Yeop Mahidin Bin Mohamed Shafiff
Encyclopedia
Yeop Mahidin bin Mohamed Shariff (born 20 February 1918) was the first Director of Rejimen Askar Wataniah
, the reserves component of the Malaysian Army
. He was widely regarded as the “Father of Wataniah” for his efforts in establishing the Rejimen Askar Wataniah
as a credible force.
, Perak
to a Customs officer. He was educated at the Anderson School and a keen boxer who was a bantam weight champion. He was a keen footballer
, and was active in field hockey and cricket, in which he was once given the “Batsman Of The Year” award.
According to his family, Yeop Mahidin came from a long line of silat
exponents who served as protectors to the Perak Sultanate. His children,both the men and the women in the family are known as efficient fighters with a style of fighting handed down over generations. One of his sons, named Mokhtar, nicknamed Apin, went on to establish the largest silat schools in the United Kingdom.He is known as the Mahaguru Silat Gayong or Grand Master of Silat Gayong.
He aspired to join the Malay Regiment
but was discouraged to do so by his headmaster L.D Whitfield who wanted him to join the Malayan
Civil Service
. In 1937, Yeop Mahidin went to the Malay College to prepare him for life in the Civil Service
.
In 1938, Yeop Mahidin was appointed a magistrate
in Telok Anson (now Teluk Intan
) before transferring to Kajang
in 1939. In 1940 he again transferred, this time to Kuala Lipis
as Assistant District Officer. He joined the local Malay State Volunteer Rifles Reserve and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
World War II
When World War II broke out, Yeop Mahidin formed a resistance group called the Pahang Wataniah. The unit had a strength of 254 men and was assisted by Force 136, which assigned Major Richardson to help train the unit. His bravery and exploits earned him the nickname “Singa Melayu” (Malay Lion)
In 1945, Yeop Mahidin was made Commander of local resistance forces and made a Major. He was offered by the British to undergo military training in Britain but he refused. Captain Abdul Razak bin Hussein (later Malaysia’s Second Prime Minister) and Lieutenant Ghazali bin Shafie (a renowned Malaysian Foreign Minister) was sent instead.
In 1958, as the threat of the communist terrorists receded, the Malayan Home Guard was disbanded. The Malayan Territorial Army was formed in 1958 with the passing of the Territorial Army Ordinance 1958. The Territorial Army soon changed its name to Askar Wataniah. Yeop Mahidin was made the First Director of Askar Wataniah with the rank of Colonel.
in 1963 when he was made the District Officer of Kuala Lipis.
Yeop Mahidin was also a renowned Silat
exponent and instructor. http://www.asianoutlook.com/sensilat.htm http://www.silat.f9.co.uk/senisilathaqq.htm
He was also active in the Malaysian Olympic Movement was the Chef-de-Mission of the Malaysian contingent during the 1971 South East Asian Peninsular Games in Kuala Lumpur. http://www.olympic.org.my/web/gamesrecords/sea/sea_pchefdemission.htm
Rejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
, the reserves component of the Malaysian Army
Malaysian Army
The Malaysian Army is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ as do the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy...
. He was widely regarded as the “Father of Wataniah” for his efforts in establishing the Rejimen Askar Wataniah
Rejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
as a credible force.
Biography
Yeop Mahidin was born on 20 February 1918 in ParitParit
Parit is a main town of Perak Tengah district, Perak, Malaysia.List of Schools in Parit:SEKOLAH RENDAH: # Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Parit ....
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
to a Customs officer. He was educated at the Anderson School and a keen boxer who was a bantam weight champion. He was a keen footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, and was active in field hockey and cricket, in which he was once given the “Batsman Of The Year” award.
According to his family, Yeop Mahidin came from a long line of silat
Silat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...
exponents who served as protectors to the Perak Sultanate. His children,both the men and the women in the family are known as efficient fighters with a style of fighting handed down over generations. One of his sons, named Mokhtar, nicknamed Apin, went on to establish the largest silat schools in the United Kingdom.He is known as the Mahaguru Silat Gayong or Grand Master of Silat Gayong.
He aspired to join the Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
but was discouraged to do so by his headmaster L.D Whitfield who wanted him to join the Malayan
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. In 1937, Yeop Mahidin went to the Malay College to prepare him for life in the Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
.
In 1938, Yeop Mahidin was appointed a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Telok Anson (now Teluk Intan
Teluk Intan
Teluk Intan（安順）is a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia. It is the largest town in Hilir Perak district and third largest town in the state of Perak with an estimated population of around 120,000, about half of Hilir Perak district's total population...
) before transferring to Kajang
Kajang
Kajang, is a town in the eastern part of Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang is the district capital of Hulu Langat. It is located from of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.The current locational gravity of growth in Kajang would be Sungai Chua...
in 1939. In 1940 he again transferred, this time to Kuala Lipis
Kuala Lipis
Kuala Lipis is a big town in Pahang, Malaysia with a population of 200,000. It is located in the district of Lipis.-History:Kuala Lipis was a gold-mining center before the British arrived in 1887. In 1898 it became the capital of Pahang until 1953....
as Assistant District Officer. He joined the local Malay State Volunteer Rifles Reserve and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
World War II
When World War II broke out, Yeop Mahidin formed a resistance group called the Pahang Wataniah. The unit had a strength of 254 men and was assisted by Force 136, which assigned Major Richardson to help train the unit. His bravery and exploits earned him the nickname “Singa Melayu” (Malay Lion)
In 1945, Yeop Mahidin was made Commander of local resistance forces and made a Major. He was offered by the British to undergo military training in Britain but he refused. Captain Abdul Razak bin Hussein (later Malaysia’s Second Prime Minister) and Lieutenant Ghazali bin Shafie (a renowned Malaysian Foreign Minister) was sent instead.
Founding Rejimen Askar Wataniah
In 1950, the British Malaya government formed the “Home Guard” and yeop Mahidin was made the Deputy Director of the Malayan Home Guard. The Home Guard was tasked with static local Defence and manned checkpoints that curbed the flow of supplies to Communist Terrorists.In 1958, as the threat of the communist terrorists receded, the Malayan Home Guard was disbanded. The Malayan Territorial Army was formed in 1958 with the passing of the Territorial Army Ordinance 1958. The Territorial Army soon changed its name to Askar Wataniah. Yeop Mahidin was made the First Director of Askar Wataniah with the rank of Colonel.
Retirement
Yeop Mahidin left the Askar WataniahRejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
in 1963 when he was made the District Officer of Kuala Lipis.
Yeop Mahidin was also a renowned Silat
Silat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...
exponent and instructor. http://www.asianoutlook.com/sensilat.htm http://www.silat.f9.co.uk/senisilathaqq.htm
He was also active in the Malaysian Olympic Movement was the Chef-de-Mission of the Malaysian contingent during the 1971 South East Asian Peninsular Games in Kuala Lumpur. http://www.olympic.org.my/web/gamesrecords/sea/sea_pchefdemission.htm