This document is a petition made by Hussain bin Abdulla of Singapore, concerning the administration of the estate of Abdullah bin Abdul Kader, commonly referred to as Munshi Abdullah. He was a Malay educator and served as one of the Malay scribes for Sir Stamford Raffles. His autobiography, Hikayat Abdullah (The Story of Abdullah), provides an important account of the founding of Singapore and the early colonial settlement. He died on or about 27 October 1854 during his pilgrimage (“Hajj”) to Mecca. Munshi Abdullah named Hussain bin Abdulla the sole executor of his estate in his will. Hussain also certified that the document marked “A” was the last will and testament of Munshi Abdullah. This petition is part of the John Koh collection which comprises of various legal documents in Arabic, Jawi, and English, and serves as a record of the 19th and early 20th century colonial legal systems in Singapore and the interactions of various ordinary individuals with the law.
