Book on Tok Gajah, Mat Kilau in The Offing

Kuala Lumpur, Sat 21st Nov -- The Tok Shahrom-Tok Gajah-Mat Kilau Next
of Kin Association plans to publish a book on Mat Kilau and his father, Tok
Gajah's fight against colonial masters.

Its chairman, Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad said the book would be authored by

former University Malaya's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences head of history
department Prof. Abdullah Zakaria.

"We expect the book to be published next year as part of our Vision 2015. It
will rebut the negative portrayal of Tok Gajah and Mat Kilau by the colonial
government that the duo were rebels and involved in acts of treason," he told
Bernama at a ceremony here today to mark the 40th anniversary of Mat Kilau
re-emergence.

Mat Kilau, who was accompanied by his son, Omar, came out in the open and
announced his true identity, at a mosque in Pulau Tawar, Pahang on Dec 26, 1969.

Zulkifli said the association would strive to straighten out conflicting
facts on Tok Gajah and Mat Kilau, research on the background of Tok Shahrom (Tok
Gajah's father) and publish an index on the family tree.

Mat Kilau was said to be buried in Bunut Payong, Kelantan but the Pahang
state government attested that he was laid to rest in Pulau Tawar.

Zulkifli, who is the fourth generation of Tok Gajah, said the association
would hold an assembly of the descendants of the warriors in Pekan on Nov 28.