Ibu Anah: A legend who rose to brave the challenges of her time, steadfast in championing the well-being of women in her community
Datuk Paduka Pemanca Sharifah Rehanah Syed Razali (1910 – 2000)
DATUK Paduka Pemanca Sharifah Rehanah Syed Razali, fondly known as ‘Ibu Anah’, was one of the prominent women political pioneers in Sarawak. A founding member of the women’s wing of Sibu Barisan Rakyat Jati Sarawak (BARJASA), she together with her compatriot, Dayangku Mariam Pengiran Bungsu from Limbang, was the first woman in Sarawak to be appointed as Pemanca (community head) in 1973.
Born in Sibu in 1910, and the only child of Syed Razali Syed Zain and his wife Sharifah Hamdiah Syed Omar, Ibu Anah grew up in Kampung Datu, Sibu. Her father was an enterprising businessman who owned a rubber plantation besides being involved in the buffalo trade.
Growing up in a well-to-do family, Ibu Anah had a comfortable life until the Japanese invaded Sarawak.
Married at the age of 16 to her cousin Syed Junaidi Syed Othman, the son of a prominent religious figure in Sibu, she devoted her life to raising their children while her husband was the ‘imam’ (head of congregation) of Masjid Sibu.
Japanese Occupation
She was in her mid-30s when the Japanese occupied Sarawak. The occupation, which lasted for almost four years, had brought much suffering to the people. Not only were the administrative and economic infrastructures severely damaged, the people lived in fear under the harsh rule of the Japanese.
The lordly indifference of the Japanese soldiers to the people and the defeated Europeans spurred anti-Japanese sentiments throughout the state. The military government would use various forms of propaganda to influence the people. One way was to associate themselves with the various ethnic groups by recruiting their leaders in the administration.
As imam of the Sibu mosque and a religious teacher with a large following, Syed Junaidi was among the community leaders favoured by the Japanese. However, that did not spare the family from the hardship brought by the war.
Ibu Anah gave birth to her eighth child during the Japanese Occupation. While still in confinement, she literally saw a plane hovering over her house and the next thing she knew was the town had been bombed. The worsening situation in Sibu caused the family to move to Song, where they stayed until it was safe to return home.
When the Allied forces came to Sibu to defeat the Japanese in March 1945, they bombed various parts of the town where the Japanese were believed to be in operation.
Ibu Anah and her family had to flee to Teluk Nasang where they lived among the Ibans and worked with them in the paddy fields. They returned to Sibu in August in the same year after the Japanese had surrendered.
The war had awakened the spirit of patriotism in Ibu Anah and so was the ceding of Sarawak to the British Crown by the last White Rajah after the war. The upsurge of politics triggered by the 1946 cession had kindled the spirit of nationalism among Sarawak women – a number of women organisations were formed in Kuching, Sibu and other parts of Sarawak to protest against it.
While the anti-cession issue was a matter close to her heart, Ibu Anah was not physically involved in the anti-cession movement. She had yet to recuperate from an illness that lasted for three months after her confinement following the birth of her 10th child, Sharifah Maimunah.
Nonetheless, the cession had further roused her patriotic spirit.
A series of afflictions followed a few years later. Her husband died of an illness at the age of 45. Prior to his death, the grieving widow had already lost two young children – Sharifah Fatimah, 9, and their youngest daughter Sharifah Hamidah, 3, who passed on just 13 days before Syed Junaidi breathed his last.
Ibu Anah was still nursing the pain and grief of losing a daughter and a husband when her mother passed away, just four months after Syed Junaidi’s untimely departure.
Her father was prodded to sell his land to help provide for her family. Although advanced in age, Syed Razali was physically strong.
Not wanting to rely solely on her father, Ibu Anah reopened the small sundry shop at their house left by her late husband. She also made traditional medicine for mothers who were in confinement to earn extra income. With that and also her father’s support, she was able to raise comfortably her 10 children and give them good education.
Ibu Anah seen with Tun Suhaila Mohamed Noah (right), wife of former prime minister Tun Hussein Onn.
Foray into politics
It was only in 1961, when Ibu Anah was 51, that she entered politics. By then, she had gone through some of the worst circumstances of her life – the war, the deaths of her loved ones, the trials and struggles of being a single mother, all of which had made her strong and resilient as she prepared herself for the next phase of her life.
Most of her children were already working and had families of their own. She had served her family well and now, she felt the time was ripe for her to serve her beloved country as she had always wanted.
Ibu Anah’s late mother and her late husband were held in high esteem by the community, notably for their religious contributions. They used to hold religious and Quran-reading classes as well as religious gatherings at their home in Kampung Datu. The activities availed Ibu Anah of meeting and getting to know people from all strata of society.
It was against this backdrop that she developed her penchant for politics.
Founding member of BARJASA Women
When BARJASA was founded in 1961 and opened a branch in Sibu, Ibu Anah did not hesitate to join the party. Subsequently, she became a founding member of its women’s wing. As a founding member, she travelled from one village to another, going from door to door to campaign for the party. She encouraged the women to join BARJASA and work hand in hand with their male counterparts so that they could achieve their goals for the progress of the country.
Cutting a gentle figure, the petite and hardworking politician was well received by the people as she manifested her love for her religion, country and people, gaining such high respect and good support from them.
When the announcement on the formation of Malaysia was made on the eve of Sept 16 1963, Ibu Anah was moved to tears with a deep sense of patriotism. She gathered the girls in her village at her house compound where they sang the victory song, ‘Berjaya’, to welcome the birth of Malaysia. Sarawak had achieved its independence from Great Britain and now a partner with the Malayan Peninsula and Sabah as one nation.
Photo shows Ibu Anah being flanked by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Datuk Patinggi Laila Taib during a Hari Raya visit years ago, back when Taib was still the chief minister. Also seen is the former assistant minister of welfare and women affairs Datuk Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi (standing, second left), Ibu Anah’s daughter-in-law.
Voluntary work throughout the years
The years that followed saw Ibu Anah travelling to the rural areas in the third and sixth divisions meeting village folks, explaining to them her party’s manifesto as part of her effort to recruit members and set up new branches. A woman in her mid-50s, she endured rough physical journeys and spent weeks away from home to accomplish her mission.
The task was purely voluntary. She sold the land that her father, who passed away in 1968, had passed on to her in small parcels to support her cause. Her residence at Kampung Datu resembled a party headquarters as she opened it for her party’s activities. During election time, it became an administration centre for BARJASA.
Her house was also a ‘mini school’ where literacy classes for adults were conducted. Ibu Anah initiated the classes, while she herself could not read the Romanised Malay as she only knew Jawi (system of writing based on Arabic alphabets and numbers). She also enrolled herself as a student for the new classes where her daughter Sharifah Aminah volunteered as a teacher.
Within a period of three years, she and the rest of the students were able to read and write in Romanised Malay.
Her indomitable spirit, reflected in her steadfastness of purpose, benevolence and her love for her country, religion and people, made her an extraordinary woman of her time. She played an important role in bringing together BARJASA and Parti Negara Sarawak (PANAS) to form Parti Bumiputera in 1966. The merger between the two rival parties was a historic milestone in Sarawak politics.
Following the merger, Ibu Anah was elected as chairman of the Sibu branch women’s section.
Her determination in bringing about reforms in society also led to the founding of Sibu’s first women cooperative in 1971 where she became the manager and Sharifah Aminah, its treasurer. The cooperative was a success story as it progressed rapidly over the next few years.
Photo shows founding member and chairman of Sibu BARJASA Women, Ibu Anah, delivering her speech during its annual general meeting in 1969.
Appointment as community leader
Two years later, Ibu Anah was appointed as Pemanca. With the new appointment, she stepped down as chairman of Sibu Parti Bumiputera Women, but she would remain loyal to the party. She wanted to focus on her new job and serve the community better. She also believed that by vacating her chair, another woman leader would be in the making for the progress of the party, and the country at large.
Following her retirement as Pemanca in 1984, Ibu Anah continued to open her house to religious activities such as ‘zikir’ (Islamic songs of praise) sessions and Quran-reading classes, religious talks and communal prayers – there was no stopping her.
Held in high esteem for her vast contributions to the society and state, Ibu Anah had received visits at her home from many prominent politicians, ministers, as well as past and present governors during her time.
A rose among the thorns – Ibu Anah chairing a meeting.
In recognition of her contributions, she had been awarded the Sijil Kehormatan Negara (SKN), Pingat Peringatan Malaysia (PPM), Pingat Peringatan Terpuji (Silver), Ahli Bintang Sarawak (ABS) and Darjah Panglima Gemilang Bintang Kenyalang (PGBK) by the Sarawak government.
Ibu Anah devoted her remaining years to religious activities that she had started and spending time with her close-knit family. It was in the midst of one of the religious activities that she breathed her last, at the age of 90.
Ibu Anah was a legend – a hero who rose to brave the challenges of the time and was unwavering in her commitment to championing the well-being of women in her community.
Hers was a story of dedication to a social crusade and of an unrelenting pursuit that dared to break new frontiers and reach out to uncharted territories, all for the love of Sarawak and her people.
Ibu Anah with former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
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