Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor today stressed how he had never used his ‘tengku’ title to obtain riches.
Lamenting how the issue of his lineage has been raised, Tengku Adnan said he had clarified in 1982 when then Umno Youth chief Anwar Ibrahim asked him where the ‘tengku’ title had come from.
“I said that I am not a Tengku from Malaysia, I am an Aceh descent,” said Tengku Adnan in his speech at a Wanita Umno Batu division event today.
The veteran Umno leader added that his ancestors were also instrumental in bringing Islam to Malaysia.
“Look back at history, Tengku Nyak Abu who disappeared – I am his grandson; he fought for Islam and my grandparents never submitted to the Dutch.
“Some ask me why I am strong, it’s because of this blood that runs in my veins. (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) has Bugis blood while I have Acehnese blood,” he said.
The book ‘Separatist Conflict in Indonesia: The long-distance politics of the Acehnese diaspora’ by Antje Missbach refers to Nyak Abu as one of the first Dutch Acehnese resistance supporters.
Lorong Ngah Aboo in Georgetown, Penang is named after Nyak Abu, described as “a rich Acehnese merchant” in the book ‘Penang and Its Region: The Story of an Asian Entrepot’ edited by Neil Khor, Khoo Salma Nasution, Loh Wei Leng, Yeoh Seng Guan.
Nyak Abu is also referred to as Teuku Nyak Abu and or Teungku Nyak Abu.
Tengku Adnan’s defence today comes as former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan questioned the former’s Tengku title.
Khairuddin had claimed that the title was fake and was not hereditary.
Ancestors were warriors? Most likely pirates! My great grandfather was a head-hunter. Does that mean I can call myself "Tengku" too?
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