Seventy: Our Story by Syaiful Sam'an

SEVENTY: Our Story

TUJUH PULUH | QĪSHÍ

CONTENTS

04 PREFACE 05 THE STORY 07 THE REUNION 12 THE FAMILY TREE 14 THE FAMILY

PREFACE

SEVENTY: OUR STORY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a book that celebrates the blessing of family, this book is the result of a beautiful collaboration between both sides of our family that was once separated. I am honoured to be the one compiling the content as well as designing the book. I would like to thank grandaunt Josephine for compiling all the necessary information needed from the other half of the family as well as her help in getting the official story of the reunion. Not forgetting many others who have helped her along the way in verification of details. Thank you, all dear family members, for your kind support and cooperation. Documented in this book is the story on how great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua and grandmother Patimah were separated and then reunited after 70 years. A miraculous story that brought us all together today. Being a part of a family of five generations, it is not easy to know everyone and who's who in the family. Thus, following the story is an overview of our family tree as well as individual family photos with names, in the hope that we could all soon know every single member in this big family of ours. Ending off this book are lined pages, for us to document important matters in the future, such as the birth of a new member. May this family book be of benefit not only to all of us today but also to many more generations to come.

Syaiful Sam'an

ÂŠ 2015

THE STORY

The Reunion The Conversation It started at a wedding reception. Great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua’s niece went to a wedding reception one day and it was at the dining table that she overheard a conversation between two elderly ladies who were seated at the same table, talking about how a Chinese baby was given to a Malay family at Pulau Tekong during the Japanese Occupation. A story very familiar, she was curious if they were indeed talking about her aunt. Hence, she decided to ask the lady sharing the story for details. It was later understood that the lady used to sell vegetables at Pulau Tekong (known as Makcik Lemah to grandmother Patimah’s family). The niece managed to acquire the vegetable seller’s contact number and passed it to her cousins, hoping that the baby in the story might just be their long lost eldest sister. The Search And so it began – the search for a missing daughter after 70 years. A phone call to the vegetable seller earned the siblings an address to visit. As though it was an element of suspense necessary to the story, they got the wrong address. It was the old address, the ninth floor of block 257. So close yet so far. They decided to contact the vegetable seller again and this time they managed to get hold of a telephone number. It was uncle Jasri’s house number. They gave him a call and arranged to have a meet up with the family to check if grandmother Patimah is indeed their eldest sister. Turns out the new address is at the fourth floor of the same block. As they do not want to disappoint great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua, they decided not to inform her of this visit. So on 1 July 2013, grandaunts Leh Chu, Josephine, Susan and Granduncle Sunny made the first visit to ensure they have found the right person. Upon making their way to the house, they were not sure if it would be the right person. There were many of such incidents that happened during the war. However, as they got up to the house and saw the lady that they were supposed to meet, there was no doubt upon the first look. The lady looks exactly like great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua. They were certain that grandmother Patimah is indeed the lost child.

THE STORY

On the dinner table, grandaunt Josephine noticed how grandmother Patimah has certain habits similar to great-grandmother, like rubbing the nose. Her body movements too were the same. She took a video and sent it to the rest of the siblings and they too were certain it is their sister. How amazing it is that of all the siblings, grandmother Patimah is the one who resembles great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua the most, not only in her appearance but also her behaviour, diet and even hobbies (they both enjoy gardening). The Closure Prior to the search, great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua has been asking her children to find her long lost daughter and kept mentioning Pulau Tekong. Without any names or addresses and with Pulau Tekong now being a military school, it was almost impossible to find. As she was getting old, she would love to have a closure to this. 7 July 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; finally, the mother and daughter were reunited after 70 years of separation, a miraculous event for the whole family to witness. Thankfully, she was granted the closure, likewise for the daughter.

The Separation After giving birth to her daughter, great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua was ill and had no milk to feed the baby. Hence, the mother-in-law had to find someone. She managed to find a Malay lady in the kampong who has a baby and could help to feed grandmother Patimah. Great-grandmother Siow Kim Hua had to eventually return to her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place in Kota Tinggi to be treated after the childbirth. As she returned to health, she decided to return to the island to get her daughter back. However, it was not as easy as she would have expected it to be. Nobody seemed to know where her daughter was and to whom she was passed to. With the war going on, it made things even more difficult. That search turned out to be a search of 70 years.

THE REUNION

The first meeting after seventy years (1 July 2013).

THE RE

EUNION

Our first Hari Raya gathering (11 August 2013)

THE RE

EUNION

Our first Chinese New Year gathering (2 February 2014)

THE FAMI

Siow Ki

Patimah

Kwa Ley Eng, Cangy

Kwa Lay Hong, Doreen

Kwa Lay Hoon, Susan

1. Norizah Jalidin

1. Richard Lim

1. Brigette Then

1. Kelly Lai

1. Chua

2. Norlidah Jalidin

2. Alan Lim

2. Celine Then

2. Jason Lai

2. Zhua

3. Jamil Jalidin 4. Jasman Jalidin 5. Jasmi Jalidin 6. Jasri Jalidin

1(i) Sara Lim 1(i) Evan Lim 2(i) Alison Lim (ii) Henry Lim

1(i) Md Khairul Aman

4(i) Md Zul Hilmi

(ii) Md Shahril Aman

(ii) Md Zul Elfi

(iii) Md Lutfi Aman

(iii) Md Zul Fitri

(iv) Md Zaim Aman

(iv) Siti Nur Insyirah

(v) Nur Nadhirah

(v) Siti Nur Asyura

2(i) Md Sufyan

5(i) Nurdina Ilyana

(ii) Md Syaiful

(ii) Md Naufal Azhari

(iii) Nurnina Syazwani

(iii) Md Azri Akmal

3(i) Jamiatul Huda

6(i) Abu Qashri Izzuddin

(ii) Jamilul Hadi

(ii) Abu Zaar Amiruddin

(iii) Jamiatul Hida

(iii) Abu Amr Saiffudin (iv) Putri Nurhazirah (v) Taufiq Nuradly

1(i)(a) Nur Aman Haidar 2(i)(a) Noor Md Aman (ii)(b) Siti Khadijah

1(i) E

ILY TREE

im Hua

wa Lee Ha

Kwa Leh Chu Kwa Lay Keng, Josephine

Kwa Eng Kiat, Chris

Kwa Eng Hsiong, Sunny

ang Shen Hui

1. Alexander Soh

1. Kwa Rou An

1. Sandy Kwa

ang Ming Da

2. Benjamin Soh

2. Kwa Rou Hui

2. Eric Kwa

3. Kwa Guan Hong

3. Nicholas Kwa 4. Sammi Kwa

Ethan Tay

LEGEND

First Generation Second Generation Third Generation Fourth Generation Fifth Generation

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Seated on sofa: Md Khairul Aman, Salimah Abdullah, Siow Kim Hua, Patimah, Md Shahril Aman, Siti Khadijah, Siti Kartini. Seated on floor: Md Zaim Aman, Norizah Jalidin, Noor Aman Haidar, Noor Muhammad Aman, Nur Nadhirah, Md Lutfi Aman. (not in picture: Nurul Amanina, Nurin Afrina, Abu Khalid)

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Seated on sofa: Sam'an Wodi, Siow Kim Hua, Patimah, Norlidah Jalidin. Seated on floor: Md Sufyan, Nurnina Syazwani, Md Syaiful.

THE FAMILY

Top to Bottom Seated on sofa: Siow Kim Hua Standing/Seated on floor: Jamil Jalidin, Patimah, Hamidah, Jamiatul Hida, Jamiatul Huda, Jamilul Hadi.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Seated on sofa: Siow Kim Hua, Patimah, Md Zul Elfi. Seated on floor: Jasman Jalidin, Siti Nur Insyirah, Siti Nur Asyura, Md Zul Fitri. (not in picture: Md Zul Hilmi)

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Seated on sofa: Siow Kim Hua, Patimah, Juanah Sawan. Seated on floor: Jasmi Jalidin, Md Naufal Azhari, Md Azri Akmal, Nurdina Ilyana.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Seated on sofa: Siow Kim Hua, Patimah, Abu Qashri Izzuddin, Roshila Kamesi. Seated on floor: Jasri Jalidin, Abu Amr Saiffudin, Putri Nurhazirah, Taufiq Nuradly, Abu Zaar Amiruddin.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Maggi Yee, Sara Lim (toddler), Richard Lim, Kwa Ley Eng Cangy, Siow Kim Hua, Maureen Pamanamo, Alan Lim, Henry Lim (toddler), Alison Lim (toddler).

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Kenneth Loke, Brigette Then, Siow Kim Hua, Kwa Lay Hong Doreen, Celine Then.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Lim Jek, Evan Lim (baby), Kelly Lai, Jason Lai, Siow Kim Hua, Kwa Lay Hoon Susan, Lai Wong Shin.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Zhuang Ming Da, Kwa Lee Ha, Siow Kim Hua, Chuang Shen Hui, Ethan Tay (toddler), Tay Ze Yun.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Teng Ah Too, Siow Kim Hua, Kwa Leh Chu.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Benjamin Soh, Kwa Lay Keng Josephine, Alexander Soh.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Soh Ping Shin, Kwa Rou An, Kwa Guan Hong, Kwa Rou Hui, Kwa Eng Kiat Chris.

THE FAMILY

Left to Right Sandy Kwa, Eric Kwa, Leok Mui Ling, Kwa Eng Hsiong Sunny, Nicholas Kwa, Sammi Kwa.