The Great Malaysian Warrior,Mat Kilau

Mat Kilau, a legendary Malay warriors: famous for fighting the colonials headed by the British Resident, Hugh
Clifford. The fight that took place in the late 19th century, came to be known as the 'Pahang War' in the
1890s.

Background of Mat Kilau

Mat Kilau was born in Kampung Masjid Pulau Tawar and grew up during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Al-Muazam
Shah in the early 1880s.His father's name is Tok Gajah or well known as Imam Perang Rasu and his mother's
name is Mahda who is the daughter of Tok Kaut in Burau. He married a girl named Yang Chik binti Imam Daud
from Kampung Kedondong and had three children.When he was in his 20s, the British came and took over the
State of Pahang. With their arrival, they sowed discord among the State's chieftain. While some were in
favour of their presence, there were others who did not take kindly to the British intervention in Pahang's
administrative affairs.

Unfortunately, the Sultan himself welcomed their arrival having been taken in in by their convincing
promises of wealth and luxury. Those who were opposed to the British were headed by Tok Gajah, Mat Kilau,
Dato Bahaman, Mat Kelubi and many others. Because of the Sultan's attitude, they were forced to hide their
intention and take action on the quiet.

The Revolt against British by Mat Kilau

Mat Kilau's revolt was between the year 1891-1895. He rose to fight against British Colonies for several
reasons. The Resident of Pahang J.P. Rodger introduced a few new rules and regulations which were against
the traditional values of the people. Pahang was divided into 6 districts and under the Magistrate and
Collector's administration. The Malay leaders were forbidden from collecting taxes but they were paid pence
(according to their standards). Every citizen of Pahang had to pay land tax and they also had to obtain
licence in order to search goods in the jungle.

The Malay leaders lost their income and also their power on their very own land, Pahang. At the same time,
Dato' Bahaman, formally known as Orang Kaya Semantan realized that the British wanted to take control of
Pahang. Together with his men, he revolted against the British and its colony. This is when our hero, Mat
Kilau came into the picture. History tells us that Mat Kilau and his father, Tok Gajah helped Dato Bahaman.
They became Dato Bahaman's main men. When Dato Bahaman revolted against British in 1891 , they lent him
a hand. Mat Kilau's skills were proven in the Lubuk Terua war. This incident happened because British caught
3 of Dato Bahaman's men while they were searching for goods in the jungle without licence. Furthermore,
British built a police station in Lubuk Terua (Dato Bahaman's territory, near the bank of Semantan River),
without his knowledge nor permission. So Dato Bahaman and his men (including Mat Kilau), attacked the
police station and they managed to win over Temerloh. Mat Kilau was very eager to win this war because his
3 men were held in the very same police station. So they managed to take Temerloh from E.A Wise, the
British officer.

In this attack, two Sikh police officers (British) were killed, and one was injured. Through the open revolt,
Mat Kilau and Dato Bahaman's followers began to increase, when 600 supporters from Bentong, joined them.
They were also helped by 100 natives who acted as spies in the jungle (to look out for enemies). They also
had the support of the Malay leaders of Pahang. Soon a group of Malay leaders lent a hand to British in order
to catch and imprison Dato Bahaman and his followers. As it's against the Malay tradition to betray the
Sultan, it's seen as betrayal. So Dato Bahaman, Mat Kilau, and his follower backed out. They went to the
Kelantan and Terengganu and took refuge there for a while. Soon after, Mat Kilau and his followers launched
another attack. This was when they obtained support from a Terengganu religious leader Sayyid Abdul
Rahman Al- Idrus formly known as Tok Ku Paloh who told them that they were fighting for justice not
cruelty. So Mat Kilau, Dato Bahaman and their followers attacked Kuala Tembeling and managed to win over
the Jeram Ampai Fort on Jun 1894. However, the success did not last as the British were fast to act and they
managed to defeat them. Dato Bahman and all his followers ran away to Kelantan and Terengganu for the
second time. Hugh Clifford, the Pahang's British Resident was assigned to catch the Mat Kilau's followers in
Kelantan, but he failed as he was supported by the Kelantan government and also the people. Dato Bahaman
ran to Siam and died there. As, for Mat Kilau and his father Tok Gajah, they died in Terengganu.

The revolt of the people of Pahang (including Dato Bahaman and Mat Kilau), took a long time and lasted for
4 years (1891-1895). Even though British defeated them, but it left a serious impact on British administration
in Pahang. Their goods collecting process was interrupted and the administration was not running smoothly.
This caused a terrible financial crisis, especially when The Strait Settlement Organization did not approve
the loans. This crisis became the major cause of Pahang's participation in the Malay State Federation 1896.
His patriotic spirit became the inspiration of the upcoming fighters of right in Pahang. Mat Kilau left a great
impact on Pahang and its people, even till now.

Mat Kilau's Contributions

Mat Kilau is well known for his bravery, courage and as Malaya warrior who fought against English
colonization. He had contributed a lot to this nation. One of his contributions was during Lubuk Terua war.
During the war, he played his role very well and his bravery, strength and courage led to victory.

Mat Kilau developed a small settlement by the river in southern in Kelantan. He did that with one purpose to
avoid from being arrested by British soldiers and to continue his fight against British colony in Kelantan.

One of his contributions which can be seen until this day is a mosque which is situated in Kampung Masjid,
Pulau Tawar. The mosque is nearly 200 years. The mosque is the place which fueled patriotisme among the
people who stayed in Pahang during British Colonization. The mosque was built by Mat Kilau and and people
in Pulau Tawar 1880. In 1923, the mosque was rebuilt.

News of Mat Kilau's death was been published in two English newspapers in Singapore. The Straits Time and
The Free Press reported that 'The Chief Traitor', Dato' Bahaman had lost the battle in October, 1895.The
Free Press reported that Mat Kilau was injured on his face and his head when he resisted. The injury was so
bad and he died on the way to downstream of Kota Bharu due to excessive bleeding. In the public's opinion
Mat Kilau's life was finished. But nobody knew what really happened except friend Mustafa B. Awang Mat
(Jusoh Rimau), Pendekar Tok Delami Ibrahim (Pak Him) and Mat Kelantan.

In December 1969, Mat Kilau who was known as Mohamad bin Ibrahim (I/C: 2044778) introduced himself at
his hometown. With the help of Omar bin Mat Kilau, Mat Kilau was brought to his hometown, Kampung
Masjid Pulau Tawar. On Friday 26 December 1969, Mat Kilau went to the mosque at Kampung Masjid for the
Friday prayer. After prayer, he read the Quran and then announced himself as Mat Kilau. His announcement
surprised so many people that the Pahang Government had to set tup a committee on the 8th, of Januari
1970 to investigate his claims. Several people were questioned to determine that Mat Siam was actually Mat
Kilau. Detailed investigations over several months by the Pahang government upheld the revered warrior's
claim. The investigators had based their decision partly on tell-tale marks on his body and his bullet wounds.
Asked how he could still be alive well past 100 years, Mat Kilau was reported to have said: "Even prophets
and saints die, but if God wills it, then He can surely prolong the life of one of His servants."

After intensive investigations, at 10:30 morning on Thursday, 6 August 1970, Mat Siam was declared as Mat
Kilau by Chief Minister of Pahang. Four days after the declaration, Mat Kilau passed away at the aged of 122
years. He was buried near his birthplace, not far from the mosque.
Lela Pandak Lam

Sketch of Dato Maharaja Lela.

Dato Maharaja Lela (died on 20 January 1877) was a Malay nationalist from Perak.
A descendant of Daeng Salili, Pandak Limo was the son of a Bugis king
from Luwuk District, Sulawesi. During the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah III, he came to Perak and
was appointed Mufti and was awarded the title "Dato Maharaja Lela," granting him the authority to
punish by decapitation without question.
Pandak Limo was a leader who later led the struggle against the British in Perak. Together with
other leaders such as Dato 'Sagor , he planned an alliance to assassinate James Wheeler Woodford
Birch (J. W. W. Birch), the British Resident of Perak. His decision was approved in a meeting at
Durian Sebatang, chaired by Sultan Abdullah on 21 July 1875.
Dato Maharaja Lela and his assistants, Sepuntum and Pandak Lam speared Resident Birch to death
on 2 November 1875, as Birch was taking his bath by a river near Pasir Salak, which is located
somewhere around today's Teluk Intan (Teluk Anson).
There is debate over the reason for Birch's assassination. One view is that he was assassinated was
because he outlawed slavery in Perak. Dato Maharajalela, whose income depended on capturing
and selling the natives of Perak or Orang Asli as slaves, was then incensed and plotted with some of
the slave-traders to kill Birch by spearing him when he was taking his bath in the river.[1][2][3]
The more popular view among right-wing Malay historians is that Birch was assassinated because of
his disrespect for the local customs and traditions, which raised tensions with local Malay chiefs.
This is because modern Malay historians generally refuse to accept that the Orang Asli were being
traded as slaves in the pre-Colonial era. Some accounts claim that Birch even entered the palace of
the ruler Sultan of Perak without removing his shoes.
The murder of J. W. W. Birch led the British army to attack Pasir Salak, and following several days of
battle, the leaders of the rebellion surrendered. In a subsequent trial held between 14 and 22
December in Matang, Perak, Sultan Abdullah and Ngah Ibrahim was deposed and sent to exile
in Seychelles. Dato Maharajalela, meanwhile, was found guilty for the murder of Birch and
sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on 20 January 1877 in Taiping. In the wake of the
incident, the British administration was shifted to Taiping.
Dato' Maharajalela is generally celebrated as a folk hero by Malay nationalists, and seen as a
symbol of the Malay resistance against British colonialism.
The terms maharajalela (in Malay language), and merajalela (in Indonesian language), stem from his
name to describe uncontrollable actions or phenomena
Tok Janggut
Haji Mohd Hassan bin Munas (1853 – 25 June 1915) was a Malay warrior
in Kelantan, Malaysia during the Kelantan rebellion.He fought side by side with the fierce warrior
named Adib Burhan. Haji Mohd Hassan Bin Munas was nicknamed Tok Janggut ('old man with a
beard' in Malay) because of his long beard which almost reached his chest.

Early life[edit]
Born in Kampung Jeram, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan in 1853, Tok Janggut received his early education
(pendidikan pondok) in Kelantan and in Mecca and was a master of silat, a Malaysian martial art. His
father was Panglima Munas, who served as a commander in the Kelantan palace.[1]

Rebellion[edit]
Main article: Kelantan rebellion
After the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, Britain took over the administration of Kelantan from Siam,
and immediately made significant changes in its administration system,[2]:9 triggering a rebellion.
The local government of Jeram, Pasir Puteh, and Kelantan was taken over by British administrators.
British officer Encik Abdul Latiff took over the administration of Kelantan from the local leader, Engku
Jeram. Latiff was viewed as an outsider by the Kelantan locals, both for his subservience to the
British colonial administration and for the fact that, although Malay, he was not from Kelantan, which
has a culture and dialect distinct from other Malay areas of Southeast Asia. Furthermore, anecdotal
evidence suggests that Latif perhaps considered himself above the largely rural Kelantanese and
was notably stern in his tax collection duties.[2]:78
The deposed local administrator, Engku Besar Jeram, called upon Tok Janggut, Haji Said, Che
Sahak Merbol and Penghulu Adam to discuss the tense situation in Kelantan. At the meeting, a pact
was signed by the participants which prohibited any one of them to co-operate with the British. Their
independence fight gained support from most Kelantan residents, whose refusal to pay taxes meant
the revenue of the district dropped by half in one year.[2]:57
In 1915, Latiff discovered that Janggut was responsible, and sent Sergeant Sulaiman and six other
policemen to arrest him. The officers found him surrounded by 2,000 of his followers, many of whom
were carrying weapons.[2]:58 Tok Janggut did not try and escape: he stood his ground and refused to
go with the officers. In the heat of the argument, Janggut stabbed Seargeant Sulaiman with his keris.
Sulaiman shortly died, and the crowd disarmed the other officers, who were sent back to Latif.[2]:58
Encik Latif attempted to rally the surrounding villages against Janggut, but this failed because Tok
Janggut was now marching towards Pasir Puteh with his followers. Latif fled Pasir Puteh to avoid
Janggut, and to seek an audience with the Sultan of Kelantan in Kota Bharu.[2]:58 Tok Janggut's
forces fought against the British in Pasir Puteh, and the rebels triumphed. They remained in Pasir
Puteh for three days and declared the independence of Pasir Puteh from British rule. Engku Besar
was selected as Sultan of Pasir Puteh, with Tok Janggut as his chief minister. Having heard about
Janggut's rebellion from Encik Latif, the Sultan branded Janggut a traitor and called a meeting with
the state officials.[2]:59 The rebel leaders were ordered to surrender themselves within seven days,
failing which they would be arrested and sentenced to death. They refused to surrender, and a $500
reward was offered to anyone who arrested Engku Besar, Tok Janggut, Haji Said, Haji Ishak or
Penghulu Adam.[2]:61
In May 1915, 1,500 British troops marched to Pasir Puteh to attempt to quell the rebellion. Tok
Janggut got wind of this, however, and advised his followers to flee. He and the other rebel leaders
hid in the jungle, avoiding the troops. The soldiers returned to Singapore on 17 May, having failed in
their mission.[2]:61 After the British troops withdrew, Tok Janggut came out of hiding. News of this
reached the authorities in Kota Bharu, who decided to send Indian troops led by British officers in a
second attempt at ending the rebellion. The rebel leaders went into hiding again, and out of anger
the troops burnt down Jeram town, including the houses of Tok Janggut and many of his followers.
Tok Janggut marched on Pasir Puteh town (where the Indian troops had gone after burning down
Jeram) on 25 June 1915, with 1,000 of his followers, armed with guns and traditional
weaponry.[2]:62 Even though the rebel forces outnumbered their enemy, the Indian troops were much
better-equipped. Many of Tok Janggut's followers fled, and he himself was killed. All the corpses
were buried except Janggut's: his dead body was exhibited throughout Kota Bharu and Pasir Puteh,
as an example of the consequences of rebelling against government rule.[2]:62 Tok Janggut's body
was buried in Kota Bharu afterwards, ending the rebellion against British rule in Kelantan.