29 Facts About Haji Sulong

Haji Sulong Abdulkadir al-Fatani, known as Haji Sulong Tomina or Hajji Sulong, was a reformist and a separatist in Thailand.

Haji Sulong spearheaded an insurgency in southern Thailand that continues to this day.

Haji Sulong Abdulkadir al-Fatani was born in 1895 to a family of religious leaders.

Haji Sulong attended Pondok Hajji Abdul Rashid in Kampung Sungei Pandang, Patani.

At age 12, Haji Sulong made the hajj, which was considered a luxury for most at that time.

Haji Sulong pursued his religious education, first through informal means at the grand mosque, then through secondary education, which qualified him to attain formal education at an Egyptian university.

Haji Sulong had become jaded of life in Mecca and sought to return to Patani for a short holiday.

Haji Sulong had maintained constant contact with his family back in Patani throughout his stay in Mecca.

Haji Sulong was highly regarded as a scholar in Mecca and had little incentive to uproot himself from the community, but when he came back to Patani, he saw a different Islam, riddled with animistic beliefs and practices.

Haji Sulong desired to change that by first changing its methods of education.

Haji Sulong's initiatives did not please the older generation of religious teachers, as they felt he was pushing for the fundamentalist approach of the Wahabbiyahs.

One of the key reforms that Haji Sulong pushed for was the formalization of religious education.

Ockey mentions that when Haji Sulong opened his madrasah, he invited Prime Minister Phahon during a trip to Bangkok in order to request funds.

The central government would later provide the support Haji Sulong needed to open his school.

Haji Sulong gained some ground in pushing for a formalized religious education in the form of the madrasah system.

Haji Sulong was dissatisfied with General Phibun's policies of forced assimilation.

Haji Sulong wanted some autonomy to be given to the region so that Malay could be considered an official language alongside Thai and so that Islam could be taught in schools instead of Buddhism.

Haji Sulong became increasingly involved in Thai politics as he felt the need to preserve the identity of the Jawi community amidst the central government push for a Thai identity via forced assimilation.

Troubled by the central government's involvement in his education reforms, which led to the shutting down of his school, Haji Sulong started entering into politics.

Haji Sulong managed to get alliances from the religious leaders to form a Shari'a court informally.

Haji Sulong felt that by doing so, public administration would improve as residents of the region would understand the needs better.

Haji Sulong's demands meant that some power over southern Thailand would have to be decentralized to make way for the politicians in the region.

Haji Sulong became uncompromising and urged the residents in southern Thailand to push for a no-contest in the 1948 elections.

Haji Sulong turned towards the separatist movement led by Tengku Muhyiddin and pushed for the independence of southern Thailand.

Haji Sulong was arrested for his agitation of the Jawi community and for pushing for a no-contest in the region during the 1948 elections.

Haji Sulong's situation was seen as an insult to the Jawi community and they felt that the central government was insensitive and abusing their authority in the region.

Haji Sulong was then to be transferred and face a trial in court for his involvement in the rebellion.

Haji Sulong mysteriously disappeared on his way to the court and till this day, no one had taken responsibility of his disappearance.

Today, Haji Sulong has achieved almost a mythical-like status for his reforms, and his demands for autonomy or independence still remain relevant.