatmah Alhabshee who married to Syed Mohammed Alsagoff and they have 2 daughters and 2 sons and several grandchildren.
4. Syed Mohammad bin Alwi Aidid (7 Sept 1917-22 July 1982) married a Chinese lady. Their son is Syed Alwi Aidid who lives in Singapore.
5. Puan Sri Datin Sharifah Rahmah Aidid married to Tan Sri Datuk Syed Hassan bin Mohdhar Aidid (deceased 1983). They have 9 daughters. 

Puan Sri Datin Sharifah Rahmah Aidid (deceased 2012) married to Tan Sri Datuk Syed Hassan bin Mohdhar Aidid (born 20 September 19__-deceased 28 February 1983). His brother Datok Syed Murtadza Aidid (SM Aidid) passed away at the age of 107 in Penang (born circa 1902-deceased November 2007). SM Aidid was a close friend of Datuk Loh Boon Siew. Puan Sri Datin Sharifah Rahmah Aidid is the elder sister of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Prof Syed Mohsin's mother). There is also Prof Syed Abdullah Al-Mohdhar, an O&G surgeon in Kelantan. Puan Sri Datin Sharifah Rahmah Aidid passed away  on 31 May 2012 and is interred on 1 June 2012 at Masjid Perak Road cemetery in Penang. They have 9 daughters.

1. Datin Dr Sharifah Mariam bte Tan Sri Syed Hassan Aidid married to Datuk Dr Adam Yee Abdullah @ Yee Thiam Sun. Their son is Isa Adam Yee. Link.
2. Sharifah Azizah Aidid married to Syed Taha bin Abdullah Sheikh Abubakar
3. Sharifah Aminah Aidid (Singapore) married to Syed Salim Hassan Alkaff
4. Sharifah Naemah Aidid married to Abdul Malik. They have 2 sons and a daughter.
5. Sharifah Shipak Aidid married to Dr Razak Dali. They have 2 daughters and a son, Nazmi Hassan Razak.
6. Sharifah Sheikhah Aidid married to Syed Ismail Al Wafa
7. Sharifah Zahrah Aidid married to Roslie
8. Sharifah Sakinah Aidid married to Dr Syed Mohamad Syed Sahil (Prof Syed Mohsin's younger brother)
9. Sharifah Hasnah Aidid married to Prof Abu Hassan bin Abu Bakar

PENANG-SINGAPORE ARABS

Syed Mohammad bin Alwi Aidid (Arau; 7 Sept 1917-22 July 1982)

He is the brother of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Jitra)

His mother is Siti Noor Khaiyath

His father is Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid (Syed Alwi Aidid)

He left Penang for Singapore in 1946
See below

SINGAPORE ARABS

THE AIDID LINEAGE

Syed Mohammad bin Alwi Aidid (Arau; 7 Sept 1917-22 July 1982)

He is the brother of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Jitra)

His mother is Siti Noor Khaiyath and his father is Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid

He left Penang for Singapore in 1946, after the Japanese war, after he married
He married a Penang Chinese lady in 1946

He worked in Singapore for almost 3 years (1946-1949) before he brought his wife to Singapore
He returned to Penang to bring his wife to Singapore
His wife lived in Singapore for 51 years (deceased 5 January 2000)
He had established himself in Singapore and lived in Singapore for 36 years (1946-1982)
He had 3 children:
   1. Syed Alwi Aidid
   2. Syed Abdullah Aidid
   3. Sharifah Azeezah Aidid

Syed Alwi Aidid (born 1950, Singapore)

Vice President II, The Arab Association Singapore
Mosque Management Board and the Board of Trustees, Masjid Sultan

Email: aididjr@yahoo.com

His father is Syed Mohammad bin Alwi Aidid, and mother, a Penang Chinese

His parents married in 1946 in Penang after the Japanese war and migrated to Singapore

Eldest of 3 siblings: Syed Alwi Aidid, Syed Abdullah Aidid, and Sharifah Azeezah Aidid

Syed Abdullah Aidid
Middle of 3 siblings: Syed Alwi Aidid, Syed Abdullah Aidid, and Sharifah Azeezah Aidid

- no other input

Sharifah Azeezah Aidid
Youngest of 3 siblings: Syed Alwi Aidid, Syed Abdullah Aidid, and Sharifah Azeezah Aidid

- no input

PENANG ARABS

THE ABDUL RASHID MAKAWI LINEAGE

Abdul Rashid Makawi married Siti Seha ("Su Seha") and they have 2 children:

1. Mohd Yunus bin Abdul Rashid Makawi. He was only known as Wan Teh.

2. Siti Rahmah bt Abdul Rashid Makawi

Mohd Yunus bin Abdul Rashid Makawi married Siti Rogayah bt Mohd Hassan Al Khiyath. They had 2 children:

1. Siti Kalsom bt Mohd Yunus (popularly known as Tok Kalthom Wan Teh)

2. Mohd Salleh bin Mohd Yunus

Siti Rahmah bt Abdul Rashid Makawi married to Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Mohamad Al Yamani (Ami Aziz Alyamani). They have 3 children.

1. Fatmah Alyamani married to Syed Mohamad bin Syed Omar

2. Abdul Latiff Alyamani married __

3. Abdul Rashid Alyamani (unmarried)

THE ABDUL AZIZ AL YAMANI LINEAGE

Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Mohamad Al Yamani (Ami Aziz Alyamani) married Siti Rahmah bt Abdul Rashid Makawi. They have 3 children.

1. Fatmah Alyamani

2. Abdul Latiff Alyamani

3. Abdul Rashid Alyamani

Fatmah bt Abdul Aziz Al-Yamani married to Syed Omar bin Syed Mohamad. They had 6 children:

1. Syed Mohamad bin Syed Omar married Sharifah Zahrah bt Syed Sahil Jamalullail (kakak Prof Syed Mohsin)

2. Sharifah Mahani 

3. Syed Ali

4. Syed Mansor

5. Syed Yussuf

6. Syed Abdullah

Abdul Latiff bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yamani has 4 children:

1. Najib

2. Nawal

3. Najwa
4. Salwa

Abdul Rashid bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yamani remained unmarried.

THE MOHD HUSSAIN KHAIYATH LINEAGE

Mohd Hussain Khaiyath had 2 daughters

1. Siti Noor bt Mohd Hassan Al Khaiyath (Prof Syed Mohsin's grandmother). She is also known as Siti Noor Khaiyath.

2. Siti Rogayah bt Mohd Hassan Al Khaiyath. She is also known as Siti Rogayah Khaiyath.

THE 2 KHAIYATH SISTERS

Siti Noor Khaiyath married to Syed Alwi bin Omar Aidid (Syed Alwi Aidid). They have 2 children.

1. Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Prof Syed Mohsin's mother)

2. Syed Mohamad bin Syed Alwi Aidid (Arau)

Siti Rogayah bt Mohd Hussain Khaiyath married Mohd Yunus bin Abdul Rashid Makawi. He was only known as Wan Teh. She had 2 children.

1. Siti Kalsom bt Mohd Yunus @ Wan Teh. She is known as Tok Kalthom (aged 80). Her father was only known as Wan Teh, and not by his real name. She married to Sheikh Muhammad bin Sheikh Ali. Al Khaiyath. They lived in Batu Uban, Penang. They had 2 children - Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Muhammad Al Khaiyath (Ami Aziz Al Khaiyath) and Siti Salamah bt Sheikh Muhammad Al Khaiyath.

2. Mohd Salleh bin Mohd Yunus.

SIBLINGS AND FIRST COUSINS

Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid married to Syed Sahil Jamalullail. They have 8 children.

1. Syed Omar 
2. Sharifah Zahrah 
3. Prof Syed Mohsin 
4. Sharifah Sakinah
5. Sharifah Alwiah
6. Dr Syed Mohamad 
7. Syed Haizar
8. Sharifah Azizah

Syed Mohammad bin Syed Alwi Aidid (Arau; 7 Sept 1917-22 July 1982)

He is the brother of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Jitra).

His mother is Siti Noor Khaiyath

His father is Syed Alwi Omar Aidid
- no further input

Siti Kalsom bt Mohd Yunus @ Wan Teh (Tok Kalthom, 80 years old, Kg Melayu Batu Uban, Penang) married to Sheikh Muhammad bin Sheikh Ali Al Khaiyath. She is the cousin of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid and her brother Syed Mohammad bin Syed Alwi Aidid. Her brother is Mohd Salleh bin Mohd Yunus. They have 2 children.

1. Sheikh Abdul Aziz (Ami Aziz Al Khaiyath) bin Sheikh Muhammad

2. Siti Salamah bt Sheikh Muhammad

Mohd Salleh bin Mohd Yunus married ____. He has 3 children.

1. Sheikh Nizam

2. Sabarina

3. Siti Wahidah

PERLIS ARABS

THE AIDID LINEAGE

Syed Mohammad bin Syed Alwi Aidid (Arau; 7 Sept 1917-22 July 1982)

He is the brother of Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Aidid (Jitra).

His mother is Siti Noor Khaiyath

His father is Syed Alwi Omar Aidid

THE JAMALULLAIL LINEAGE

Syed Sahil Jamalullail married Sharifah Mariam bt Syed Alwi Omar Aidid. They have 8 children.

1. Syed Omar 
2. Sharifah Zahrah 
3. Prof Syed Mohsin (deceased)
4. Sharifah Sakinah
5. Sharifah Alwiah
6. Dr Syed Mohamad  
7. Syed Haizar
8. Sharifah Azizah

Syed Omar bin Syed Sahil Jamalullail married Siti Salamah bt Sheikh Mohamed?
- no input

Sharifah Zahrah bt Syed Sahil Jamalullail married to Syed Mohamad Syed Omar (anak Fatma Alyamani; cucu Ami Aziz Alyamani).
The family moved out from Jelutong to Perlis
They have 4 children:
1. Syed Omar
2. Syed Hafiz
3. Sharifah Noor
4. Unnamed (an architect)

Prof Syed Mohsin bin Syed Sahil Jamalullail married Hasnah bt Ishak. They have 7 children.

1. Syed Hazman

2. Syed Muhammad Hilmi

3. Dr Syed Hasanul Hadi (works at HUSM, Kubang Kerian)

4. Sharifah Muna Maisara

5. Syed Muhammad Husni

6. Syed Muhammad Harith

7. Syed Muhammad Hafizuddin

Sharifah Sakinah bt Syed Sahil Jamalullail
- no input

Sharifah Alwiah bt Syed Sahil Jamalullail
- no input

Dr Syed Mohamad bin Syed Sahil Jamalullail married Sharifah Sakinah Aidid
- no input

Syed Haizar bin Syed Sahil Jamalullail
- no input

Sharifah Azizah bt Syed Sahil Jamalullail
- no input

PENANG-MALACCA-RIAU-PALEMBANG ARABS

Note: There are no Syed Arabs in Malacca.
(waiting for further input from Malacca)

THE SHEIKH MUHAMMAD LINEAGE

Sheikh Muhammad 
Sheikh Muhamed bin Sheikh Ali Al Khaiyath he married Siti Kalsom bt Mohd Yunus @ Wan Teh (Tok Kalthom, 80 y/o, Kg Melayu Batu Uban, Penang). They have 2 children.

1. Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Muhammad Al Khaiyath

2. Siti Salamah bt Sheikh Muhammad Al Khaiyath

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Sheikh Muhammad married Azizah bt Abdullah. They have 10 children.

1. Mustaffa
2. Tahir
3. Abdul Rashid
4. Siti Sahlah
5. Marwan
6. Siti Noor Nadiah
7. Mastura
8. Nabilah
9. Sumaiyah married to Mohd Azim. Daughter is Awleya Maisarah.
10. Faizah

Siti Salamah bt Sheikh Muhammad married to Johan Md Noor. They have 7 children:

1. Intan Haslinda
2. Siti Fauwizah
3. Intan Zaharah
4. Fatimatuzzaharah
5. Siti Zubaidah
6. Mohd Daniel
7. Siti Khadijah

THE SHEIKH ALHADY LINEAGE
(please search this blog and The Early Malay Doctors blog)

External link
http://alkhauf.blogspot.com/2011/09/mahani-musa-universiti-sains-malaysia.html