Gempak gempita negeri MelakaGuruh berdentum bumi bergegarJaguh tersanjungbertarung nyawaRasuk ajalteman pendekar-pantun from Hikayat Raja RajaThis is the story of a person whom I respect the most.Hisname wasTuahbin Mahmud. I am pleased to tell the story about thistowering Malay who had shaped the history of the Melaka Sultanate and became the source of inspirationto thousands of people.Hang Tuah was a humble Malay. An OrangLaut to be exact. Son of Hang Mahmud and Dang Merdu Wati. Born in Bentan, his family migrated toSungai Duyung, Melaka when Tuah was still a toddler.He had lived through thereigns of6 Sultans Sultan Muhammad Shah, Raja Ibrahim, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Sultan Mansur Shah, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah and died during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah.He was born in themid 1430s.We first met him at awedding of Jebats eldest sister rightafterthe coronation of Raja Kassim (Sultan Muzaffar Shah).He was older thanthe 7 of us although I suspect Jebat was slightly older than him because hisvoice broke much earlier than Tuah. Jebat was our group leader then. Therest of us were myself, Lekir, Lekiu, Hassan, Hussain andIskandar. Jebatssister had just marriedBentara Hamzah Datuk Bongkok. Hamzah was recently appointed as Bentara inthe new Sultans court and we all aspired to be just like him.During the day, we imagined ourselves as the young Melaka heroes who would vanquish the armies of Siam or fight the Javanesepirates singlehandedly and save Melaka from any invaders. And at night, all 8 of us would gather at Hamzahs house and listen to his adventures in the palace.Through the advice of Hamzah, we were sent to Gunung Ledang to learn martial arts from his former mentor, Sang Adiputra. We stayed there for2 years. Hassan, Hussain and Iskandar did notcome with usas their parents moved to Inderapura(Editorial note: now Pahang).I remember Sang Adiputra once foretold that Jebat wouldhavebeen a greater warrior than Tuah but his own recklessness will be his downfall. Jebat was clearly astronger warrior than Tuah. But he was impatient at times and where Tuah lack in strength, he made it up with tremendous agility and cunning. Thus, a stronger warrior does not mean a better one. It was there in one of the caves in Gunung Ledang that Tuah was made our leader.Sang Adiputratold Jebat to listen to Tuah and never doubt his actions. To Tuah, he advised him to be sincere and serve Melaka as he sees fit. Above all, he wanted all of us to take care of each other.Upon our return, Melaka had a new Bendahara whom everyone had proclaimed a hero upon his victory over the Siamese armies up north. Tun Perak was indeed a charismatic Bendahara. He was in his 30s when he became the Bendahara. Tall and almost regal in nature,he inherited the qualities of his late father, the old bendahara during Sultan Muhammad Shahs reign.Whenagroup oforang lautran amok in the main market near the docks,Bendahara TunPerakhad just came out from the Syahbandarsmeeting hall. It was unfortunate that he broughtonly 3guards withhim. Eventhough TunPerakcould easily strike down a few of them, the overwhelming numbers of the orang laut had joined in and started to encircle the helpless Bendahara. All five of us,not more than 16 years old, fought along beside the Bendahara and his guards while waiting for help.In the end,nearly 20 of the orang laut had been killed while Jebat and myself were slightly wounded in the legs.Lekir lost his little finger in the process. Only Tuah was left unscratched. Tun Perak was so impressed that he appointed all ofus as Biduanda and we worked as Tun Peraks special retinue from henceforth.We were living in an exciting times as Sultan Muzaffar Shah was the first of the warrior sultan in the dynasty. All his previous ancestors were more of a merchant than a warrior. Melaka was in the midst of expansionand we were sweptalong with it. We traveled a lot during those days.All of us even followed the younger brotherof Tun Perak (Tun Perpatih Putih) to the Forbidden City as part of an envoy to help bolster the diplomatic relations between Melaka and China. Emperor Zheng Tong was so pleased with the eloquent speech of Tun Perpatih Putih and the gifts by Sultan Mansur Shah that he gave one of his niece, Li Pohto becomea wifeto the Sultan.At firstPrincess LiPoh was not pleased and would show her sadness openly during our voyage home. But during the journey, Jebat would use his charm and tell funnystories to soothe her worry. We even called herHang Li Pohjust to make herself feel accepted as one of us. In later years, her son Paduka Mimat would help Tuah in his adventures of finding the elusive Puteri Gunung Ledang.One of the best adventures to have been taken place was when we went to Majapahit two yearsafter Sultan Mansur Shah was coronated in 1459. Tuah was alreadyaLaksamana replacing Tun Hamzah Datuk Bongkok who was sent by the Sultan as the Governorof Inderapura.Sultan Mansur wanted an ally to fight off the repeatedthreats from Siam. He offeredto marryone ofKing of Majapahits daughters in exchangeofsafe trading routes in Selat Melaka for Majapahits vessels. Not pleased with the apparent blackmail, Raja Girisawardhana wanted totest the strength of Melaka warriors first. If our warrior loses, then Majapahitwill notneed the Sultans protection. If we win, then he will bestow his daughter, Raden Galuh Chandera Kiranato Sultan Mansur as wife.The next day, back from the borders of Majapahit, fresh from the rest after the battles with neighbouring kingdoms, Taming Sari, the greatest of all Majapahit warriors, stood face to face with our Hang Tuah in the crowded palatial courtyard. It was mid morning. The sun was shining brightly. Tuah hated the weather in Majapahit. It was too hot, too soon. Some sayTaming Saris kerishad magical properties. At first glance, it was nothing more than a simple keris, with wooden hilt, and almost rustic looking. But the blade was gleaming menacingly.It was longer than any common keris. It curves 7 timesbefore it reachesthe tip.The preferred weapon in the region at the time was the golok(Editorial note: a long curvy sword). But since both men wanted the fight to be more intimate, they opted the keris as the weapon of choice.Eventually, Taming Sari was slain by Tuah near twilight that same evening by his own blade. Raja Girisawardhanawas in awe with Tuahs prowess. TamingSaris keris was brokenat the hilt during the fight. The Majapahit King decreed that a new hiltofgold and pink rubies be made. But the bloodof Taming Sari that had stained upon its blade was very difficult to disappear. It gave the blade an eery dark brown anddeep red hue. It wassaid that the blood of Taming Sariwas the reason that gave the keris its magicalpowers.The keris was presented to Laksamana Tun Tuah in a highly decorated manner; withso much grandeurand dignity. We were so proud of him.Tuah thengave his own keris, Pamung Sari to Jebat. Uponour return to Melaka, Jebat was promoted to the rank Temenggung while I was promoted as Bentara Kanan.The vile Patih Kerma Wijaya came intoexistence as an envoy of Majapahit and chief adviser to the new bride from thereon.TunPeraktolerated Patih Kerma Wijaya butwe hated him. Hisopium smelled breathmade me nauseous sometimes.Inthe 15th year ofhis majestys rule, Tun Tuah was sentenced todeath for treason.Patih Kerma Wijaya had skillfully wedged himself into the inner circle of the Sultan and planted the seeds of his treachery while the 3 of us were away on duty in Riau. Upon our return, Tuah was about to be executed inSungai Ujung. Only Jebat managed to secretly see him in his confinement. The rest of us had to protect the Sultan from the angry mobs that had surrounded thepalace.Irealized the minute I saw Jebats face after his rendezvous with Tuah that he will plot vengeance. When Tuah was about to be executed by the orders of the Sultan, his last words to Jebat was buat baikberpada pada(do a lot of good), but before he could finish the sentence, Jebat furiously screamed at him with words -buat jahatbiar kepalang!(yet unleash a lot of evil)and then left him abruptly. Jebat had always been the brooding type. He was more temperamental and sarcastic in nature as compared to the mild mannered Tuah.I disagreed with Jebats plan but chose to remain quiet. Jebat pacified the angry mob outside the palace and met with the Sultan and his family within. The Sultan was grateful that Jebat had understood why Tuah had to be killed. The law is the law and no one is above it, so said the Sultan.At that juncture, Jebat grabbed TamingSari and killedthe Sultans youngest son, Raden Kelang (son of RadenGaluh) in one swift motion.His voiced had turned cold when he whispered menacingly to the Sultan;Engkau yang dilaknati, minta ampun pada Tuhan!(You who are damned by God, ask for His forgiveness!)But before his blade touches the Sultans chest, Lekir managed to sidestep Jebat and they both fell awkwardly. I quickly roundedup the Sultan and his family to the exit andherded them toa safe place. By then, Jebat managed to kill a fewRoyal Guards. Lekir was injured and had to be taken out of the palace. Jebat looked at me one last timebefore screaming;Raja adil kita sembah, raja zalim kita sanggah!(We submit to a fair King, but we fight against a cruel King!)Jebat wanted Patih Kerma Wijayas bloodin exchange for the palace.Most of the Sultans concubines decided to stay with Jebat for reasons I do not know. Jebat was indeed quite good looking andwas popular with the ladies in the court. Pateh Kerma Wijaya was holed up in Bendaharas house fora couple of weeks. Although Tun Perak despised him, he was still a diplomatic ambassador froman allied nation.At the end of1473, Pateh Kerma Wijaya was killed in an ambush by Jebat two days before themonsoon season. Running scared, the Sultan asked the 3 of us to confront Jebat. Reluctantly, we obeyed the orders. But Jebat would not fight us or even listen to us. The palace that he reigned supremenow was like a fortress.One night after a full cycle of the moon, Tun Perak summoned me to his house. He was grief strickened and wanted me to find an old hermit called Sang Rajuna Tapa.I reckoned Tun Perak wasdelirious from having a high fever. Sang Rajuna Tapa was certainly no hermit. He wasthe legendary Bendahara during Parameswaras rule in Temasik. How could he still be alive? He must close to be a hundred years old bythen. But in haste I did go to Ulu Melaka.I was shocked thatTun Perakhad been hiding Sang Rajuna Tapa and Tuahin Ulu Melaka. Sang Rajuna Tapa was indeed an old man and had disguised himself as an old imam called Syeikh Mansur. Years ago, he was banished fromTemasikand was told never to come back.Tuah had beenlearning somesecrets of the artfrom him. He looked refreshedthere in Ulu Melaka. I was overjoyed upon seeing him. But sad at the same time. Tun Perak should have not kept this secret from us. But then again, Tun Perak and Hang Tuah were ofthe same breed of warriors.The day Tuah fought Jebat was not as what was depicted by the storytellers. Although it has been nearly thirty years, I can still remember it vividly.Back then, Jebat had become more bloodthirsty by the minute. He was practically ruling Melaka with an irongrip. Traders shunned our ports and the coffers dwindled. The Majapahit King was rumored to prepare an assault to Melaka for letting his grandson murdered. Through Jebats extensivereachas the Temenggung, the Sultans distant cousins from Kampar, Siak andIndragirihad beensecretly communicating with hismen so that one of them can be installed as a puppet Sultan for Jebat. Anumber of foreign envoys hungry for power had also started to cut a deal with Jebat. Something had to be done.It was after the Friday prayers when Tuah reached the palatial gates. With Pamung Sari in his hand, we and about200 of us swarmed the locked main entrance. Tuah called on Jebat to come out. It took him about an hour to answer Tuahs challenge. By this time, thepeople of Melaka had surrounded the palace, wanting to see the duel. I estimated about 20,000 people had come to watch them fight.Jebat was happyupon seeing Tuah. But his laughter was not only hysterical,it was tinged with madness. Jebat then killed one of the concubines just to whetTaming Saris appetite. Jebat offered to fight on thecourtyard but Tuah declined. He said its better to fight inside the palace so that the people will not see the death of either one of them.Storm raged Melaka that night. We knew that a terrible duel was taken place above the howling wind. We waited outside till the next morning.Sometimes they would rest, sometimes Jebat would let Tuah pray undisturbed. Tuahlater ontold methat Jebat declined to pray because his sinswere alreadytoo great to be forgiven by God. By late afternoon, we heard the death cries of Jebat from the inside.Tuah came rushing out. His face was ashened while his body was covered in blood. He threw Taming Sari to meand rantowards the parted crowd.We went inside the palace thinking to find a dying man but lo and behold!Jebat was still alive! But his stomach was badly wounded. He was busy wrapping the angry woundwith a piece of cloth so thathis gut wouldnt spill out. Jebat was a strong warrior as ever. Seeing his death face, Lekiu, Lekir and myself left him there attending to himself as the sight was too much for us.It was hard enough for Tuah to contain Jebat when he was angered and it was extremely difficult for the Royal Guards to subdue the wounded Jebat. Nearly two hundred innocent people died in his rampage in search of the Sultan. Finally exhausted, Jebat came over to Tuahs house. We were there when Tuah lifted him upinto one of the rooms.Jebat managed to ask forgiveness fromall of usforhis treachery and foracting without our consent.We shed a few tears then.Jebat died inTuahs arms as the wrappings were undone. Blood flowed freely from his mouth, nose, ears, eyes and every pores of his body. He was just 37 at that time.From that day onwards, Tuahbecame a different man.Hebecame deeply religious. He followed the Arab traders back to the heart of Ottoman Empire in Istanbul just to learnmore about Islam. The death of Jebat changed him.Jebat was his conscience at times.Sometimes, hiswild streak. He was more ferocious when Jebat was fighting alongside him. The death of Jebat showedhim how greatly Jebat was needed. During the reign of Raja Hussain (Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah),Laksamana Tun Tuah had always wanted to leave the lifeof the royal courts. But not until Raja Hussain was poisoned to death in Pagoh did Tuah left insuch agony. His heart broke yet again when he was unable to prevent the death of the young Sultan.I was madeMaharaja Setia (deputy Bendahara)and Jebats only son, Khoja Hassan took overas Orang Kaya LaksamanaMelaka in 1488. Incidentally, Khoja Hassan was also Tuahs son in law.Tun Tuah was called into serviceone last time during the reign of the petulant Sultan Mahmud Shah as the head of retinue to find Puteri Gunung Ledang.Until this day, the day I find rest at last, I am glad to have Hang Tuah as my brother. His steadfast loyalty and unwavering stance to protect the system was like a beacon in the days we weathered through. Tuah was given a terrible choice which he then chose as he saw it fit.Hopefully, the new Bendahara, Tun Mutahir will find new breed of young Malay warriors to protect what we have now against the dark days ahead.