Six Generations Of Jenaton Lineup Catch Up At Reunion

GEORGE TOWN: More than 200 descendants of early Penang settlerDatuk Jenaton Raja Labu flew in from different parts of the country and Indonesia to attend the sixth Jenaton family gathering.

The half-day event, held at Vistana Hotel in Bukit Jambul yesterday, brought together members of the six-generation Jenaton family, with some coming from as far as Batu Bara in Indonesia.

Jenaton, who was a trader and plantation owner, had three wives and six children. His descendants now number more than 5,000.

Datuk Jenaton Family Gathering committee head Abdul Halim Ahmad said the event had been held every few years since 2002 to commemorate Jenaton, and to give his descendants a chance to mingle and get to know the extended family, the newest additions and the latest updates.

Besides a scrumptious buffet spread, family members were also kept busy with lucky draw sessions and “history lessons”.

According to Dr Ahmad Murad Merican, a sixth-generation member of the family, the family lineage started from Pagar Ruyong and Bukit Tinggi in Indonesia.

Family members taking part in an activity during the gathering at Vistana Hotel in Bukit jambul, Penang.

“Jenaton was a Minangkabau court prince and a chieftain in Batu Bara, Sumatra, before leaving for Penang in early 1749,” he said, adding that prior to that, Jenaton frequently travelled between Penang, Kedah and Batu Bara for trading activities.

Dr Ahmad Murad said Jenaton was one of the earliest settlers in Penang after being awarded a 40.47ha piece of land by then Sultan of Kedah Sultan Muhamad Jiwa Zainal Azilin Mu'adzam Shah II.

“The land was a gift from the Sultan for Jenaton's help in strategising Kedah's war against the Achenese and the Bugis back then,” he said.

He added that the land encompassed Batu Uban, Minden Heights and Bukit Gelugor, where Jenaton ventured into farming and trading by planting coconuts and sugar cane.

Dr Ahmad Murad, who is a committee member of the Penang Malay History and Heritage Society (Pewaris), also spoke about latest developments tied to the Jenaton family.

“We have written a letter to the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAIPP) to allow us to preserve Jenaton's burial site in Persiaran Changkat Minden as a heritage site,” he said.

Dr Ahmad Murad added that the details were yet to be finalised. He hoped the process of preserving the site would go smoothly.

The Jenaton family history is closely linked to national history with notable descendants such as brothers Aziz and Yusof Ishak, who founded Utusan Melayu in 1939.

Yusof was also the first president of Singapore while his other brother Rahim served as Singapore's Minister of State under Lee Kuan Yew. He was also ambassador to Indonesia.

Other notable descendants are late Federal Court judge Tan Sri Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh and former president of the United Nations General Assembly Tan Sri Razali Ismail.

Petikan dari TheStar Online
02062013

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