• Penghulu di Zaman Kolonial

Sedikit perihal Syed Yahya (Penghulu Cheras):-

• Anak kepada Syed Idris yang berasal dari Acheh, dan tinggal di Rekoh. Beliau memiliki tanah dan sebuah rumah di Kampung Rekoh (Rekod geran sekitar 1883-1898). Rumah ini telah musnah dalam sebuah kebakaran beberapa tahun sebelum 1898.

• Bersama bapanya Syed Idris mengusahakan tanaman lada hitam seluas 3 ekar, sebanyak 7,000 pokok. Menyeru penduduk setempat untuk turut serta, namun tidak mendapat sambutan disebabkan kekangan kewangan.

• Berkahwin dengan anak Che Ngah, Penghulu Cheras sebelum beliau,

• Dikatakan membuka mukim Cheras, sekitar akhir tahun 1876: “Mukim Cheras dipercayai telah dibuka sekitar penghujung tahun 1876. Peneroka awal yang membuka perkampungan penduduk di kawasan ini ialah Tuan Syed Yahya bersama beberapa orang dalam kumpulan beliau yang berasal dari Acheh…” (Unit Perancang Ekonomi Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan (UPEN) @ Syed Norzalman / Mantera Jiwa, 6-7 November 2009: |"Asal Usul Cheras").

• 18/03/1883: Ketika lawatan J.P. Rodger dan H.C. Syers, beliau pernah menawarkan khidmat pembinaan sebahagian Jalan Cheras-Pudu.

• 1886-08-14: Mengetuai pembinaan masjid dan beberapa buah rumah di Cheras, setelah kebakaran tahun 1885: “On behalf of Syed Jahya, & the people of Cheras, I have the honour to request a loan of $100, for the space of one year, to enable them to proceed with the building of their new mosque. Syed Jahya yesterday paid me the last instalment of the loan of $250, which you lent to him to assist the people to erect new houses at Cheras, after the fire last year.” (PEJABAT SETIAUSAHA KERAJAAN NEGERI SELANGOR @ Arkib Negara Malaysia, 14/08/1886: |"APPLIES ON BEHALF OF SYED YAHYA AND THE PEOPLE OF CHERAS FOR A LOAN OF $100 TO ENABLE THEM TO PROCEED WITH THE BUILDING OF THEIR NEW MOSQUE").

• 1891: Menceritakan pembukaan Kajang oleh “Encik Lili” seawal tahun 1776: “Dalam versi yang lain pula, terdapat satu laporan dari penghulu Yahya yang menjadi penghulu di Kajang dan Cheras pada tahun 1891 mengatakan Kajang telah dibuka oleh En. Lili dari Piau kira-kira dalam tahun 1776. Dalam laporannya kepada Pegawai Daerah Ulu Langat, ia seterusnya mengatakan : ”……Sultan Muhammad beri dia ( Encik Lili ) kuasa mmebuka tanah di Hulu Langat dari Sungai Sabak Dua ke hulu bersempadan dengan Dato' Langat, dihilir bersempadan dengan Dato' Ali. Encik Lili dengan enam orang rakannya telah berpindah ke bukit Kuala Sungai Merbau yang kemudiannya menamakannya Kajang dan Lili telah dilantik oleh Sultan Muhammad menjadi Dato' Bandar Kajang. Beliau telah diberikan kuasa memerintah kawasan daripada Sabak Dua hingga ke hilir Sungai Subang Hilang. Sultan juga telah membenarkan LIli untuk membuka lombong di Kuala Sungai Merbau. “” (MAJLIS PERBANDARAN KAJANG (MPKj), 2006: |"SEJARAH KAJANG").
  Sumber dikemaskini: “Perkataan Kajang lahir daripada beberapa sumber berikut : … Pendapat Keempat : Ada sumber lain mengatakan Kajang telah dibuka oleh Encik Lili juga dikenali sebagai Toh Lili yang datang dari Riau pada tahun 1776. Beliau adalah pengikut Sultan Mohamed Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Ibrahim Shah yang berasal dari Riau. Dengan kebenaran Sultan, beliau bersama enam orang rakan telah membuka tanah untuk penanaman padi di Bukit Sg. Merbau dan membuka lombong @ Sungai Merbau yang kini dikenali sebagai KAJANG.” (Majlis Perbandaran Kajang, 2013: |"Asal-Usul Nama Kajang").

• Meninggal dunia beberapa tahun sebelum 1905 (atau sekitar 1904), akibat luka tembakan ketika membantu menumpaskan sekumpulan perompak di sekitar kawasan premis perjudian di Cheras: “That it is deferentially submitted as being well known that one Syed Yahya was serving the Government of Selangor for quite a number of years, as Penghulu of Cheras Mukim, the old man having afterwards, some few years back, met with his untimely, sad and deplorable death, the result of a gunshot wound, which seem(?) turned fatal, at the hands of one of the gang robbers who raided the Cheras Gambling Farm; the unfortunate deceased Penghulu having gone to the assistance of the Farm, to subdue the raid.” (PEJABAT SETIAUSAHA KERAJAAN NEGERI SELANGOR @ Arkib Negara Malaysia, 12/06/1905: |"ASKS THAT THE POST OF PENGHULU, CHERAS BE OFFERED TO SYED MOHAMED BIN SYED YAHYA"). Setelah beliau meninggal dunia, makam beliau pernah dianggap “keramat”.

• Beliau digantikan oleh anak beliau, Habit(b) Yit buat beberapa ketika, sebelum disandang oleh adiknya, Habib (Syed) Mohamad, pada 15 Julai 1905: “This man is the younger son of Habit(b) Jahya a former Penghulu who was killed some years ago at Cheras by gang robbers. His elder brother Habit(b) Yit held the post for a time but was dismissed (vide 6791/01). This man has had a school education and has a good reputation. I have received letter signed by 7 leading men in Cheras asking that he may get the appointment. He is a young man. (Acting District Officer, Ulu Langat). … I have the honour to inform you that the Resident approves the appointment of Habit(b) Mohamad bin Habit(b) Jahya as Penghulu Cheras on six months probation, dating from July 15th 1905. (Secretary to the Resident)” (PEJABAT SETIAUSAHA KERAJAAN NEGERI SELANGOR @ Arkib Negara Malaysia, 17/07/1905: |"Penghuluship of Cheras").

• “In 1883 the semi-traditional regime of Raja Kahar as Malay Magistrate was replaced by the formal creation of the Ulu Langat administrative district, though shortage of staff made it necessary that Syers, the superintendent of police, should act temporarily as the first district officer. The district was divided into five mukim (subdistrict), each in the charge of a Malay penghulu (headman), three of whom deserve mention. … Syed Yahya, penghulu of Cheras, was the son of an Achehnese immigrant, Syed Idris, who had settled at Rekoh. After his death, he became a saint whose tomb was a local keramat (shrine). Yahya had married the daughter of his predecessor, Che Ngah, and, like his father, he was 'a great advocate of pepper planting' with 3 acres under 7,000 pepper vines. But his efforts to persuade his people to follow his example were ineffective as 'the want of money is the stumbling block'. It was one sign, among many, of the gap between the general body of Sumatran settlers and the upper-class penghulu.” (J.M. Gullick, 2007: |"A Short History of Ulu Langat to 1900"), m.s. 11-12).

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