Seni Gayong is a well-known style of silat from Malaysia.
History
The founder of Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia is Almarhum Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman bin Daeng Uda Md. Hashim, grandson of Daeng Kuning. Daeng Kuning, better known by the title of Panglima Hitam is one of five siblings Bugis prince who landed in Malaya to find a place to start a new life. Their landing place at that time was called Pengkalan Aur which is now better known as Air Kuning, Taiping. He continued to stay there while the others continued their adventure. Daeng Kuning died in Taiping in 1875.
Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman bin Daeng Uda Md. Hashim, the heir of Daeng Kuning was born in Taiping on 17th August 1915. He started learning martial arts when he was 12 years old from his grandfather, Syed Zainal Abidin Al-Attas. Syed Zainal or Tuk Jenai at that time was a penghulu in Pekan was a Pahang warrior who was famous for his struggle against British colonialism along with the late Mat Kilau, Dato ‘Bahaman (Orang Kaya Semantan) and his friends. He retired and had a family in Taiping until he was blessed with several children, among them Syarifah Alauyah, the mother of Dato ‘Mahaguru Meor Abdul Rahman.
After his martial arts knowledge was completed, Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman became known to many. At the age of 19, he was called to show his abilities in front of His Majesty the Sultan of Perak, the late Sultan Alang Iskandar at Istana Bukit Chandan and was given the title of Commander Sendo Perak (The Invincible Warrior of Perak) and stayed at the palace for some time until he died in 1938
The power Dato ‘Abdul Rahman in the field of martial arts also highlighted himself when he migrated to Singapore in 1938. He was assigned as the first Malay martial arts coach to the Signal Corps under the command of Lt. Col Pope at Gullman Barrack, Singapore. Not wanting to be colonized, he retreated to Sudong Island, 12 km from Singapore in 1941 when Japanese troops invaded Singapore. This is the first time that Silat Seni Gayong was first introduced to a group of seven youths, on 17th February 1942 at 11.00 am. On the island and the surrounding islands, he has proven his ingenuity and courage to deceive, defeat the Japanese army and protect the people on the island.
His hard work, then spread its influence to Martial Arts Gayong expanded to the islands of Indonesia, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula. For his outstanding service while serving in the criminal branch as well as his contribution to the British Government against the Japanese occupation of Singapore and Malaya, he was awarded the King George V medal by Queen Elizabeth which at that time Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman was already a policeman in Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore.
Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman continued to persistently develop the Gayong Art Silat throughout the Malay Land and Singapore starting in 1948. After leaving the police force, he founded Seni Gayong School in Woodland, Singapore on 3 December 1960.
In 1959, Allahyarham Dato ‘Onn bin Jaafar, founder of UMNO and opponent of the Malayan Union, became an expert in the Gayong Art Silat. Seeing this response to the art of silat was so encouraging, he made it necessary to register it. The result of the efforts of this Malay nationalist and Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman himself, this silat art was successfully registered in Johor Bahru on 22 of October, 1963 (Registration No. 361) in the name of the Malaysian Gayong Silat Arts Association. It is the first martial arts institute registered and is now the largest silat school in Malaysia.
Silat Seni Gayong continues to grow rapidly in Peninsular Malaysia under the leadership of Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman. His efforts and sacrifices to develop this martial arts were recorded by His Majesty the Sultan of Perak, His Majesty the late Sultan Idris with the awarding of the Darjah Paduka Cula Si Manja Kini (DPCM) medal which led to the title of Dato ‘. The late Dato ‘Meor Abdul Rahman bin Daeng Uda Md. Hashim died in Taiping on 23rd June 1991 when he was 76 years old.
