VIII - MARIA'S MARRIAGE, 1 AUGUST 1950

Summary

The fateful event was the marriage of Maria to Mansoor Adabi which took place, by Muslim rites, on Tuesday, 1 August 1950 in the house of Mr. M.A. Majid at 139 Serangoon Road, Singapore.

Mansoor Adabi was born in Kota Bahru, Kelantan. He received his early education in Kelantan and after the war came to Singapore where he attended Victoria School. His mother, Che Wok Adabi, was a friend of Che Amman's. In 1950, he was twenty-two years old and a teacher-in-training at the Bukit Panjang Government School.

With Che Aminah, he had twice visited Maria at York Hill. “I felt something stir within me,” he said. Maria later confirmed that they were then “mutually attracted”.

Mansoor went with Che Aminah to fetch Maria when she was discharged from York Hill on 28 July. They went to Mr. Majid's house where they were all staying, Mr. Majid being Mansoor's adoptive father. On Monday, 31 July, Mansoor proposed to Maria and was accepted. They were married at 9.30 p.m. the following day.

Mr. Majid, at the time, said that it was not Che Aminah's wish that Maria should get married at that juncture. Che Aminah later testified before Mr. Justice Brown that she told Maria to consider the matter carefully and that when Maria affirmed that she wanted to get married to Mansoor, she felt she could not interfere because Maria was already “grown up”, having attained puberty in July 1949.

Immediately after the marriage, Che Aminah said, “Maria is like a diamond to me but I am happy now that she is married to the man she wants.” Mr. Justice Brown, while describing the marriage as a discreditable manoeuvre, added that he was satisfied that Maria was neither forced nor tricked into it.

The Kathi (Judge in Muslim affairs) officiating at the ceremony was Tuan Haji Ahmad bin Haji Halim, who claimed by virtue of his office to have the right to act as Maria's guardian (wali) in the absence of her father and therefore the right of giving consent to the marriage.