Profile of a Lipat Kajang man

Here is a man who I have known for almost all my life. A relative , a friend and someone that I can trust. We grew up together in the kampong, playing almost the same games (but later in life he was more sportsman than I) , have almost the same buddies in the kampong. We ate, we slept, we swam and we now grow old together but in different towns (well almost). He is my friend Hj Teh Seman.

Our age is only about a few years different. His father was my father’s cousion, on my grandmother’s side and he on his grandfather’s side (my grandmother and his grandfather were brother and sister). Our house was only about 200 meters apart, and he was my grandmother favourite grand nephew. His father was a respected headman (Tok Mukim) of a combination of precints by the Pahang River (collectively locally called ‘baruh’).

We went to the same Malay School in Lipat Kajang, him a few years junior, and when I left the school to go to another school he also left the school a few years later to go to a nearby English School, Abu Bakar School in Temerloh ( about 20 km downriver). He left the Abu Bakar School school after getting his Certificate and he became a Cadet Reporter, but because of certain reasons only known to ourselves he left and entered the Language Institute in Kuala Lumpur training to become a Teacher. And he made himself a good Teacher and on top of that he became a part time Army Officer up to the rank of Major with Provost at his retirement age. And he has settled in Kuantan.

What is interesting about this guy is that he has interesting hobbies. In the kampong when we were small we had the hobby of trapping birds (bull bull and birds in that family mostly), and at time we went into the bushes near our houses to ‘catapult’ small birds. And when he was a working man took interest in hand weapons, guns and knives. He has a fantastic collection of knives and hand weapons.


Some he procured himself and some he inherited from his grandfather and his father.
A "kerambit" from his grandfather,


A big "kris" also from his grandfather,


A long "parang" from his father,


Spears and other weapons, from the old house.



He is Licenced to own a shotgun which her uses usefully to be an accomplished Licenced hunter (for venison). Once he had a private mini zoo behind his house.

And he collects the old earthern wears vessels which were used in his parents house when he was a small boy.



A narrow mouthed earthen water container which was used to collect rainwater to be used for washing feet before going up a house (kampong Malay houses have wooden climbing steps),


smaller earthen ware pots where his mother used to keep her salted preserved fresh water fish (Malay = pekasam),


an open earthenware container where his mother used to keep her cookies (a sort of cookies ‘jar’ really but in this case of earthernware),


a nicely varnished earthen ware pot where his mother used to keep her fresh water fish after the inside had been cleaned out prior to putting salt and ‘sour fruit’ for preservation (in those days we did not have fridges, there was no electricity supply in the kampong).


And surprisingly he has other collections of earthen ware jars of various sizes, the black one shown on the right (in the photo) I recognised as An earthenware vase where rock salt was normally kept, at least my late grandmother’s house.


The above is written from memory and I haven not asked him of the other events in his life. I am in the opinion that if ever he reads this blog he may want o add more interesting things in his life. Perhaps his other friends and his siblings may like to add more in the Comments.

A typical Lipat Kajang man, interesting and just unassuming. Other Lipat Kajang man may have a more interesting life history, but Hj Teh Seman is typical Lipat Kajang man in my opinion. He does not forget his roots, his friends and relatives and he visits the kampong often when he is able to.



Lipat Kajang people (or decendents) are encouraged to participate& contribute (Orang Lipat Kajang, atau keturunan, di jemput memberi sumbangan idea)