Before I begin, I would like to state something for the record. This homepage is not the official homepage of Silat Seni Gayong PASAK. I did not have the personal consent of Hj. Hussain b. Kaslan (Chief Instructor of SSGPS), nor of PASAK's EXCO to make this the official site for SSGPS. I am merely relating my knowledge and experiences as I had understood it. To date, the only official homepage for SSGPS is the one under the link given below. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the information you find here is not misleading or untrue, to the best of my knowledge.
This document was made on: 23rd May 1998.
Last update: 29th Jan 1999.
He was the great grandson of Tengku Daeng Kuning. His grandfather taught him silat when he was only 13 years of age. At 16 (to cut a long story short), he was proclaimed the "Orang Kuat Perak" (a nobleman by Malay standards), and became the adopted son of the then Sultan of Perak. From then on, he used his silat skills to help keep law and order in Perak. This went on until 6th Dec 1941, when the Malay Peninsula became the Japanese Army's next tourist attraction.So Dato' Meor proceeded to take seven volunteers, initiate them as his students, and declared to the villagers that he was the descendent of a 'Daeng' (Prince), and that he is a Master in the art of Silat Seni Gayong as was taught by his grandfather. This took place by the shores of Pulau Sudong. After reciting some verses, two white crocodiles appeared for a while. Then they disappeared. Instead, two kris appeared. One was kept by Dato' Meor, the other was kept by the Penghulu (village chief). He made a promise to return the two kris after the completion of their tasks.
**I know, I know. It's a little hard to believe that last part. But as I had said; I wrote it as I had heard it. Think this is unbelievable? If I tell you the full story about how he actually became the "Orang Kuat Perak", you wouldn't believe me either.
Anyway, it happened that somehow the Japanese didn't even land on Pulau Sudong. Maybe whatever it was that Dato' Meor did actually worked. Either that or the islanders hadn't heard of Loreal or Rouge Pulp. Wonder if they use shampoo.
Anyway, now comes the part about SSGPS itself.
Anyway, in 1959, Silat Seni Gayong run its operations under a society known as "Angkatan '59". Three years later, due to some trademarks problems, its name was changed to "Perkumpulan Anak-Anak Sandiwara Angkatan Kesenian", or PASAK for short.
In 1966, Dato' Meor left Singapore for his homeland Perak. Before he left, he acknowledged one of his first students, Hussain b. Kaslan, as his sole representative and Chief Instructor of Silat Seni Gayong in Singapore. Due to several other schools in Singapore at that time using the name 'Gayong', Dato' Meor's silat style in Singapore was legitimised as Silat Seni Gayong PASAK to avoid any confusion.
Sad to say, Dato' Meor had passed away, in 1991. He was buried near a mosque in Perak, though I'm not sure which one. I felt saddened that I didn't get to meet him when he was still alive. I passed that chance in 1989, when they organized a trip to Perak to visit the late Grandmaster. I couldn't come because of study commitments (sobs!.. sobs!..).
SSGPS had also successfully competed in several National Silat Championships in Singapore, winning several trophies in different categories.
Several of its members have also been selected to represent Singapore in international events, such as the SEA Games and the World Silat Championships, and have brought back medals from the various events.
Now comes the part about me. AHEM!
How do I know so much about its history? Simple. Every student eligible to go for the Instructor's course is required to learn the history of SSGPS. In fact they'll test you on it. And when it comes to the history of SSGPS, how can I leave out the names of Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman b. Uda Mat Hashim, or Tengku Daeng Kuning? To do that would be misleading. The name "Silat Seni Gayong" actually originates from Perak, not Singapore. And if I simply state that the art was brought to Singapore from Perak, readers would probably wonder how that came about (like a puzzle missing a piece). Another thing that I would like to point out is that from the name Tengku Daeng Kuning, it is obvious that this silat style is from a Malay of Bugis descend, and is distinct from other silat styles using the word 'Gayong' in their names. However, this is not true for "Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia (PSSGM) and Pertubuhan Silat Seni Pusaka Gayong Malaysia.
PSSGM was set up in 1962 (I think) by Dato' Meor with the help of Dato' Onn Jaafar, a prominent Malay leader at that time. When he returned to Perak, Dato' Meor made his home the headquarters of PSSGM.
As for "Pusaka Gayong", I'm really not sure about their history.
Enough said. To conclude, I would like to point out that:
Silat Seni Gayong PASAK Singapura (SSGPS):
In 1948, Dato' Meor decided to return to Singapore from P. Sudong. He started setting up his silat school, and was very successful. In those days, it was customary for silat masters to challenge one another to a contest. The issuing of challenges is done in the most respectable and courteous manner possible. The price; the winner becomes the teacher and the loser becomes the student. Dato' Meor never lost.
Anyway, SSGPS is still going strong in Singapore. Up until now, there are 13 training grounds all over Singapore.
They are:
In Singapore, Community Centres are places where people can come and take part in all sorts of activities, such as dancing, opera, taichi, and so much more. This is because facilities in Community Centres are very good for conducting such activities.
Hj. Hussain b. Kaslan,
Chief Instructor, SSGPS.
As for Hj. Hussain b. Kaslan, he is now at 76 years of age. He is still the Chief Instructor of SSGPS. In Singapore he is widely accepted as one of the few pioneers of the silat community. Under his leadership since Dato' Meor's departure to Perak, SSGPS has become one of the most respected, and probably the largest, silat schools in Singapore. Training in this school is very systematic. There is no such thing as getting a belt promotion without passing the usual belt test.
Azlan Speaking...
Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all an important figure in SSGPS. I could easily skip all those other things that you've read so far (it's my home page, remember?), but I feel that readers should understand something about the environment surrounding my silat training. There is a sense of pride among our instructors (no doubt from its long history and achievements), and during training seriousness is emphasized. Not that we can't crack a joke or two, it's just that we don't go too far as to distract from our training. "Pakcik" Hussain (as I usually call him) would start scolding you if you play a fool during training.
Oh, before I forget, I've been in this silat school since October 1987. In 1992, I've completed the Silat Instructor course. And because of it's grading system I'm blessed with a good deal of knowledge in silat fighting, competition sparring, and even weapons usage. I too have a sense of pride (although not 'fierce' pride) in my silat style.
I've been in the Singapore Silat National Team since October 1992, and have won a few medals, both locally and internationally, in the sparring division (80-85kg).
In short, I can hold my own.
This is the logo representing members of PASAK:
Now that you're done reading, click here to go back to my Home Page.
Oh, by the way; I'll be looking for any sites about PSSGM, and I'll put it in this page for you to visit.
Some that I found are:
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