So what ? Let's found out the true fairy tale story that I can share with you.
Where should we started this story,how about like this - Hang Tuah Bin Mahmud , as known as Hang Tuah person who I respect the most. I am pleased to tell the story about this towering Malay who had shaped the history of the Melaka Sultanate and became the source of inspiration to thousands of people.
Hang Tuah was a humble Malay young guy. An ‘Orang Laut’ to be exact. Son of Hang Mahmud and his mother's Dang Merdu Wati. Born in Bentan, his family migrated to Sungai Duyung, Melacca when Hang Tuah was still a toddler. He had lived through the reigns of 6 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 the mid 1430′s. During his childhood Hang Tuah has four very close friends. Their are Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu and Hang Kasturi. Hang Jebat’s sister had just married Bentara Hamzah Datuk Bongkok. Hamzah was recently appointed as Bentara in the new Sultan’s court.Through the advice of Hamzah, this five loyalty friends to went to Gunung Ledang to learn martial arts from his former mentor, Sang Adiputra. They stayed there for 2 years. Their master, Sang Adiputra said that Hang Jebat would have been a greater warrior than Hang Tuah but his own recklessness will be his downfall. Hang Jebat was clearly a stronger warrior than Hang Tuah. But he was impatient at times and where Hang Tuah lack in strength, he made it up with tremendous agility and cunning. Thus, a stronger warrior does not mean a better one. That's why their tmaster have been appointed Hang Tuah has a leader among others. Sang Adiputra told Hang Jebat to listen to Hang Tuah and never doubt his actions. To Hang Tuah, he advised him to be sincere and serve Melacca as he sees fit. Above all, he wanted all of us to take good care of each other.
Upon their return, Melacca 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 30′s 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 Shah’s reign.
When a group of ’orang laut’ ran crazy in the main market near the docks, Bendahara Tun Perak had just came out from the Syahbandar’s meeting hall,unfortunate that he brought only 3 guards with him. Eventhough Bendahara Tun Perak could 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 them, 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 Hang Jebat and Hang Tuah were slightly wounded in the legs. Lekir lost his little finger in the process. Only Hang Tuah was left unscratched. Tun Perak was so impressed that he appointed all of us as Biduanda and we worked as Tun Perak’s special retinue from henceforth.
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's(The King) warrior and carried Laksamana title after a brutal fight with Taming Sari , the Majapahit's famous worrior whom challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s keris or weapon. 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 times before it reaches the tip.The Taming Sari keris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural abilities. Since that, Hang tuah is a beloved Sultan and Melaka's people heroes, who would vanquish the armies of Siam or fight the Javanese pirates singlehandedly and save Melacca from any invaders.
In a few years later,The Sultan sent Hang Tuah and his four loyalty friends to Beijing,China with the task of persuading the Princess Li Poh. At first met, Princess Li Poh was not pleased and would show her sadness openly during our voyage home. But during the journey, Hang Jebat would use his charm and tell funny stories to soothe her worry. Then they even called her ’Hang’ Li Poh just to make herself feel accepted as one of them.
Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's stewardess dayang. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara Tun Perak, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melacca.Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat had understood why Hang Tuah had to be killed. The law is the law and no one is above it, so said the Sultan. At that juncture, Hang Jebat grabbed Taming Sari which given by The Sultan as replace Hang Tuah as Laksamana and killed the Sultan’s youngest son.But before his blade touches the Sultan's chest, Hang Lekir managed to sidestep Hang Jebat and Hang kasturi quickly rounded up the Sultan and his family to the exit and herded them to safe place.By then, hang Jebat managed to kill a few Royal Guards. It remains consistent,however,
that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Bendahara Tun Perak was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat, and suddenly Hang Jebat screaming;
“Raja adil kita sembah, raja zalim kita sanggah!” (We submit to a fair King, but we fight against a cruel King!)
Most of the Sultan’s concubines decided to stay with Hang Jebat for reasons which no body knows. Hang Jebat was indeed quite good looking and was popular among the ladies in the court. Although Bendahara Tun Perak despised him, he was still a diplomatic ambassador from an allied nation. Running scared, the Sultan asked Hang Lekir, Hang Kasturi and Hang lekiu to confront Hang Jebat. Reluctantly, they obeyed the orders. But Hang Jebat would not fight or listen to them. The palace that he reigned supreme now was like a fortress.
One night after a full cycle of the moon, Bendahara Tun Perak invited Hang Kasturi to his house. He was grief straitened and wanted Hang Kasturi to find an old hermit called Sang Rajuna Tapa. Hang Kasturi reckoned Tun Perak was delirious from having a high fever. Sang Rajuna Tapa was certainly no hermit. He was the legendary Bendahara during Parameswara’s rule in Temasik(which known now as Singapore). How could he still be alive? He must close to be a hundred years old by then. But in haste Hang Kasturi did go to Ulu Melaka and so shocked that Bendahara Tun Perak had been hiding
Sang Rajuna Tapa and Hang Tuah there. Sang Rajuna Tapa was indeed an old man and had disguised himself as an old imam called Syeikh Mansur. Years ago, he was banished from Temasik and was told never to come back. Hang Tuah had been learning some secrets of the art from him. He looked refreshed there in Ulu Melaka. Hang Kasturi was overjoyed upon seeing him. But sad at the same time. But then again, Tun Perak and Hang Tuah were of the same breed of warriors.
Back then, Hang Jebat had become more bloodthirsty by the minute. He was practically ruling Melaka with an iron grip. Traders shunned our ports and the coffers dwindled.The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only one man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat.
It was after the Friday prayers when Hang Tuah and Hang Kasturi reached the palatial gates,with Pamung Sari (it's a keris or weapon)in his hand. Hang Lekir and Hang lekiu arrived earlier. Hang Tuah called on Hang Jebat to come out. It took him about an hour to answer Hang Tuah’s challenge. By this time, the Melaccan had surrounded the palace, wanted to see the duel and about 20,000 people had come to watch them fight.
Hang Jebat was happy upon seeing Hang Tuah. But his laughter was not only hysterical, it was tinged with madness. Hang Jebat then killed one of the concubines just to whet Taming Sari’s appetite. Hang Jebat offered to fight on the courtyard but Hang Tuah declined. He said it’s 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,they knew that a terrible duel was taken place above the howling wind. They waited outside till the next morning. Sometimes they would rest, sometimes Hang Jebat would let Hang Tuah pray undisturbed. Hang Tuah later on told everybody who wacthed that fight, Hang Jebat declined to pray because his sins were already too great to be forgiven by God. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat by late afternoon, they heard the death cries of Hang Jebat from the inside. Hang Tuah came rushing out. His face was ashen while his body was covered in blood. He threw Taming Sari to Hang kasturi and ran towards the parted crowd.
Hang Kasturi went inside the palace thinking to find a dying man but behold! Hang Jebat was still alive! But his stomach was badly wounded. He was busy wrapping the angry wound with a piece of cloth so that his gut wouldn’t spill out. Hang Jebat was a strong warrior as ever. Seeing his death face, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Lekir left him there attending to himself as the sight was too much for them. It
was hard enough for Hang Tuah to contain Hang Jebat when he was angered and it was extremely difficult for the Royal Guards to subdue the wounded Hang Jebat. Nearly two hundred innocent people died in his rampage in search of the Sultan. Finally exhausted, Hang Jebat came over to Hang Tuah’s house. All his loyalty friends were there when Hang Tuah lifted him up into one of the rooms. Hang Jebat managed to ask forgiveness from all of them for his treachery and for acting without their consent before he died in Hang Tuah’s arms as the wrappings were undone. Blood flowed freely from his mouth, nose, ears, eyes and every pores of his body.
From that day onwards, Hang Tuah became a different man. He became deeply religious. He followed the Arab traders back to the heart of Ottoman Empire in Turkey just to learn more about Islam. The death of Hang Jebat changed him totally. Hang Jebat was his conscience at times. Sometimes, his wild streak. He was more ferocious when Hang Jebat was fighting alongside him. The death of Hang Jebat showed him how greatly Hang Jebat was needed. During the reign of Raja Hussain (Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah), Laksamana Hang Tuah had always wanted to leave the life of the royal courts. But not until Raja Hussain was poisoned to death in Pagoh did Hang Tuah left in such agony. His heart broke yet again when he was unable to prevent the death of the young Sultan. But Sultan still need Hang Tuah and asked him to continued erve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang, was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melacca-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts,which included a golden bridge linking Melacca with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his keris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melacca, where his tomb can still be seen today.
Until now Hang Tuah will be a very famous legendray often told at schools, bed time stories or became a movie. These story is all about fairness, trust, friendship and awareness to teach us about the meaning full of life.
