The Uniques Malay Club celebrates 90th Anniversary

 

The Uniques Malay Club which was founded in June 1922 reached 90 years last year but due to the logistics of bringing together its members living abroad the official celebrations will be held on Sunday Jan. 06, 2013 at the Lavinia Breeze Hotel Mt Lavinia. In a country where the mortality rate of social organizations is high, to have survived 90 years is in itself an achievement. Moreover achieving so much during this period merits congratulations. As the uniques celebrates this historic occasion it is fitting that we look back at its origins. We should examine the objectives of its founder members and see, how far we have fulfilled them and what yet needs to be done in this new 21st Century.

 

At a time when westernization was the key to economic progress a band of young visionaries led by Ernest Fareed Saldin began to question the validity of some of the time worn traditions and ingrained prejudices which trammeled Malay society. They felt that strict adherence to these dogmas impeded their progress. Thus was born the "Appetizers" Club, meaning an appetite for knowledge. The name was later changed to the Uniques Malay Club, and the founder members were E. F. Saldin (President), B. Z. Lye, (Secretary), M. P. Drahaman, E. B. Abdue, Z Mansoor, B. L. Doole, L. J. Sourjah and T. K. Halaldeen.

 

The objectives of the club were the emancipation of their women folk, social advancement, the acquisition of literary and organization skills and the provision of a training ground for public speaking.

 

Membership was restricted to "those who advocated the emancipation of Muslim Women and the dissemination of progressive ideas, which were however not inconsistent with the teachings of Islam"

 

The club proceeded to live up to the aspirations of its founders throughout its ninety years and its efforts were rewarded by three of its presidents M. K. Saldin, M. P. Drahaman, and B. Z. Lye being appointed to the legislature of the island.

 

The activities of the club have gained recognition locally and several Ministers of the Government and other distinguished persons have been the chief guests at our functions, notably the Hon D.S Senanayake who graced our silver jubilee celebrations at the Silver Fawn Club on Feb. 06, 1948. Our club is known internationally and several notable persons have visited us. These include His Highness the Sultan of Kedah on 28 August 1927 at Brighton, Small Pass, His Holiness Moulana Abdul Alim Siddique Quadri of Meerut City, India in July 1934 and Raden Mas Soetomo, the well known Javanese Nationalist Leader on Aug. 05 1936. On February 23, 1997 Professor Ismail Hussain, The Chairman of GAPENA (The Federation of National Writers Association of Malaysia) was accorded a reception at the residence of B. D. K. Saldin in Ratmalana. Professor Ismail Hussain was impressed that one Malay family group could have produced so many leading lights in so many fields of endeavour. He said that even Malaysia could not boast of such an achievement and ours was an example to the entire Malay speaking world. B. D. K. Saldin was appointed by Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka of Malaysia as a member of The Majlis Antarbangsa Bahasa Melayu (MABM) to represent Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2003.

 

Economically we have achieved much. We became westernized and joined the ranks of the rulers of Sri Lanka, the privileged English speaking 5% of the population. We have produced legislators, medical

 

specialists, university professors, company directors, chartered accountants, barristers, architects, artists, engineers, authors, "Kala Bushanas,"and civil servants. Our members adorn the highest

 

rungs of every occupation. Like the English speaking western elite of the other communities, our members too found it easier to converse in English to the detriment of Malay

 

Change is inevitable and no community can be quarantined against forces that influence the country as a whole. Socially we moved freely with members of other communities of Sri Lanka of similar standing.

 

Intermarriage with members of the same class but different communities took place. In earlier years, this would have led to ostracism of the offending individual. Gradually we have begun to realize that as a

 

minority within a minority we cannot fight against historical forces.

 

We have learnt to accept the inevitable. If a member of the Uniques marries a non Malay, there is no acrimony. They, too, can become members and in fact many non Malays are live wires of the club. We have achieved the primary objective of the founder members, namely the emancipation of women. Even in our own organization there have been instances where the patron, the president, and the secretary are all women. We have also achieved another of the aims of our founder members, to provide a training ground for our members to acquire the social graces, make public speeches and organize events.

 

Could one therefore say that the Uniques having fulfilled its objectives has now outlived its usefulness? One of the main reasons for Uniques to have survived so long is because it is a family club.

For the Uniques, family ties transcend all other considerations. We try to keep our families together, by regular meetings and bringing every one into its fold. In an era when families are disintegrating an organization that stresses family unity and togetherness has a definite place in society.

 

Following the common trend many of our members migrated abroad but yet maintain the traditions that they imbibed in their youth, So much so that they form the backbone of the Sri Lanka Malay organizations in the UK, Sydney, Toronto and Dubai

 

Our club is the Uniques Malay Club. It means that we are first and foremost a Malay Club but a Malay club that is unique. At the same time we must not forget that our loyalty is to our country Sri Lanka

 

and being a minority within a minority we must continue to exist cordially with all the other ethnic groups. Sri Lanka must be like a rainbow where all the cultural strands blend to form a unique whole.

 

B. D. K. Saldin