Mat Kilau ; The History and Revolution.

Mat Kilau; The History and Revolution. | Mat Kilau or his real name Mat Kilau bin Imam Rasu was born in Kampung Pulau Tawar, Jerantut, Pahang around 1865 or 1866. His father, Imam Rasu bin Shahrum or Tok Gajah and his mother Teh Mahda were the children of Tok Kaut Burau.

Tok Gajah is not an ordinary person because he is the King of Pahang's Great Orang with the title of War Priest Indera Gajah Pahang. He was also an advisor to the ruler of Pahang at the time, Treasurer Wan Ahmad (later titled Sultan Ahmad al-Muazzam Shah) for the areas around Hulu Pahang.

Mat Kilau Early Life.

From an early age, Mat Kilau was exposed to religious education by his father Tok Gajah. Besides Tok Gajah, he also studied with the future Mufti of Pahang, Haji Osman bin Haji Senik or Haji Muntuk. When he was a teenager, Mat Kilau showed interest in hunting activities until he was appointed as Tok Peran (head of the hunting group). This interest indirectly honed his skills in the jungle – useful for his struggle to liberate the homeland from the colonial grip many years later.

When he was 20 years old, he was married to a woman named Yang Chik binti Imam Daud. Imam Daud is not only Mat Kilau's father-in-law but also a religious teacher to him and his comrades in arms. During this period, he also learned martial arts and spirituality including games with sharp weapons such as daggers and parangs.

By 1883, Treasurer Wan Ahmad declared himself as the new Sultan of Pahang with the title of Sultan Ahmad al-Muazzam Shah. The Straits Settlements (NNS) which were controlled by the British at the time recognized his position as sultan in 1887. But the recognition came at a price: he had to accept the presence of a British resident as was the case in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Perak.

The condition was accepted in 1888 which saw John Pickersgill Rodger (J.P Rodger) appointed as the first British resident for the state of Pahang. Rodger then became a British resident in Selangor (1896) and Perak (1901) before being appointed as Governor of the Gold Coast (modern Ghana) in 1904. To help smooth Rodger's affairs in the state, he was assisted by the future Governor of Nigeria, Hugh Clifford.

Sir Hugh Clifford. Photo taken from The Straits Time newspaper on 15 October 1929

For fans of the history of the Malay states, it must be cooked with British policies in the 19th century. Stop exploiting the earth's products like gold and tin like people who don't remember the world. Then, like to tax the local population at a high rate. So, it is normal for dissatisfaction to arise against the oppressive British policies with Clifford and Rodger as the main target of their anger.

Clifford, who started as a junior officer in Perak, was already familiar with customs and the Malay language. This made him not as harsh as some other British officers such as J.W.W Birch. After Birch's barbarism resulted in the murder of Perak's first resident at Pasir Salak in 1875, it was a lesson to them that diplomacy was the best way to deal with the Malays.

This recipe was successfully implemented by Birch's successor, Sir Hugh Low after being appointed as resident in 1877. For that reason, Clifford tried to copy this recipe when dealing with nobles and residents of Pahang including Mat Kilau. In October 1888, a meeting was held between him and Mat Kilau while his father, Tok Gajah was in Pekan.

Although his age is still green, that does not hide his authority as an honest and decisive leader. Clifford listened to every thing he raised including ideas on how to improve the situation in the state. Although the meeting was fruitless, the British officer realized that Mat Kilau was no ordinary person and deserved attention.

Despite all these diplomatic efforts, it still does not erase the fact that the rights of the people of Pahang are being eroded with the power of the real government resting in the hands of the British. For that reason, Mat Kilau and Tok Gajah later joined the rebellion campaign of another Pahang nobleman named Dato Bahaman (real name Tuanku Imam Nuh and Rokiah Abdul Rahman) against British colonialism. This campaign was later known as War Semantan.

The Semantan War broke out due to the action of an officer named E.A Wise who wanted to establish a police station in Lubuk Terua in 1890 without Dato Bahaman's permission. This angered him because Lubuk Terua was part of his territory. When this became known to Clifford, who at the time was appointed acting resident, he advised Sultan Ahmad to order Dato Bahaman to appear before him in Pekan.

However, the Pahang nobleman with the title Orang Kaya Temerloh refused to come down to Pekan. As a result, Dato Bahaman's position as Orang Kaya Temerloh was withdrawn at the behest of Sultan Ahmad (who was forced to do so at Clifford's insistence). This situation prompted him and his followers to ambush a British officer named C.E.M Deaborough in Sungai Semantan on 15 December 1891.

The attack was made because Dato Bahaman thought Deaborough was coming to arrest him. In the attack, Desborough was defeated and had to flee to the town of Temerloh. As soon as they found out what was happening, the British immediately responded. On December 21, 1891, a team led by Clifford and Tengku Mahmud went to Kampung Kelubi which became Dato' Bahaman's stronghold.

Both sides once again battled with victory in favor of the native of Pahang. The British became more and more depressed when the Pahang fighters used guerilla warfare tactics against them. For Pahang fighters, the forest is not a strange place for them. As well as offering a variety of resources such as water, food and raw materials for weapons, it also offers plenty of places to hide – perfect for their hit and run tactics.

By 1892, the British forced Sultan Ahmad to launch the Sultan's Movement campaign, supposedly to force the Pahang fighters to lay down their arms and surrender. This movement was led by Tengku Ali, Rodger, Commander Garang Yusof, Saiyid Ali Badoh and Abdullah Bera with a strength of 800 people. However, this campaign was also unsuccessful because they were only able to destroy 11 forts with a glimpse of their fugitives not being seen.

Many historians believe that the group of Malays in the Sultan's Movement tried to divert the attention of the British from tracking the Pahang fighters. This includes taking these groups away from their actual locations.

From March to May 1892, Lubuk Terua exchanged hands between the British and Pahang fighters. By May, Lubuk Terua was back under the control of the British and forced the Pahang fighters to retreat to neighboring states, Kelantan and Terengganu.

The story of the Pahang fighters must have been known to many people at that time, including the governments of the two states concerned. So, it is not surprising that apart from the advice of the Terengganu Tokku Paloh scholars, there must be other figures who support financially and weaponry to fight the British. Armed with new spirit after taking refuge for a while in Kelantan and Terengganu, the Pahang fighters rose again.

On June 14, 1894, Kuala Tembeling and Jeram Ampai fell into the hands of Pahang fighters. But that did not last long when the British succeeded in recapturing these two areas on June 29, 1894. This forced the Pahang fighters to retreat back to Kelantan including Mat Kilau. According to the official version that was spread at the time, Tok Gajah and Mat Kilau were seriously injured while retreating to Kelantan and died there.

So, is this the end of Mat Kilau's story? Sorry, it's actually more than that. Before Dato Bahaman decided to surrender to the Siamese government, a secret oath involving seven individuals was made in Kampung Bukit Haji Pak Jedih, Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Among those involved include Mat Kilau, Mamat Kelubi, Mat Lela and Dato Bahaman himself. All seven of these people swore never to reveal who they were - an oath that Mat Kilau broke on December 26, 1969.

On the day in question, he who was then using the pseudonym Muhammad bin Ibrahim went up to the pulpit of Pulau Tawar Mosque after finishing the Friday prayers. Mat Kilau then recited Surah al-Fatihah and verses 1-5, Surah al-Baqarah before revealing his true identity to the public for the first time.

Who is not surprised to hear such an announcement. But for Mat Kilau, it had to be revealed after being urged to do so by family members who had known him for years. The news appeared in the country's main newspapers and prompted the Pahang government to form a special committee to investigate the allegations. This special committee also got the cooperation of various agencies including the National Archives and the National Museum.

Mat Kilau tells the history of his struggle. Source: Unknown Author/GFDL

One thing that made the committee member's head dizzy was knowing the validity of the report of his death in 1895. This was proven through the sharing of his story while in Kelantan in the year in question with his immediate family members. While there, Mat Kilau is said to have been captured by Siamese soldiers before being beaten to 'death'. As soon as they found out the identity of the person they beat, his 'body' was handed over to the then Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Mansur for burial.

After they left, he realized that Mat Kilau was not dead but just passed out. Knowing this was an opportunity to stop all his hunting efforts, Sultan Mansur ordered the shrouded banana trunk to be placed in the grave in Bunut Payung, Kelantan. After everything was finished, then Sultan Mansur released Mat Kilau and advised him to continue in disguise so that the British would not be found out.

Since then, Mat Kilau has been moving around Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang using various nicknames such as Mat Dahan, Mat Dadu, Mat Teoh and Din. To earn a living, he also worked as a martial arts teacher, a rubber plantation operator and a laborer in the surveying department. During his tenure as a martial arts teacher, surely his students know who he really is. To avoid his identity being revealed, all of his martial arts students swore not to reveal who he was until after his death.

Mat Kilau's ailing state after revealing his identity in December 1969.

Little by little, Mat Kilau's identity began to appear as fact and not nonsense. This is due to the testimony of old people who knew him including birthmarks and bullet wounds on his body. But the best confirmation came from three of his comrades who were still alive at the time: Mat Saman bin Sulaiman (Mat Kelantan/152 years old), Raja Ibrahim bin Tan Kechik (Pak Yim/120 years old) and Mek Munah binti Salleh (97 years old).

All of them were reunited at the Agricultural Training Center Hall in Kuantan, Pahang. It was an emotional meeting witnessed by 600 people in attendance. For old friends, the opportunity to meet face to face after being separated for years is a happy moment even though they are all in poor condition.

Mat Kilau Death

Mat Kilau's ill health decreased since his sudden revelation on December 26, 1969. He was said to be unable to testify to the committee at the initial stage after suddenly being hit by health problems. It is likely to happen as a result of his actions breaking the oath of secrecy made while in Kelantan more than 70 years earlier.

Despite all these obstacles, the committee already has enough evidence for their investigation. On 6 August 1970, the then Pahang Chief Minister Tan Sri Yahya Mohd Seth declared that the individual at Masji Pulau Tawar a few months earlier was indeed Mat Kilau. After the declaration, there was a plan to help the Pahang fighter to perform the Hajj in Baitullah and to be awarded a degree by the palace for his services to the country.

Mat Kilau Grave

However, humans only plan but God is more powerful over everything. A week after the declaration, Mat Kilau returned to God's presence. His passing is a great loss to the country.

But the interesting thing here is that the British have determined that Mat Kilau is still alive and not dead in Bunu Payung, Kelantan in 1895. Clifford must have guessed with the knowledge of forestry and spirituality possessed by the Pahang fighters, they must have been difficult to track down and disguised as ordinary people. For the former NNS Governor, as long as they are no longer a threat to the British agenda, then as long as that 'lie' about their death should be maintained.

This was also realized by Mat Kilau's grandson, Datuk Mazlan Jamaluddin who was once the assistant producer of the BBC British radio station. During a conversation with a former British officer who is also the former head of the domestic intelligence agency MI5 (most likely Sir Dick White), he was told this, "Mazlan, your grandfather Mat Kilau is still alive."

This conversation took place around 1963, six years before Mat Kilau revealed who he was in public. This means that the British knew the grave at Bunut Payung was just a trick and were aware that the Pahang fighter was still alive.

We can only speculate why Britain refused to reveal the true identity of Mat Kilau before 1969. It is not impossible that one of the reasons was Clifford's report to the colonial affairs office and the NNS in 1895, shortly after the Semantan War ended. With the Pahang fighters leaving the state in debt of 7,200 dollars and forcing the British to use available resources to hunt them down, it had a profound effect on those involved.

Certainly Clifford advised them not to waste time hunting these fighters. In the eyes of the locals, they are national heroes. With the knowledge they have in their chests, including spiritual knowledge and forestry, they will surely continue to escape and live without being recognized by anyone.

Clifford felt that as unsophisticated opponents, they were better off not being bothered. Perhaps this is the respect he gave to them as an opponent who almost destroyed the British colonial efforts in the land of Pahang.

In the end, Mat Kilau's efforts as a fighter for Pahang and the homeland were worth it through the country's independence on August 31, 1957. And according to the story of his son-in-law Abu Bakar Awang, they were once at the Pahang Negeri Mosque in Kuantan to celebrate that sacred date. In order to ensure that the country's independence is maintained, it is only necessary to listen to and implement his last order before taking his last breath, "Keep the good name of the nation and the country."

READ ALSO : REVIEW FILM MAT KILAU

Here are some key details about the Pahang Civil War:

The Pahang Civil War, also known as the Pahang War or the Pahang Rebellion, was a significant historical event that took place in the late 19th century in the state of Pahang, which is located in Peninsular Malaysia. The conflict was a resistance movement against British colonial rule and the installation of a British-appointed ruler in the region. The rebellion was led by local Malay leaders, including Mat Kilau, and it lasted from 1891 to 1895.

**Background and Causes:**

1. **British Colonial Interests**: During the late 19th century, British colonial powers were expanding their influence in Southeast Asia, including the Malay Peninsula. The British sought to establish control over various Malay states for economic and strategic reasons.

2. **Succession Disputes**: The death of the ruling Sultan of Pahang led to a succession dispute among the local nobility and claimants to the throne. The British used this opportunity to intervene and install a ruler who would be favorable to their interests.

3. **Resistance to Foreign Rule**: The installation of a British-backed ruler was met with resistance by local Malay leaders who were opposed to foreign interference in their traditional affairs and the imposition of British authority.

**Course of the Conflict:**

1. **Leadership of Mat Kilau**: Mat Kilau emerged as a prominent leader of the rebellion. He and his followers organized themselves into a resistance movement and began employing guerrilla tactics against the British and their allies.

2. **Guerilla Warfare**: The resistance fighters engaged in guerilla warfare, utilizing hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and other tactics to disrupt British efforts to establish control over Pahang.

3. **Local Support**: The rebellion gained support from local communities, as many Malays saw it as a fight to preserve their cultural and traditional autonomy.

**British Response:**

1. **Military Campaigns**: The British colonial authorities responded to the rebellion by launching military campaigns to suppress the resistance. British forces were sent to quell the uprising and restore order.

2. **Suppression of Rebellion**: Over time, the British military superiority and resources began to take a toll on the rebellion. Mat Kilau and his forces faced challenges in maintaining their resistance against the well-equipped British forces.

**Outcome:**

1. **Capture of Mat Kilau**: In 1895, Mat Kilau was captured by British forces. He was subsequently tried and sentenced to exile in the Seychelles, where he remained until his death in 1920.

2. **Continued Resistance and Legacy**: While Mat Kilau's capture marked a turning point in the rebellion, pockets of resistance and discontent persisted in the region. The legacy of the Pahang Civil War continued to influence local sentiments and contributed to the broader narrative of resistance against colonial rule in Malaysia.

The Pahang Civil War serves as a significant episode in Malaysian history, highlighting the struggles of local communities against foreign domination and the efforts of individuals like Mat Kilau who stood up to protect their traditional way of life and autonomy.

Mat Kilau had several prominent friends and allies who supported him during the Pahang Civil War and his resistance against British colonial rule. Some of these individuals played significant roles in the rebellion alongside Mat Kilau. Here are a few notable figures:

1. **Dato' Bahaman**: Dato' Bahaman was a close ally of Mat Kilau and one of the key leaders of the Pahang Civil War. He was a local chieftain who fought alongside Mat Kilau in the resistance against the British. Together, they organized and led the Malay warriors against colonial forces.

2. **Tok Gajah**: Tok Gajah was another important ally of Mat Kilau. He was a revered figure in the local community and supported the resistance efforts. His influence and leadership contributed to the unity and determination of the Malay fighters.

3. **Tok Janggut**: Tok Janggut, whose real name was Wan Ahmad, was a charismatic religious leader who also joined the rebellion. He was known for his distinctive long beard and played a role in motivating and rallying the resistance fighters.

4. **Pendekar Ming**: Pendekar Ming was a Chinese martial artist who supported Mat Kilau's rebellion. He provided martial arts expertise and training to the Malay fighters, contributing to their combat skills and tactics.

5. **Local Communities**: While not individuals in the traditional sense, the local Malay communities provided crucial support to Mat Kilau and his allies. The resistance movement was fueled by the collective efforts of these communities, who shared a common desire to defend their autonomy and traditional way of life.

It's important to note that the Pahang Civil War was a complex and multifaceted conflict, and Mat Kilau's network of friends and allies extended beyond these individuals. The combined efforts of various local leaders, warriors, and communities played a significant role in the resistance against British colonial rule in Pahang.

REFERENCE

ASJ. (2016, May 2). DATUK BAHAMAN: PAHANG FIGHTERS RESPECTED BY THE BRITISH. The Patriots.

Al-Kalanji, H. (2022, May 19). The Shining Mat event made its appearance in 1969 after being thought to be dead. The Patriots.

Matte Gloss. Struggle Figures in Malaya.