Eunos abdullah by Woon Yingxuan Gabbie (Peircess)

1876

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-06 05:41:34 UTC

Eunos was born into a wealthy family, Eunos’s father was a minang kabau merchant from Sumatra, Indonesia. While several sources state he was born in Singapore one source states he was born in sumatra

1893

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-06 05:49:51 UTC

Eunos received his education at the Malay school in Kampong Glam and subsequently at Raffles Institution he was one of the very few Malays who studied there. Upon graduation, he entered the government service. He worked for a few years in the office of the Master Attendant of Singapore Harbour before becoming the harbour master at Muar, Johor.⁹

Eunos admired Hikayat Dunia – a geography text – and the works of Munshi Abdullah, a respectable Islamic scholar in the 19th century. He also found inspiration in Jawi Peranakkan, Singapore’s first Malay language periodical and an extension of Munshi Abdullah’s project to disseminate modernist interpretations of Islam in the region.

1907

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-06 05:53:57 UTC

In 1907, Singapore newspaper proprietor Walter Makepeace offered Eunos a job at Utusan Melayu, the Malay language version of the English newspaper, The Singapore Free Press.¹¹ Eunos accepted the offer and became the Utusan Malayu’s first editor at age 31.

1914

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:29:10 UTC

Then in 1914, he became the editor of Lembaga Melayu, the only Malay language newspaper in Malaya printed in Jawi at the time.¹³

Throughout his journalistic career, Eunos contributed opinionated pieces on Malay nationalism, espousing his notion of bangsa or “racial nationalism”. His views on the subject of bangsa distinguished him from his predecessors, who were dedicated either to the sultanates or the global community of Muslims. His zeal towards uplifting the Malay race during the period of colonial rule subsequently drove him to switch from being a journalist to a representative for the Malays in the colonial political arena.¹⁴

1922

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:30:31 UTC

Thus, was the beginning of his opinionated voice on racial nationalism of “bumiputra” son of the soil issues. He also spoke up against the Muslim Arab descendants who were monopolizing the social and economic environment in Singapore. From literary work, he instantly became a political activist representing the Malay voice during the colonial era.

In 1922, he was appointed as Justice of Peace and subsequently appointed as a member to the municipal commission

1924

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:31:51 UTC

Following the British’s administration policy to increase local representation in the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlement, Eunos was made a Legislative Councillor in 1924. He was the first Malay councillor. In his first public appearance, Eunos stood up to condemn the government’s education policy that side lined the Malay youth. Eunos concluded:

“Being unable to swim, he sinks and is lost in the swelling sea of unemployment. Surely, Sir, this is not a thing to be desired among the original son of the soil? I am confident, Sir, ways and means can be found which will enhance the prospects of boys of the soil and remove forever the penalization which oust them from their own markets simply because they happen to be the imperfect products of an imperfect system of education”.Following the British’s administration policy to increase local representation in the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlement, Eunos was made a Legislative Councillor in 1924. He was the first Malay councillor. In his first public appearance, Eunos stood up to condemn the government’s education policy that side lined the Malay youth. Eunos concluded:

“Being unable to swim, he sinks and is lost in the swelling sea of unemployment. Surely, Sir, this is not a thing to be desired among the original son of the soil? I am confident, Sir, ways and means can be found which will enhance the prospects of boys of the soil and remove forever the penalization which oust them from their own markets simply because they happen to be the imperfect products of an imperfect system of education”.

1926

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:34:11 UTC

In 1926, Eunos and his associates formed the Kesatuan Melayu Singapura (KMS) or the Singapore Malay Union; he was made its President. KMS was the first political organisation set up to champion Malay rights such as increasing Malay representation in the government service, upholding Malay interests, and promoting higher education for the Malays. He wanted a strong sense of Malay nationalism and called for the preservation of its culture or roots to be known and recognised. Eunos pushed to increase the education budget so that Malays could enter into the medical college and attend Malay vernacular or trade schools. He also advocated for better living conditions and sanitation for the Malay community. He proposed to build a settlement of Kampung Melayu to uphold the Malay values. Eunos was eventually given a grant to purchase and build the settlement. It was named Kampung Melayu or Kampung Eunos

1927

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:35:28 UTC

Muhammad Eunos Abdullah who was a member of the Straits Settlements Legislative Council made an appeal in 1927 to the government requesting that a plot of land should be reserved for a 'Malay Kampong' where Malays could lead a Malay way of life. The government gave its approval and a sum of $700,000 was granted to the Singapore Malay Union to buy 600 acres of land. This eventually becomes known as Kampong Eunos or Kampong Melayu.

Later similar Malay kampongs were established in other parts of Singapore; these were Kampong West Coast (Pasir Panjang), Kampong Sembawang, and Kampong Ayer Gemuroh.

1929

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:38:40 UTC

Members of the KMS were mostly made up of English-educated Malay journalists, government officials, merchants, and people of traditional, secular and religious standing who advocated and strived for the socio-economic progress of the Malays. They recognised the importance of education and, through Eunos Abdullah in the Legislative Council, were successful in lobbying for the opening of a trade school for Malays in 1929.¹²

1933

woon_yingxuan_gabbie1 — 2024-02-07 01:41:17 UTC

Eunos retired in early 1933 after nine years of service as a legaislative councillor. His health deteriorated following his retirement. On 12 December 1933, he passed away in his home at Desker Road. His body was laid to rest at the Bidadari cemetery