MY
FAMILY TREE
By Maryam Mei Ling Lum
My
grandma came from the Province of Kwang Tung. Sailed over
the Nanyang Sea to begin a new
life escaping the turmoil and unrest in Southern China. Her name is Chan Sun Lin aged more than 80
blessed years. She lived in Kuala Lumpur with my Uncle.
Granted citizenship in 1952. Due to help by the kind China Consulate Chief Haji
Ibrahim Ma Yin Ting in Ipoh, Perak then a
prosperous booming tin town with many Austin, Ford and Vauxhall cars.
I
am one of her thirteen grandchildren and my name is Maryam Mei Ling Lum . My
sister name is Melati Mei Lee Lum
and
my elder brother Imran Lum Kai Shek .
We
got several inter-related/mixed marriage cousins and I like to pen down their unique
and unforgettable names :
Pauline
Lum Mei Ling
Dr.
Mark Lum Ying Jun
Ruth Lum Meu Yin
Cheryl Lum Mei Yee
Pamela Lum Mei Ling
Dr. Lum Ying Wei
Yeah, we almost forgot to congratulate and proud of
our Grandma four prodigal successful and well educated sons. They all graduated
with flying colors and become Doctors !
Bull eye. All the four are Yi
Shengs as below :
Dr.
Lum Siew Meng ( my Dad�s lah� he graduated from Belfast
Queen College
circa 1988. Strict disciplinarian, generous with smiles)
Married to my Mum Dr. Rokkiah Tawi. He fraternize with
jovial friends like � Dr.Izhan Chew, Dr. Amin Ho of Johor, Dr.Yasmin Cheng
(Wife of Dr.Khalid HUKM, Dr.Aishah Ong (UMMC), Dr.Fuad Yeoh, Dr.Osman Chua
(UIA), Dr. Ibrahim Lee Bao Yi (ISTAC), Dr.Eusuff Teh, Dr.Anqaravi Lee,
Dr.Mazeni Alwi IJN), Dr.Che Husna (UKM), Dr. Helena, Dr.Abdal Qadir Xin,
Dr.Sachiko Murata, Dr.Rosey Ma and Dr.Hafizah Cheong (UIA).
( You see when we got fever, two Doctors will force us
to take extra medicine and sleep early. No television ! )
Dr.
Milton Lum Siew Wah ( my first Uncle , blah blah)
(Need third opinion or medical diagnosis, go to his
Specialist Child Clinic at Suria KLCC,1
8th Jade Floor, East Wing.
Married to Auntie Patricia Ng Sok Ai. She always gave us the best overseas
chocolates )
Dr.Lum
Siew Kheong ( you guess what� we what called him ? He lives at a
bamboo banglow in Bukit Tunku. Married to Auntie Yvonne Ho Seok Inn. Now
serving as Cardiac Consultant at Singapore Elizabeth Medical Centre. We like to
visit his lovely children.. our cousins la..Cheryl, Judith, and Pauline )
Dr.Lum
Siew Heng ( he is our youngest Uncle. His favorite Chinese Tea
is Shushien from Yunna and earned a salary of RM15,000. Peanuts � ! he barked,
compared to our Auntie Dr. Lalitha, married to Dr. Lum Siew Heng who easily
commanded a monthly pay of Sterling Pound 20,000 while serving in Dubai
al-Buruj Blue Lagoon Medical Spa).
I
just feel old when reached my 8th
year come this Summer Time on 18 August 2006.
Now I am Enrolled at Ritz Garden International School. I
also take subjects of Japanese language, Science of Haiku, Karate-do, English ,
Eastern Architecture, History (ah very important not to lose sight of your
country and great family connections !) Arabic and horsing riding at week end
at Bukit Kiara Equistrian Park.
Soon our dad promise to bring us to Perth Equine Farm, Western
Australia to buy our ponies ! Not so
soon until you graduate with honor in
Archictural Studies, ha ha ha. ( Don�t be taken in by my account, just add six
more years to the day I am seeing the
sunlight and trees of Malaysia.
Happy Merdeka� 49 years. My dad is younger by ten years. Ha ha ha..). My dad
perform the pilgrimage of Hajj in year 1420 Hijriah and still not brave to use
the title Haji to his muslim name. This secret you have to pay a price to
unravel. Ming bu fu shi. Born in Rabbit year or Horse, you guess ?
My
English teacher, charming Sharifah Khoo Su Nin gave me this
assignment to write a short essay and biography of my Blessed Family Tree.
Where East meet West, three of us always get more Ang Pows and Hari Raya money
than other cousins. We celeberate Gong Xi Fatt Zai, Aidil Fitri, Moon Cake
Tanglung Festival, Aqiqah, and also Christmas. My teacher graduated from Berkeley, California
University and offspring of the famous Khoo Clan lineage in Penang.
Islam embraced and captured her heart and certainty in 1998.
Before
I pen out, some last precious bit of facts : we got two very
young Nephews � Muneer Buckley and James
Inglis. And one Niece- Anisa Buckley and not to left out cute baby Ilyaas
Inglis. He is the first ever great Grandson to our beloved Grandma Madame Chan
Sun Lin.
May
Heaven bless Grandma�she passed away peacefully on 16 September 2006.
Always in kind loving remembrance and embrace, when we gather, play and running
around her. Zhenzhu baoyuni. Greeting of Peace.
This morning
while flipping thru the paper
17 September, Sunday Star,
my heart jumped with joy when I saw the many
sweet and
beautiful rows of Chinese , English, Indian,
Eurasian and Muslim names in the Family Tree as listed in one of the sober
church service at Petaling Jaya. What happen is that my wife Sophia Wen
requested me to write a short article to honor and appreaciate the piercing
light of Islam that shine through the post merdeka young generation of
Malaysian.
A truly Asian Melting
Pot of Beauty and Experience.
The rest is Fiction with many thanks
to little Maryam
Mei Ling, using her rich imaginations