Salma Ismail

Last updated February 20, 2019

Tan Sri Salma binti Ismail (19 December 1918 – 20 July 2014) was a Malaysian medical doctor and the first Malaysian Malay woman to qualify as a doctor. She became one of the first Malay general practitioners to open a private practice in 1967.

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand in the north and maritime borders with Singapore in the south, Vietnam in the northeast, and Indonesia in the west. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and largest city while Putrajaya is the seat of federal government. With a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the world's 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries, with large numbers of endemic species.

Malaysian Malays are Malaysians of Malay ethnicity whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the Malay world. In 2015 population estimate, Malaysian Malays form 50.8% of the total population of Malaysia or 15.7 million people. They can be broadly classified into two main categories; Anak Jati and Anak Dagang.

In the medical profession, a general practitioner (GP) is a medical doctor who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients.

Biography

Salma Ismail was born on 19 December 1918 in Alor Setar, Kedah. She attended Kampung Baru Girls' School, Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid, and Sultanah Asma Secondary School, where one of the houses now bears her name. She completed the Junior Cambridge examinations in 1933 and Senior Cambridge in 1935,^[1]^{[ self-published source ]} she was the first girl from Kedah to pass the Senior Cambridge with a distinction.^[2] She began her medical studies at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1936. Classes at the college were suspended during World War II, and so Salma returned to Malaysia in 1941 to work as a trainee doctor at Alor Setar General Hospital. She resumed her studies in 1946 and graduated with a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery in 1947.^[1] After eleven years of training, she became the first accredited Malaysian Malay female doctor.^[2]

Alor Setar, formerly known as Alor Star from 2004 to 2008, is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It sits along the country's longest expressway, located 400 km (250 mi) from Kuala Lumpur and 79 km (49 mi) north of George Town, Penang. The city is home to the Central State Administration Centre and is the administrative centre of Kota Setar District.

Kedah, also known by its honorific Darul Aman or "Abode of Peace", is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and the Langkawi islands. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice, while Langkawi is an archipelago, most of which are uninhabited islands.

Kampung Baru or "Kampong Bharu" is a Malay enclave in central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One of the most valuable tracts of land in the capital, it has been estimated to be worth up to US$ 1.4 billion. Kampung Baru's elders have turned developers away, saying they want to preserve their ethnic Malay lifestyle.

After her graduation, Salma became a medical officer at Alor Setar General Hospital, where she remained the only woman in that position until 1960. In 1956, she travelled to Dublin, Ireland, to attend a course on obstetrics for postgraduates.^[1] It was there that she met her husband, Abu Bakar Ibrahim, also a doctor from Alor Setar. Salma returned from Dublin to Alor Setar, where she was appointed Royal Midwife to Sultanah Bahiyah.^[2] She left Alor Setar for Kuala Lumpur in 1960 and served as the medical officer in charge of Tanglin Hospital until 1967, when she opened a private practice.^[1] Her practice, Klinik Salma, was one of the first private practices set up by a Malay general practitioner.^[2] Klinik Salma later expanded to three branches located around Kuala Lumpur, and Salma retired in 2005.^[1]

Dublin Capital and chief port of Ireland, cultural, educational and business centre

Dublin is the capital of, and largest city in, Ireland. It is on the east coast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster, at the mouth of the River Liffey, and is bordered on the south by the Wicklow mountains. It has an urban area population of 1,173,179, while the population of the Dublin Region, as of 2016, was 1,347,359, and the population of the Greater Dublin area was 1,904,806.

Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) which is a surgical field.

Sultanah Hajjah Bahiyah binti Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman was the Sultanah of Kedah (1959–2003) and served as the fifth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 21 September 1970 until 20 September 1975.

Salma received the Bintang Cemerlang Kedah and Dato Paduka Mahkota Kedah awards in 1957 and 1996 respectively.^[2] She was awarded the Panglima Setia Mahkota in 1997, granting her the Tan Sri title. She died in Kuala Lumpur on 20 July 2014 at the age of 95.^[3]

The following is the orders, decorations, and medals given by Sultan of Kedah. When applicable, post-nominal letters and non-hereditary titles are indicated.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 Rashid, Faridah Abdul (2012). Research on the Early Malay Doctors 1900–1957 Malaya and Singapore. Xlibris. pp. 224–25. ISBN 978-1-4691-7243-9.
1 2 3 4 5 Perimbanayagam, Kalbana (20 July 2014). "Malaysia's first Malay woman doctor passes away at 95". New Straits Times . Retrieved 10 November 2017.
↑ "Salma Ismail, first Malay woman doctor, dies at 95". The Star . 21 July 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.

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[Rashid-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Rashid, Faridah Abdul (2012). Research on the Early Malay Doctors 1900–1957 Malaya and Singapore. Xlibris. pp. 224–25. ISBN 978-1-4691-7243-9.

[nst-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Perimbanayagam, Kalbana (20 July 2014). "Malaysia's first Malay woman doctor passes away at 95". New Straits Times . Retrieved 10 November 2017.

[3] "Salma Ismail, first Malay woman doctor, dies at 95". The Star . 21 July 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.