Massive gathering for grand clan

So much to catch up on: Family members and descendants of Dukut and Halijah singing a Hari Raya song during their gathering at Azumu Tak Hall in Kampung Kepayang, Ipoh.

IPOH: With international borders open again, they flew in from as far as the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates – all for a grand gathering of family members and descendants of Dukut Maharajo and Halijah Awang.

About 1,200 of them from five generations gathered at the Dato Azumu Tak Hall in Kampung Kepayang here to celebrate Hari Raya.

Dukut was a religious preacher who came to then Malaya from Sumatera, Indonesia, in 1880 while Halijah’s father was the co-founder of Kampung Kepayang. Their family is into its seventh generation now.

University media relations officer Asyaaf Syahmie Hasri, 25, said the gathering was held for the first time since 2018.

Asyaaf Syahmie, from the fifth generation of the clan, said another gathering was supposed to have been held in 2020 but had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Due to the death of several older members of the family, we also could not hold it last year.

“We planned for today’s gathering about three months ago and initially just wanted to have it on a smaller scale.

“When the government announced the relaxation of the standard operating procedures, we went ahead with the grand gathering,” he said.

Asyaaf Syahmie said Dukut, his great-great grandfather, was in his late teens when he and his brother Kamat settled down in Chemor in 1880.

“They were songkok makers and also used to sell drinks,” said Asyaaf Syahmie.

“Dukut used to preach at Masjid India Muslim.

“He married Halijah, who was the daughter of an imam and they had eight children – four sons and four daughters.

“The first and second generations have long passed on.

“There are over a dozen elders from the third generation, with the oldest now aged 86,” he said, adding that the head of the family now was Zairakithnaini Tak.

Asyaaf Syahmie said the entire family hoped to be able to hold more gatherings in the future.

“Over the last four years, so much has happened. Some of us have lost contact and we want to get in touch again. We are really excited and happy to be able to meet our extended kin, especially those whom I have not met in ages.

“There’s so much catching up to do,” he added.

Also present at the gathering were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, a fourth generation family member of the clan, his wife Datin Seri Dr Nomee Ashikin Mohammed Radzi and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal household comptroller Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini.