Kalabushana Dr Mohamed Sheriff Jaldeen was born on 9th October 1936. He was the eldest in a family of 3 boys and was educated at St. Sebastians College, Kotahena.
My heartiest congratulations to the Mabole Malay Association (MMA) on their 33rd Anniversary and for their long standing efforts in bringing the Malays and Muslims of the Wattala, Ragama, Kandana, Ja-ela, Peliyagoda, Kelaniya and elsewhere, together in a spirit of camaraderie and friendship.
My greeting also goes to all visitors to this webpage.
The website is of immense importance in this new millennium, since it integrates our activities with modern technology in the age of the internet, and for disseminating information on the activities of our Association. We can now interact with social media and communicate effectively with those in Sri Lanka and the rest of the world.
The website in addition to providing information to our 400 odd members, will also serve to update the membership on completed projects as well as projects in the pipe-line. In addition it will also enable prospective members to check the constitution and download the Membership Application form.
The Sri Lankan Malays, who originate from both Indonesia and Malaysia, and who arrived in Ceylon as Royals, political exiles, nobility, soldiers, mercenaries and some convicts during the Dutch and British colonial period, from around 1640 onwards, are an integral part of the Sri Lankan family. They have contributed immensely toward the development, prosperity and wellbeing of the nation, and in maintaining the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka as loyal members of the three defense services and the Police. In the past, Malays also served the Kandyan kings as bodyguards and formed the bulk of the permanent garrison in the hill country.
Whilst having blended themselves well into Sri Lankan society; they also have preserved their cultural heritage and language, amongst the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Sri Lanka.
I am glad that with a dynamic team in place, which was elected at the 33rd AGM on 29th April 2017, the MMA is geared to complete a host of projects during 2017/2018 and to interact and network with associations with similar objectives both here and overseas.
With salaams
M.D. (Tony) Saldin
President
Mabole Malay Association
29th April 2017