KUANTAN - Malay warrior Mat Kilau was today named as the recipient of this year’s Pahang Tokoh Maal Hijrah award.
The Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah presented the award in the form of RM10,000 and a trophy and a certificate to his grandson Mohd Alhamadi Abu Bakar at the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration at Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah here.
Also present at the ceremony were Tengku Panglima Raja Kol Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and State Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman.
Mohd Alhamadi, 56, when met by reporters, expressed his gratitude to the Pahang government for the recognition given to his grandfather.
He hoped that the award would be a catalyst to inspire and encourage others to continue to spread the teachings of Islam.
"Mat Kilau’s struggle was based on religion...Mat Kilau, his father Tok Gajah and Datuk Bahaman stood up against the British colonialists who wanted to introduce their administration system,” he said.
Mohd Alhamadi said Mat Kilau, whose real name is Muhammad Khatib Rasu Abd Salam lived with his parents for about 30 years before his grandfather breathed his last on Aug 16, 1970 at the age of 104.
The teacher said he would use the money to improve the facilities at the Mat Kilau gallery here, which he established in 2016 in collaboration with Pertubuhan Silat Tapak Setia Suci, Warisan Mat Kilau.
Mat Kilau who is a native of Kampung Kedondong, Pulau Tawar in Jerantut had a thorough command of religious knowledge as he was the student of several prominent religious figures and scholars.
Among them were Pahang first Mufti Uthman Senik, religious scholar Sayyid Abdul Rahman Sayyid Muhammad Al-Idrus or popularly known as Tokku Paloh and Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong. - BERNAMA