Kemajuan Orang Melayu - Sri Lanka

"KITA BERJAYA BERSAMA; BERPECAH KITA BINASA"

Hello and welcome! We are delighted to have you here. Whether you're new to our community or already "a part of our family," We hope you'll find our history, culture, customs, traditions, ethics, values, norms very interesting to know.

 

ORANG MELAYU SRI LANKA DAN ORANG REGIMEN 

THE MALAYS OF SRI LANKA AND THE PEOPLE OF THE REGIMENT

"Unsung Heroes of the Malays in Sri Lanka"

Colonel TR Meedin RSP Isc MI

Colonel Tuan Rizly Meedin (27 July 1966 – 29 October 2005) while serving as the Senior Staff Officer attached to Regimental Headquarters, Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by an under cover agent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the ceasefire and peace process. 

Reference:
A. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuan_Rizli_Meedin
B. Letter of Appreciation written by  the late Captain TA Dole PPN SLA

Captain Tuan Halaldeen Dole

Ceylon Malay Regiment - 1802

Captain TA Dole PPN SLSR

Captain TA Dole was among the first batch of officers posted to the Sri Lanka Singha Regiment on 6th October 1956 along with Major VG George, Captain MO Goonaratne, Captain TSB Sally, Captain DB Perera, Lieutenant EG Thevanayagam, Lieutenant TA Dole and 2nd Lieutenant DA Wickramasinghe, all from the 1st Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry.  

(Reference: https://alt.army.lk/slsr/1slsr-1)

Brigadier TSB Sally SLSR

Brigadier Tuan Samayraan Buhary Sally (18 March 1924 – 03 August 2012), served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and was the first Malay and Muslim in the country to reach this rank and post. (Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._B._Sally)

Colonel TN Muthaliff RWP Isc MI

Colonel Tuan Nizam Muthaliff, RWP, MI (July 12, 1966 – May 31, 2005), Intelligence officer who, while serving as the commanding officer, 1 Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the ceasefire and peace process. Colonel Nizam Muthaliff symbolized the ultimate warrior. He knew of the threat! Yet, he continued to fight for a higher ideal. To live in harmony as one family, he sacrificed his life for Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils. Let us treasure the noble memory and great sacrifice of Nizam, the true son of Sri Lanka.

(Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuan_Nizam_Muthaliff)

Colonel TR Meedin RSP Isc MI

Colonel Tuan Rizly Meedin (27 July 1966 – 29 October 2005) while serving as the Senior Staff Officer attached to Regimental Headquarters, Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by an under cover agent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the ceasefire and peace process. 

Reference:
A. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuan_Rizli_Meedin
B. Letter of Appreciation written by  the late Captain TA Dole PPN SLA

Captain Tuan Halaldeen Dole

Ceylon Malay Regiment - 1802

Captain TA Dole PPN SLSR

Captain TA Dole was among the first batch of officers posted to the Sri Lanka Singha Regiment on 6th October 1956 along with Major VG George, Captain MO Goonaratne, Captain TSB Sally, Captain DB Perera, Lieutenant EG Thevanayagam, Lieutenant TA Dole and 2nd Lieutenant DA Wickramasinghe, all from the 1st Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry.  

(Reference: https://alt.army.lk/slsr/1slsr-1)

Brigadier TSB Sally SLSR

Brigadier Tuan Samayraan Buhary Sally (18 March 1924 – 03 August 2012), served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and was the first Malay and Muslim in the country to reach this rank and post. (Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._B._Sally)

Colonel TN Muthaliff RWP Isc MI

Colonel Tuan Nizam Muthaliff, RWP, MI (July 12, 1966 – May 31, 2005), Intelligence officer who, while serving as the commanding officer, 1 Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the ceasefire and peace process. Colonel Nizam Muthaliff symbolized the ultimate warrior. He knew of the threat! Yet, he continued to fight for a higher ideal. To live in harmony as one family, he sacrificed his life for Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils. Let us treasure the noble memory and great sacrifice of Nizam, the true son of Sri Lanka.

(Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuan_Nizam_Muthaliff)

A Military Veteran's Prayer

Dear Lord, We honor our brave Malay veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon to serve and protect their country.  We pray that you will bless them, Lord, for their unselfish service in the continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country's heritage, for all of us. Bless them abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made for their many different contributions to victories over tyranny and oppression.  In name of our Lord, We Pray, Ameen !!!

"APPRECIATION"

KE DEPAN

Dear General Fadyl, I read with great interest your comment on how Major General Alam Saheed Ahamath in 1799 arrived in Ceylon by ship from Java to take back the Malays to Java. A few years ago; prior to writing my book on our Malay Heritage there were a few facts I gathered.

1. The reign of Ceylon was handed over from the Dutch to Britain on a Treaty that was signed by the two parties.

2. On handing over the rule the Dutch Authorities in Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) were ordered not to bring back the Exiles & the Native Soldiers (Indonesians) back as they would be a burden and threat to their administration.
 
3. When the British arrived, they left their Adjutant General in Malaya to recruit Malay soldiers from Malaya. He subsequently wrote back that he could only muster 6 soldiers. 

4. Hence I believe they absorbed all the Dutch (Malay) troops and to augment the force they recruited Malays from St. Helena (British Colony) from the Indonesian Prisoners that the Dutch were transporting. From Wikipedia: The Ceylon Rifle Regiment (CRR) was a regular native regiment formed by the British in Ceylon. Its history goes back to 1795. The nucleus of the Regiment was two companies of Malays recruited from among prisoners at St Helena. In 1795 there were some 300 prisoners there taken from vessels of the Dutch East India Company. Some 70 or 80 Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes joined the British East India Company. The Malays apparently were glad to serve under British command as they found the treatment, they received much better than that to which the Dutch had subjected them. The men of the two companies were trained as artillerymen. After about two years, the companies were transferred to Bencoolen, and later from there to Ceylon. In all, five independent companies of Malays were transferred from Dutch to HEIC service. Since then the regiment under different names fought for the British in the Kandyan War and the Uva Rebellion of 1818. The Ceylon Rifle Regiment saw action in the Matale Rebellion in 1848. Since it served no practical application it was disbanded in 1873).

5. Hence you will see the real reason why they did not want to return to Malaya; as they were proud of their own country. Unfortunately, it has been years since I did the research and cannot fully remember the "Chapter & Verse" from which I gained this knowledge. I guess at 84 years of age my thinking powers tends to recede and can no longer delve me into it as much as I would love to. May be I shall try to retrieve some more facts, as and when I can. Hope this bit of info is useful to you. God Bless. Noor.

BALAP BELAIAN

Our ancestors were renowned for their fighting prowess, bravery, loyalty and dedication - which their progeny continue to exhibit and contribute to their land of adoption even to this day. They brought their own Language; Traditions & Customs; Culinary Prowess; Forms of Recreational Activities (inclusive of sports & martial arts); Arts & Craft; and their “easy going way of life”.
In addition there were many Malays who attained Sainthood and are enshrined in Sri Lanka. One of the Saints bodies was exhumed and re-interred in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Our ancestors were locally called “Ja Minissu” by the Sinhalese; and as “Ja Manithan” or “Ja Manissar” or “Javakar” by the Tamils; during the Dutch rule; meaning the “People from Java”. In addition there were many places in Sri Lanka that were named after our ancestors.
Our work is our purpose, our driving force. It's the reason we get up every day and do what we do. Most importantly, it keeps pushing us to achieve bigger and better things with each new challenge. There is a belief among some quarters that Jaffna was originally Java Nagar. It stands to reason that this maybe so; as the Tamils call it “Yaarlpanam” and the Sinhalese call it “Yaapanay” or “Jaapanay”.
This I believe is speculative and perhaps gives room for thought and further investigative research. This belief may be corroborated in the reference by Ed. A. J. W. Marambe (1926) who quotes that in the Sinhala Kadaimpol (Boundary Book) of the Phitirata (Rajarata Province) there is reference to “Javagama” which likely refers to Jaffna. Though it is not the intention to cover the period before the Dutch invasion it is believed that mention must be made of Chandrabanu, a “Javaka” Chieftain, who invaded Sri Lanka in the year 1247. He was defeated by King Parakrama Bahu II and fell back to the North to secure the Tamil Throne around 1255. In 1258 he submitted to the Pandyan forces from India. Chandrabanu was subsequently killed in battle.
Hence some of the Malay names in the Jaffna area may have originated from that era.It was under the British rule of the Island that the concept of naming our ancestors as Javanese ceased and were lumped under the race of Malays.
This also ended the recording of the ethnicity of the original races from which our ancestors emerged. Perhaps this was done to simplify the administrative processes of the British Administration System. We are now referred to or fall under the generic term “Malays”. Thus there is a turnaround in that we have lost sight of our original country of origin and our ethnicity. Our language too changed during the British rule that saw a drastic change in grammar – though not due to or through their making.

WARISAN KAMI

Our history starts off from the time of the Dutch conquest or occupation of the “present” Indonesian Archipelago. The “present” Indonesian Archipelago was invaded and occupied by the Dutch East Indies Company or the Dutch VOC (Veeranigde Oostindishe Compagnie) as they were called (acting on behalf of the Netherlands Government) in the 17th Century. The conquest and occupation of the Archipelago was for the purpose of taking over the lucrative spice trade; which was the most sought after commodity in the European World at that time; similar to what the oil industry is to the world today. The Archipelago was called the DUTCH EAST INDIES. History has it that in the early 17th century, Sri Lanka was partly ruled by the Portuguese and was constantly battling the Sinhala Kingdom. Although the Portuguese dominated the "low country" (mainly the coastal areas) they were nowhere close to conquering the Kandyan Kingdom. Their rule of the "low country" was rather very iron fisted, ruthless and oppressive to the local populace of those areas, controlled by them. Hence the Sinhalese King Rajasinghe II (the King of Kandy) invited the Dutch to help defeat and get rid of the Portuguese; under the Kandyan Treaty of 1638. The Dutch grabbed this opportunity as Sri Lanka could give them control of the “Spice Route (Sea Route)” in their sought after quest to control the seaway from West to East. It is a known fact that the migrant Malay fishermen & traders from the Indonesian Archipelago arrived in Ceylon way ahead of the influx of vast known bodies of Malays in later years; which is well before the documented arrival at various stages in later years. These fishermen/traders had landed in the South & South Eastern coasts of Ceylon and hence there is clear proof; as seen by the name of Hambantota (which was earlier called Sampantota) & Samanthurai (which is derived from Sampan Thurai). The popular belief is that the name Hambantota was derived (at the time of the British) as the Sinhaese called the folks “Hamba Keranno” and hence the name Hambantota. There is also the story that many of the ancient Kings of Ceylon had Malays as their body-guards. It was in the mid-13th century that a Javaka King of Tambralinga Kingdom,  CHANDRABHANU SRI DHAMARAJAH invaded Ceylon from the North; with the main purpose of acquiring/ plundering the Buddhist relics in Ceylon. He was repelled (defeated by King Parakrama Bahu II from the Sinhalese Kingdom of Dambadeniya). Chandrabhanu retreated in defeat and secured the Tamil Throne for himself.in the Province of Jaffna. He was subsequently defeated by the Pandyan dynasty from Tamil Nadu and met his demise. His son SAVAKANMAIDAN; took over and was to soon be ousted by the Pandyans. Thambralinga Kingdom comprised of parts of Siam; Malaya & Sumatera. After the demise of Chadrabhanu it is said that the Kingdom got split up and absorbed by the respective/individual countries themselves. Being a devout Buddhist he is credited with the construction of the “Phrae Boromadhatu” Stupa in Southern Thailand.

LIST OF OFFICERS CEYLON MALAY REGIMENT - 1802

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