CHRONOLOGY : MALACCA HISTORY

• 1262 : Melaka was founded according to Sulalatus Salatin (Raja Bongsu version). 
• 1400 : The founding of Melaka by Parameswara
• 1403 : Admiral Yin Qing leads the first official Ming Dynasty trade envoy to Malacca, establishing vital diplomatic relations. 
• 1405 : 
• Yongle Emperor of Ming Dynasty sent his envoy headed by Yin Qing to Malacca. 
• The first Sino-Malay Dictionary, "Manlajia Guo Yiyu" was established by Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty. 
• 1407 : Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) made his first of six visit to Malacca. 
• 1411 : Parameswara headed a Royal Party of 540 people and left for China with Admiral Zheng He to visit the Ming Court. 
• 1414 : 
• The Ming Shilu mentions that the son on the first ruler of Malacca visited the Ming Court to inform Yongle that his father had died. 
• Parameswara converts to Islam and takes the title Sultan Iskandar Shah, officially establishing the Malacca. 
• 1424 : Sri Maharajah ascended the throne and change his name to Sultan Muhammad Shah (1424-1444). He rules according to Islamic teachings, established court ethnics and spread Islam. 
• 1426: Hsuan-tsung (Hsuan-te) Shih-Lu - Chinese records that mention the Malay Kingdom of Malacca. It strengthening diplomatic ties between Malacca Sultanate and the Ming Dynasty during the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1426-1435). 
• 1431 : The 1431 Decree issued by Emperor Xuande of China to the King of Siam, to stop interfering with Malacca, effectively acting as a "Security Guarantor" for the Malay Kingdom.  
• 1434 : Gong Zhen, a secretary and translator for Admiral Zheng He, provides a detailed first-hand account of the Melaka Sultanate (referred to as Manlajia). 
• 1436 : Fei-Hsin's notes,  The "Hsing-Ch'a Sheng-Lan" regarding the prosperous socioeconomics conditions of the State of Malacca at that time. 
• 1444  : Raja Ibrahim, the youngest son of Sultan Muhammad Shah, became the ruler after the passing of his father. 
• 1445 : Raja Ibrahim was assassinated and buried with the title Sultan Abu Syahid. 
• 1446: Sultan Muzafar Shah (1446-1458) establishes Islam as the State Religion and repels Siamese military invasions. 
  
• 1447 : The first Siamese attack on Melaka took place but was repelled by Melakan forces.The Siamese were defeated near Muar. 
• 1451 : Ying Yai Sheng-Lan - Ma Huan's notes that the King and the people of Malacca had embraced Islam and Melaka is a bustling International Port, attracting merchants from Arabs, China, India and Japan. 
• 1456: Tun Perak is appointed Bendahara (Prime Minister). He serves under four Sultans, spearheading military and territoria expansions across the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. 
• 1459 : Sultan Mansur Shah succeeds Muzaffar Shah. Admiral Zheng He brings Chinese Princess Hang Li Po as a wife for the Sultan. 
• 1468 : Melaka sent Minister Ba La Si and interpreter Wu Sha to meet the Emperor of China (Xian Zhong Shu Lu, Volume 59). 
• 1469 : The King of Melaka, Sultan Mansur Shah sent Duan Ya Ma La Di Na Cha and his 12 companions to meet and present tribute to the Emperor of China (Xian Zhong Shu Lu, volume 65). 
• 1471: Trade relations were established between the Ottoman Turks and the Malay Kingdom of Malacca, during the reign of Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh and Sultan Mansur Shah (Zafer Ozcan).
• 1477 : Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (1477-1488) ascended the throne after the passing of Sultan Mansur Shah. He was known to be firm in carrying out his duties. 
• 1480 / 81 : Letter was sent by Sultan of Melaka to the Ryukyu Kingdom. 
• 1483: The Malacca Army successfully defeated 30,000 Annan troops of the Dai Viet led by Emperor Le Thanh Tong, according to Mao Qiling, a Qing Dynasty Scholar. 
• 1488 : Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah was poisoned and died in Pagoh. Sultan Mahmud Shah (1488-1511) ehen ascended the throne, supported by the efforts of Tun Perak and Hang Tuah. 
• 1498 - Tun Perak passed away. 
• 1500 : Tun Mutahir, cousin of Tun Perak was appointed Bendahara with the title Bendahara Seri Maharaja and became the most powerful among the officials of the Melaka Sultanate. 
• 1509 : Diego Lopes de Sequeira lands the first Portuguese expedition to establish trade, but relations quickly collapse into conflict. 
• 1510 : Bendahara Tun Mutahir and his family were executed on the orders of the Sultan Mahmud Shah for refusing to give his daughter Tun Fatimah in marriage to the Sultan. Realising his mistake, Sultan Mahmud Shah temporarily abdicated the throne, which was taken over by his son, Sultan Ahmad Shah. 
• 1511 : Alfonso de Albuquequer conquers Malacca after a fierce siege. Sultan Mahmud Shah flees, ending the local sultanate.
• 1512 : 
• The Portuguese construct the famous A Famosa, fortress to safeguard thair newly acquired harbor from continous regional counter-attacks.
• Sultan Mahmud Shah launched an attack on the Portuguese in Melaka. 
• "Suma Oriental" written by Tom Pires, the first European account on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca. 
• 1513 : Patih Unus a Javanese warrior who later became the Sultan of Demak in Sumatra, attacked the Portuguese in Melaka. 
• 1515 : Tom Pires in "Suma Oriental" mentioned of the Melaka Hill and provided details from local oral tradition.
• 1516 : Admiral Hang Nadim, the son of Hang Tuah, launched an attack on Melaka. 
• 1518/19 : 
• Duarte Barbossa wrote a report describing the luxury of the Malay dignitaries in Malacca.
• Sultan Mahmud Shah's troops laid siege to the city of Melaka for 3 months. 
• 1523 : Sultan Mahmud Shah launched another attack on Melaka. 
• 1524 : Admiral Hang Nadim besieged Melaka and cut off its food supply. 
• 1537 : the first attack by the Acehnese on the Portuguese in Melaka. 
• 1545 : St.Francis Xavier visits Melaka on the first of his four sojourns, as a base in the East. He tries to get permission to travel to China from here. 
• 1548 : The first school in Melaka, St.Paul College, is established by St.Francis Xavier for the Portuguese Catholics and newly converted natives. 
• 1551 : a coalition of Johor, Japara and Perak attacked and laid siege to Melaka for 3 months. 
• 1553: Father St Francis Xavier died on the island of Sancian near Canton, China and was buried at St.Paul's Church in Melaka. Nine months later, his remains were moved and reburied in Goa. 
• 1566 : Damian De Goes in the "The Chronicle of the Most Happy King Dom Manuel of Glorious" , mentioned that Melaka as the richest city in the world. 
• 1567 : with assistance from Johor, Aceh attacked the Portuguese fortress in Melaka. However, they were once again defeated. 
• 1571 : Aceh attempted another attacked on the Portuguese in Melaka, but the attempt failed due to a typhoon. 
• 1575 : Japara launched an attack on the Portuguese in Melaka. 
• 1585 / 86 : Johor attacked Melaka. 
• 1587 : Johor Malays launch a land and sea attact on Melaka, saved by Portuguese reinforcements from Goa. The Portuguese retaliate by looting and razing the Johor capital to the ground.
• 1588 : The first English visitor, Ralph Ritch arrived in Melaka. 
• 1606 : First Dutch fleet arrives in Melaka under the command of Cornelis Matelief de Jonge.  An attack is staged with Johor's help. After a 3-months siege, Portuguese reinforcement arrive from Goa and successful ward off the attack.  
• 1615 : Aceh launched another attack on Melaka. 
• 1628 / 29 : Aceh held control over Melaka for 8 months before withdrawing. 
• 1629 : Battle of Duyong River - a giant Aceh great Ship Cakra Donya was captured and taken to Melaka.
• 1636 : Dutch ships destroyed Portuguese vessels in the port of Melaka. 
• 1641: The Dutch East India Company (VOC), allied with the Sultanate of Johor, conquers Malacca from the Portuguese after a brutal 8-months siege. 
• 1645 : 
• Cheng Hoon Teng temple is founded by Kapitan China, Li Kup. It is currently the oldest functioning Chinese temple in Malaysia. 
• A civil conflict occurred between the Dutch and Naning. 
• 1650 : Construction of the Stadthuys (the administrative Red Square), which stands today as the oldest remaining Dutch colonial building in the East. 
• 1710 : St Peter's Church, the oldest functioning Christian church in Malaysia is built after the Dutch restore freedom of religion to the Catholics. 
• 1753 : Christ Church - the Dutch church nest to the Stadthuys is the Town Square, is completed after 12 years of construction. 
• 1756 : The Bugis, led by Daeng Kemboja attacked Melaka. 
• 1784 : Raja Haji landed in Melaka but was later killed. 
• 1795 - 1815 :  Great Britain temporary occupies Malacca during the Napoleonic Wars to prevent French forces from seizing Dutch assets in Asia. 
• 1808 : The arrival of Stamford Raffles saved Melaka from a major decline. 
• 1818 : with the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Melaka was returned to Dutch rule un the Treaty of Venice. 
• 1824 : The Anglo-Dutch Treaty officially transfer Malacca to the British Empire in exchange for Bencoolen(Bengkulu) in Sumatra. 
• 1826: Malacca joins Penang and Singapore for the the Straits Settlements a direct British Crown Colony. 
• 1895 : Rubber Plantation was introduced by Tan Chay Yan in Bukit Lintang,in Melaka. 
• 1901 : The Queen Victoria fountain is erected in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (1837-1897). 
• 1942-1945 : A brutal Japanese Military Occupation halts British rule during World War II. 
• 1948-1960 : Malayan Emergency - Malayan's eternal war against Communist. 
• 1957 : 31st August - Malaya gained independence. 
• 1989 : Melaka was declared a Historical City on 15 April. 

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

10 July 2026: 9.54 p.m

TOME PIRES : MALACCA

The quote displayed at the bottom is highly significant to world history:

"Whoever is lord of Malacca shall have his hand on the throat of Venice."

Historical Context of the Quote

• The Strategic Value of Malacca: Tomé Pires wrote this famous line in his monumental book, the Suma Oriental, completed between 1512 and 1515. He was describing the pivotal importance of the Sultanate of Malacca (located in modern-day Malaysia), which served as the absolute center of global maritime trade in Southeast Asia.
• The Venetian Monopoly: Prior to the 16th century, Venice held a lucrative monopoly on the spice trade in Europe. Spices traveled from Asia overland or through Arab naval trade networks across the Indian Ocean, eventually reaching Venice via Egypt and the Levant. Venice then redistributed them to Europe at astronomically high prices.
• The Portuguese Strategy: By capturing Malacca in 1511, the Portuguese Empire gained control over the Malacca Strait, effectively choking off the traditional spice trade routes that fueled Venetian wealth. This allowed Portugal to route spices directly around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa to Lisbon, bypassing Venice entirely and reshaping global economy and empire lines.

The Suma Oriental of Tomé Pires

Written between 1512 and 1515, the Suma Oriental is the earliest comprehensive European account of maritime Asia. Pires, originally a Portuguese royal apothecary, served as a trade factor and colonial administrator in Malacca immediately following its capture. 

• The Scope: The work is a multi-volume, encyclopedic geographic and ethnographic report compiled for King Manuel I. It methodically maps the commercial networks stretching from the Red Sea, across India and Southeast Asia, all the way to China and Japan. 
• Commercial Geography: Pires detailed local currencies, weights, measures, trade commodities, and political structures. He notably provided Westerners with their first reliable written accounts of Java, Sumatra, and the highly coveted Spice Islands (Moluccas). 
• The "Lost" Manuscript: Ironically, this foundational text on early modern globalization was kept strictly confidential by the Portuguese crown to protect strategic trade intelligence. It was feared lost to history until a copy was discovered in a Paris archive and finally published by the Hakluyt Society in 1944. 

The 1511 Portuguese Conquest of Malacca

The capture of Malacca was a critical milestone in Portugal’s grand strategy to bypass Islamic and Venetian middlemen and monopolize the global spice trade. 

• The Prelude (1509): Explorer Diogo Lopes de Sequeira led the first Portuguese expedition to Malacca to establish trade relations. However, local Gujarati and Muslim merchants, recognizing the Portuguese threat, urged Sultan Mahmud Shah to launch a surprise attack. Sequeira escaped, but several Portuguese sailors were captured as prisoners. 
• Albuquerque's Siege (1511): Utilizing the captured sailors as a casus belli, Afonso de Albuquerque, the Governor of Portuguese India, arrived in July 1511 with a powerful armada of 17-18 ships and roughly 1,200 men. The Sultan’s forces fiercely defended the city using war elephants, cannons, and a large multi-ethnic mercenary force. 
• The Turning Point: The battle centered heavily on a strategic bridge spanning the Malacca River, which split the city in two. After weeks of deadlock, Albuquerque used a heavily armed, shallow-draft junk ship to breach the bridge defenses. By mid-August 1511, Malacca fell. 
• The Aftermath: Sultan Mahmud Shah retreated into the jungle, later founding the Johor Sultanate to continue resisting the Portuguese. The Portuguese immediately secured their prize by constructing A Famosa, a formidable stone fortress using materials dismantled from the city's grand mosque and royal tombs.

MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES

The 1511 Siege of Malacca was a direct clash between cutting-edge European maritime military technology and traditional Southeast Asian amphibious warfare systems. While the Malacca Sultanate possessed overwhelming numbers and thousands of pieces of artillery, the superior range, standardization, and tactical application of Portuguese technology decided the outcome. 

The Portuguese Empire (The Attackers)

The Portuguese relied on highly structured, heavily armed expeditionary tactics. Their army consisted of roughly 1,000 disciplined Portuguese soldiers and auxiliary mercenaries. 

• Naval Artillery: Heavy iron and bronze muzzle-loading cannons mounted on naus (carracks) and caravels. These guns easily outranged Malaccan defense positions, enabling a relentless, destructive bombardment of the city's timber buildings. 
• Personal Firearms: Matchlock muskets (arcabuzes). These weapons provided terrifying psychological impact and piercing power, bypassing native wooden shields and effectively panicking war elephants. 
• Infantry Weaponry & Armor: Standardized metal breastplates, morion-style steel helmets, long pikes, and broadswords. This heavy steel armor rendered Portuguese soldiers practically immune to native arrows, blowpipe darts, and light blades. 
• Improvised Siege Engineering: When direct amphibious landings were thwarted by tidal mudflats, Afonso de Albuquerque converted a captured, tall Chinese merchant junk ship into a floating siege tower. Packed with swivel guns and protective barriers, it was run aground at the Malacca River bridge to rain firepower downward into the Sultan's inner stronghold. 

The Malacca Sultanate (The Defenders)

The Sultanate deployed an estimated 4,000 royal soldiers alongside thousands of multi-ethnic mercenaries (including Javanese, Turkish, and Indian warriors). 

• Abundant Artillery: Historical records show Malacca possessed massive stockpiles of artillery—the Portuguese captured over 3,000 pieces. This included small bronze swivel guns (lantaka or cetbang) and larger wrought-iron bombard cannons. However, the vast majority were small-caliber, short-range anti-personnel weapons. 
• Heavy Cavalry (War Elephants): The Sultan's elite force relied on heavily armored war elephants carrying wooden towers armed with archers and spearmen. While devastating against local regional rivalries, they proved a liability under gun and cannon fire, panicking and trampling their own defensive lines. 
• Amphibious Naval Craft: A riverine fleet consisting of fast lancaran and penjajap outrigger warships. They were heavily utilized to deploy fire-rafts filled with pitch, oil, and firewood downriver to incinerate Portuguese ships. 
• Traditional Ballistics & Sidearms: Recurve bows, blowpipes firing highly lethal, poison-tipped darts, and long Javanese spears. For close-quarters melee combat, warriors carried the iconic kris (wavy-bladed daggers). 
• Defensive Fortifications: Temporary bamboo stockades and earth-filled wooden palisades. Because Malacca lacked permanent stone walls, these wooden structures quickly caught fire or shattered under heavy Portuguese naval bombardment. 

THE FATE OF FLOR DE LA MAR

The sinking of the Flor de la Mar (Flower of the Sea) remains one of the greatest maritime tragedies and unsolved treasure mysteries in human history.

The Flagship of Empire

Built in Lisbon in 1502, the Flor de la Mar was a massive 400-ton Portuguese nau (carrack). She was a legendary but notoriously unreliable vessel. Because of her immense size, she frequently leaked and broke down during heavy seas. Despite her structural flaws, she served as the personal flagship for Afonso de Albuquerque during the historic conquests of Goa (1510) and Malacca (1511).

The Unprecedented Booty

Following the fall of the Sultanate of Malacca in August 1511, the Portuguese systematically plundered the wealthy trading hub. Albuquerque selected the Flor de la Mar to carry the absolute finest of the spoils back to King Manuel I in Lisbon. The cargo was arguably the richest maritime treasure ever assembled:

• The Sultan's Treasury: Over 60 tons of solid gold objects, including gold statues, plates, and coins.
• Precious Gems: Crates overflowing with rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds.
• Tribute Gifts: Exotic treasures intended for the Portuguese royal court, including two life-sized golden monkeys with ruby eyes, a gift from the King of Siam.
• The Imperial Map: A legendary chart belonging to a Javanese pilot, detailing the secret sea routes to China, Japan, and the Spice Islands.

The Fatal Shipwreck

In late November 1511, Albuquerque set sail from Malacca bound for Goa, leading a small fleet.

• The Storm: In December 1511, while navigating the treacherous waters of the Strait of Malacca along the northeast coast of Sumatra (near Pasé), the fleet was slammed by a violent tropical storm.
• The Disaster: Already structurally compromised and heavily overloaded with treasure, the Flor de la Mar could not withstand the waves. She ran aground on a coral reef or sandbank, breaking completely in two during the night.
• The Survivors: Afonso de Albuquerque and a few of his top officers narrowly escaped death by building a makeshift raft. However, the vast majority of the crew perished in the sea.

The Lost Treasure

When the ship split apart, the immense weight of the gold and gems caused the cargo to plunge immediately into the dark, muddy seabed. Because the area was actively hostile and the water was murky, no immediate recovery operations could be mounted.

Over the centuries, the exact location of the wreck was swallowed by shifting sands, silt, and changing coastlines. Today, the lost treasure of the Flor de la Mar is estimated to be worth between $1 billion and $3 billion USD. It continues to sit somewhere off the coast of Sumatra, fiercely protected by overlapping territorial disputes and centuries of mud.

C&P

10 July 2026: 7.34 p.m

DOWN MEMORY LANE: THE ORIGIN STORY BEHIND THE "PING PONG" CRACKER NAME

The origin behind Hup Seng’s iconic "Cap Ping Pong" (Table Tennis Brand) name is tied directly to a historic sporting milestone that captivated the world in the late 1950s.

The 1959 World Championship Victory

In 1958, the Kerk brothers were brainstorming a name for their signature cream crackers. At that time, table tennis was exploding in global popularity across Asia.

The peak of this phenomenon occurred at the 1959 World Table Tennis Championships in Dortmund, Germany, where China's Rong Guotuan won the Men's Singles title. It was a massive historic milestone, marking the first-ever World Championship title won by any athlete from the People's Republic of China.

Symbol of Victory and Unity

The global buzz surrounding the "Ping Pong" tournament was immense. The founders of Hup Seng decided to capitalize on this excitement. They chose the name and logo of a ping pong paddle and ball because:

• Brand Recognition: Everyone was talking about table tennis, making the name immediately memorable.
• Positive Association: The sport symbolized skill, triumph, international pride, and healthy energy.
• Catchy Rhythm: "Cap Ping Pong" rolled off the tongue easily for customers of all language backgrounds in multicultural Malaya.

The famous Hup Seng Today

The actual Johor-born Hup Seng remains a powerhouse in modern Malaysia: 

• The Ultimate Childhood Snack: Their legendary Cap Ping Pong Cream Crackers (named in 1958 after China won the World Table Tennis Championship) are widely considered the gold standard for dipping into hot Milo, coffee, or tea.
• The Biscuit Company: The famous Hup Seng Industries Berhad was actually founded further south in Batu Pahat, Johor. It was started in 1957 by the four Kerk Brothers and a business partner who began by selling biscuits out of a small van. They opened their first production plant at Batu Pahat in 1964.
• The Shared Name: "Hup Seng" (合成) is a highly common traditional Chinese business name translating "Success through Teamwork" or "Unity is Success". 
• Global Brand: Today, it is a publicly traded company on Bursa Malaysia that generates hundreds of millions in revenue and exports its nostalgic biscuits to over 60 countries worldwide. 

The name stuck so well that for over six decades, generations of Malaysians have uniquely referred to these square, flaky cream crackers not by the company name, but simply as "Biskut Ping Pong".

Reference:

1. Hup Seng : Our Beginning with a Malaysian Heritage
2. Vulcan Post: Started by Johorian Bros, here's the story of how Hup Seng grew into a global cracker brand. 

C&P

10 July 2026: 2.01 p.m

DOWN MEMORY LANE: HIGH STREET SCHOOL, KUALA LUMPUR

 

Located at Jalan Panggung, K.L

This location was part of the original school compound that once housed High Street School. 

Historical Overview

• The Property's Roots: The signboard on the wall reads Pejabat Pengurusan Barang Kes & Stor Bekalan Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi. This indicates it is currently utilized as an evidence management office and supply store for the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters. 
• The High Street Connection: This entire site on Jalan Tun H. S. Lee (historically known as High Street or Jalan Bandar) has deep historical roots in Kuala Lumpur's education sector. 

Timeline of the Grounds:

• 1893–1929: The complex was originally built to house the prestigious Victoria Institution (VI).
• 1930–1954: After Victoria Institution relocated to Petaling Hill, the campus was used by the Technical College (which later evolved into Universiti Teknologi Malaysia).
• 1955–1963: When the Technical College moved to Jalan Gurney, the premises became High Street School. The school eventually relocated to Jalan Setapak in the 1960s and is known today as SMK Tinggi Setapak. 

The main historical Victorian school building sits just adjacent to this section of the compound and has been repurposed over the years for cultural departments, including the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN). 

THE HISTORY AND RELOCATION OF HIGH STREET SCHOOL'S TRANSITION TO SMK TINGGI SETAPAK

The history and relocation of High Street School into what is known today as SMK Tinggi Setapak marks an important chapter in Kuala Lumpur’s educational development. 

The transition took place through distinct historical phases:

1. The Genesis at High Street (1955)

• Founding: High Street School was established on January 12, 1955. It was officially opened by Dato' Othman bin Mohamed, the Menteri Besar of Selangor, with a royal opening later that year by Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah. 
• The Site: The school inherited the historic 1893 brick campus on High Street (now Jalan Tun H. S. Lee). This site was previously vacant after its former occupant, the Technical College, relocated to Gurney Road. 
• Purpose: Under its first headmaster, Mr. Herman M. de Souza (a former teacher from the Victoria Institution), the all-boys, English-medium school was formed to accommodate the growing population of youths who could not secure placements in heavily congested premier institutions like Victoria Institution or Methodist Boys' School. Its initial school motto was "Lead By Leading". 

2. Disruption and "Squatting" (1961–1962)

• Urban Development: By 1961, downtown Kuala Lumpur was undergoing rapid modernization. The construction plans for the Kinabalu Flyover directly impacted the High Street area. 
• Temporary Relocation: The school had to vacate its historic premises. Without a permanent home ready, the students and staff "squatted" at St. John's Institution, operating strictly during the afternoon sessions. This arrangement fostered a unique, fierce sports rivalry between High Street School and St. John's during that era. 

3. The Move to Setapak (1963)

• A New Campus: In January 1963, the school finally moved to its newly constructed permanent campus on Jalan Ayer Jerneh in Setapak. 
• Name Progression: To better fit its new geography while honoring its roots, the school dropped "Street" from its name, becoming High School Kuala Lumpur. Local communities affectionately referred to it simply as "Setapak High". 
• Official Opening: The new Setapak campus was officially opened on April 15, 1968, by the Minister of Education, Mr. Mohamed Khir Johari. 

4. Modern Era as SMK Tinggi Setapak

• Identity Updates: With the relocation came a newly designed school badge in 1968. By the 1980s, following national language policies, the school transitioned to Malay-medium instruction and adopted the motto "Ilmu Tangga Kemajuan" (Knowledge is the Key to Progress). 
• Legacy: Today, SMK Tinggi Setapak functions as a national secondary school. It remains an all-boys school for Forms 1 to 5, while maintaining a co-educational format exclusively for its Form 6 pre-university classes.

HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR (1974-1978)

Memories of studying at Setapak High School from 1974 - 1978.

Period of service	Name
January 1955 – May 1966	Herman M de Souza
June 1966 – December 1966	S.M. Ponniah
January 1967 – December 1970	N. Rajendra
January 1971 – April 1971	Michael Loh
April 1971 – June 1981	Peter Tay
June 1981 – January 1988	V. Chakaravarthy
February 1988 – September 1988	June bin Jais
October 1988 – August 1992	Abdul Manaf bin Mohamed
August 1992 – January 1994	Muda @ Ibrahim bin Aki
February 1995 – March 1996	Abdul Rahim bin Mohamad
March 1996 – June 1998	Aziz bin Said
January 1998 – February 2000	Wan Mohamad Kasim bin Wan Abu Bakar
February 2000 – October 2005	Mohd. Nor bin Rajikin
November 2005 – June 2008	Che Azizah binti Saad
July 2008 – 2010	Maslan bin Buniran
2010 - 2013	Esaah binti Ismail
2013 - 2017	Naseh bin Hassan
2018 - 2023	Zubidah binti Md Yunos
2023–Present	Norazah BintI Shahrifudin

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Ex-High School Setapak (1974-1978)

9 July 2026: 8.38 p.m

LAKSAMANA CHENG HO, ETNIK HUI DAN ISLAM DI CHINA

Oleh: Helmi Effendy II

Ramai rupanya tak tahu Cheng Ho ni Islam, dan ramai jugak tak tahu dia datang dari etnik Hui, salah satu etnik Muslim di China. Hari ini, kisah bangsa Hui inilah saya nak kongsikan, sebab ramai tak tahu siapa Hui.

Masa saya ke Xian, China bulan Mac-April lepas, saya banyak tersempak dengan etnik Hui yang membentuk majoriti umat Islam di Xian. Masjid, kedai makanan halal, dan banyak lagi dapat dilihat di Xian.

Sejarahnya ialah Islam tiba di China sejak zaman Dinasti Tang pada abad ketujuh Masihi lagi, dibawa oleh pedagang Arab dan Parsi yang belayar ke pelabuhan Guangzhou dan Quanzhou serta yang bergerak melalui Jalan Sutera darat. Ramai antara mereka tidak pulang lagi ke tanah asal, sebaliknya berkahwin dengan wanita tempatan dan berakar di bumi asing itu tanpa melepaskan agama nenek moyang mereka.

Gelombang terbesar tiba pada zaman Mongol. Selepas menakluki Asia Tengah dan Parsi, Dinasti Yuan membawa masuk ratusan ribu pentadbir, tukang dan saudagar Muslim untuk berkhidmat di China. Daripada gelombang inilah munculnya istilah Huihui yang kemudian diringkaskan menjadi Hui.

Antara tokohnya ialah Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din, gabenor Yunnan lantikan Kublai Khan, dan daripada keturunan beliaulah lahirnya sida bernama Ma He yang kelak dikenali dunia sebagai Laksamana Cheng Ho.

Apabila Dinasti Ming mengambil alih, komuniti ini didesak menyerap budaya Han sesuai dengan dasar asimilasi Ming. Mereka menerima tekanan itu dengan bijak. Mereka memakai nama Cina seperti Ma, singkatan bunyi bagi Muhammad, bertutur sepenuhnya dalam bahasa Cina dan membina masjid berbentuk pagoda, namun di sebalik penampilan luaran itu mereka terus solat, berpuasa dan menjaga hukum makanan dengan teliti.

Ulama mereka seperti Liu Zhi malah menulis kitab akidah dalam bahasa Cina klasik menggunakan kerangka falsafah Konfusianisme. Perjalanan mereka turut diwarnai darah, termasuk pemberontakan besar zaman Qing di Yunnan dan barat laut yang meragut berjuta nyawa pada abad kesembilan belas.

Namun tujuh ratus tahun asimilasi inilah yang menjadikan orang Hui hari ini, yang berjumlah lebih sebelas juta, hampir tidak dapat dibezakan daripada jiran Cina Han mereka kecuali kopiah putih dan papan tanda restoran halal di perkampungan mereka. Mereka berkahwin campur dengan orang Cina Han, mengambil budaya, bahasa, dan nama Cina Han tanpa langsung membuang akidah Islam mereka.

Di sinilah timbulnya persoalan yang sering ditanya ramai netizen. Jika China memusuhi Islam sebagai agama, mengapa bangsa Hui bebas membina masjid sedangkan bangsa Uighur di Xinjiang ditindas begitu keras? Jawapannya terletak pada sejarah.

Orang Hui sudah sebati dengan bahasa dan budaya Han, manakala orang Uighur ialah bangsa Turkik yang lebih dekat dengan Asia Tengah, lengkap dengan sejarah pengisytiharan republik merdeka pada tahun 1933 dan 1944.

Bagi Beijing, Xinjiang ialah isu kedaulatan wilayah dan laluan ekonomi ke barat, dan agama hanyalah satu lapisan dalam persamaan geopolitik yang jauh lebih rumit.

Persoalan besar seperti inilah yang dibedah oleh sahabat saya, Ayman Rashdan Wong, dalam buku terbaharunya GEOPOLITIK DUNIA ISLAM terbitan The Patriots.

Bab 18 yang bertajuk "Apa yang China Mahu daripada Dunia Islam?" mengupas mengapa nasib Hui dan Uighur begitu berbeza dan mengapa Xinjiang menjadi urusan hidup mati bagi Beijing, manakala bab-bab lain membawa pembaca menyusuri perjalanan umat Islam dari padang pasir Arab hinggalah ke masa depan Nusantara.

C&P

7 July 2026: 5.40 p.m 

AL KINDI : THE KALAH SWORD

The connection between the legendary Qala'i sword (al-sayf al-Qala'i) described by the 9th-century polymath Al-Kindi and Kalah (the ancient kingdom of Kedah Tua in Malaysia) is a major focus of modern maritime trade history and Southeast Asian archaeology. 

Here is a breakdown of how Al-Kindi's text connects the world's finest ancient steel directly to old Kedah:

1. Al-Kindi’s Classification of Swords

In his famous 9th-century treatise, “Risalah al-Kindi fi 'amal al-sayuf” (Treatise on Swords and Their Kinds), Al-Kindi classified the finest "ancient" (Atiq) swords in the world into three top categories: 

1. Yemeni (the most excellent)
2. Qala'i (the second tier)
3. Indian (al-Hind) 

2. "Kalah" is Old Kedah

In early medieval Arabic and Persian travelogues, the Malay Kingdom of Kedah Tua (specifically around the Bujang Valley) was recorded phonetically as Kalah, Qalah, or Kalah-bar. 

• The Linguistic Link: The adjective Qala'i (قلعى) directly means "from Qalah/Kalah".
• Al-Biruni's Confirmation: Later in the 11th century, the scholar Al-Biruni explicitly wrote in his Kitab al-Jamahir that Qala'i swords were named after the place Calah (Kalah), where the high-quality raw iron and tin came from, noting: "You hear a clear ring from Qala, but a harsh tone from anything else." 

3. Archaeological Proof: Sungai Batu

For centuries, Eurocentric historians assumed "Qalah" was a lost city in Mesopotamia or India. However, massive archaeological excavations led by Universiti Sains Malaysia at Sungai Batu (Kedah) completely changed this narrative. 

• Excavations uncovered a massive, highly organized, global iron-smelting industry dating as far back as 788 BC.
• The area produced an abundance of highly purified iron/steel (shaburqan) that was shipped globally via maritime trade routes. 

4. Rebranding in Arab Markets

Al-Kindi noted that when raw Qala'i steel or blades arrived at Middle Eastern ports (like Yemen), merchants would frequently re-forge, polish, or temper them. Because Yemen and India were the final transit hubs before the swords reached the Mediterranean, these blades were often rebranded locally as Yemeni or Hindi swords. This means that many of the legendary swords revered in early Islamic history were actually forged from Kedah iron.

In fact, Islamic traditions and historical inventories note that Al-Qal'iy, one of the nine sacred swords owned by Prophet Muhammad (now preserved at the Topkapi Palace Museum), is a Qala'i blade believed to have originated from this exact trade route. 

Reference:

1. Apa Khabar TV : The Qala'i Sqord Mystery

C&P

7 July 2026: 3.08 a.m

UCAPAN SULTAN PERAK (2009) - PELANCARAN BUKU "THE MALAYS"

10 May, 2009

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Salam sejahtera.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim.

Segala puji milik Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, Tuhan yang telah menciptakan manusia dari seorang lelaki dan seorang perempuan, dan menjadikan manusia berbangsa-bangsa dan bersuku-suku supaya saling kenal mengenal. Selawat dan salam ke atas Junjungan Besar Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam, ahli keluarga dan para Sahabat Baginda serta kepada para Tabiin dan para ulama. Semoga memperoleh ihsan di hari kebangkitan.

2. Beta bersyukur ke hadrat ILAHI, kerana dengan izin dan inayat dari Nya jua, Beta dan Raja Puan Besar dapat berangkat ke Majlis Pelancaran Buku “The Malays” hasil kajian Profesor Anthony Milner, Profesor of Asian History, Australian National University.

3. Majlis Pelancaran pagi ini memaparkan lima elemen yang amat signifikan.

Pertama: “The Malays” dihasilkan dalam Bahasa Inggeris oleh seorang akademia Australia, namun Majlis Pelancarannya dilangsungkan dalam bahasa yang memberikan penghormatan kepada Bahasa Melayu; bahasa yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Negara sebagai bahasa kebangsaan di negara ini.

Perjuangan menobatkan bahasa Melayu telah melalui perjalanan yang jauh dan memakan masa yang lama. Raja-Raja Melayu dalam mesyuarat Durbar pada tahun 1903 di Kuala Lumpur telah membangkitkan soal pengiktirafan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa rasmi.

Usaha menobatkan bahasa Melayu mencapai kemuncak apabila bahasa Melayu dilaksanakan sepenuhnya menjadi bahasa ilmu di pusat-pusat pengajian tinggi, dan menjadi lengkap apabila terlaksana penggunaannya di kamar mahkamah di negara ini.

Dalam ucapan di ‘Malam Teguh Bahasa’ pada 11 September 2005, Menteri Pelajaran Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin mengingatkan bahawa dari 6,000 bahasa yang dipertuturkan, hanya 300 sahaja yang dituturkan oleh lebih sejuta orang. Lima ribu tujuh ratus bahasa dituturkan oleh kurang dari sejuta orang. Dijangkakan separuh dari 5700 bahasa ini akan pupus dalam tempoh seabad lagi kerana tidak dipertuturkan dan tidak diajar kepada golongan muda.

Sejarah menunjukkan bahawa untuk sesuatu bahasa itu pupus, ia mengambil masa antara 50 ke 100 tahun, tetapi dengan keganasan gelombang globalisasi, kadar kebinasaan bahasa boleh berlaku dalam tempoh satu generasi sahaja. Bahawa globalisasi boleh mempercepatkan kepupusan bahasa, jika langkah-langkah bijak lagi tegas tidak dilakukan untuk memastikan bahasa milik bangsa Melayu ini tidak akan berakhir dengan nasib yang menimpa bahasa Latin.

Kedua: Majlis Pelancaran ini dilangsungkan di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; sebuah universiti yang dilahirkan sebagai puncak manifestasi perjuangan memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu. Universiti Kebangsaan merupakan universiti pertama di negara ini yang menggunakan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa penyampaian ilmu di peringkat pengajian tinggi; sekali gus membuktikan keupayaan Bahasa Melayu berfungsi sebagai bahasa perantaraan ilmu. Universiti Kebangsaan adalah manifestasi kesungguhan negara bangsa melaksanakan Dasar Bahasa Kebangsaan dan melaluinya, telah membantu meningkatkan tahap pencapaian ilmu di kalangan ramai rakyat jelata, berupaya menjadi cerdik pandai di samping mengembangkan daya intelek di kalangan warga.

Ketiga: Walaupun bilangan orang Melayu di Malaysia hanya dalam lingkungan 15 juta orang, kurang dari 0.5% dari jumlah 350 juta orang yang tergolong dalam rumpun Melayu, namun Profesor Anthony Milner telah memberikan pengiktirafan kepada bumi Melayu di negara yang bernama Malaysia ini untuk di langsungkan pelancaran The Malays. Halaman 151, The Malays, mencatatkan;

Petikan:

“ Although Malaya (and its expanded form Malaysia) has in many ways been the ‘Malay’ success story – an experiment in nation building founded (at least in large part) on ‘Malay’ ethnic sentiment – this outcome was not inevitable”. Anthony Milner, The Malays, muka surat 151.

Anthony Milner turut merakamkan antara peristiwa yang memperlihatkan keyakinan rumpun Melayu terhadap kepimpinan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Malaya) seperti yang terkandung di halaman 168.

Petikan “Some 250,000 people signed a petition to the United Nations with the aim of incorporating Patani and other southern Muslim provinces (Yala, Narathiwat and Satun) in the emerging Malaya.” Anthony Milner, The Malays, muka surat 168.

Huraian dan analisis Anthony Milner dalam penerbitan beliau sebahagian besarnya ditumpukan kepada Malaysia, serta dinamik politik yang berlaku di Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara bangsa yang komposisi warganya terdiri daripada pelbagai agama, kumpulan etnik dan budaya tetapi termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Negara status agama Islam, bahasa Melayu, Raja-Raja Melayu serta keistimewaan dan perlindungan kepada bangsa Melayu.

Keempat: Pengiktirafan yang diberikan oleh Profesor Anthony Milner kepada Kesultanan Melayu apabila beliau merafakkan sembah jemputan kepada Beta untuk berangkat bagi melafazkan titah menyempurnakan pelancaran “The Malays”. Beta mentafsirkan, pengiktirafan tersebut adalah pengiktirafan beliau, bukan atas batang tubuh peribadi Beta, tetapi pengiktirafan yang didedikasikan kepada institusi Kesultanan Melayu. Ini adalah selaras dengan kupasan-kupasan kajian beliau akan peranan penting Raja-Raja dan Kerajaan di kalangan rumpun Melayu. Di halaman 233, Anthony Milner mencatatkan;

Petikan:

“The Sultan could be presented as ‘cement ‘ helping to bond the bangsa, or as the ‘symbol’ of the Malay race.” Anthony Milner, The Malays, muka surat 233.

Di halaman 177, Anthony Milner turut memetik tulisan Wan Syaifuddin dalam tahun 2003, berjodol ‘Kronik Mahkota Kesultanan Serdang’ terbitan Yandira Agung, Medan.

Petikan:

“One prominent development in post-Suharto Indonesia has been a widespread revival of sultanates, including many described as ‘Malay’. Among these are Landak, Mempawah, Puntianak and Sambas (West Kalimantan); Bulungan, Kutei, and Pasir (East Kalimantan); and Serdang (North Sumatra). There is even a new interest in the Pagaruyung monarchy;…. The Sultan of Mempaweh in Kalimantan is reported to have declared that in times of uncertainty, ‘Dayaks’ run to the long house but ‘Malays’ run to the palace’;…Anthony Milner, The Malays, muka surat 177.

Milner turut memetik manuskrip tulisan Gerry van Klinken, bertajuk ‘Return of the Sultans: The Communitarian Turn in Local Politics’

Petikan:

“The Sultans have formed a ‘Communication Forum for the Kratons (royal palaces) of Indonesia’…” Anthony Milner, The Malays, muka surat 177.

Beta menghargai pendirian Profesor Anthony Milner mengiktiraf bahawa Raja Melayu itu adalah institusi penting warisan bangsa Melayu. Sesungguhnya sejarah mencatatkan bahawa Istana Raja Melayu itu berperanan sebagai pusat berkembangnya tamadun bangsa. Istana memperlihatkan sehalus budaya – mencerminkan secantik bahasa, melindungi khazanah tamadun bangsa – menyimpan kekayaan budaya bangsa. Raja Melayu itu adalah lambang kedaulatan negara – simbol kekuatan warga – payung mahkota negara tempat rakyat tumpang berteduh. Raja Melayu itu memberi identiti kepada negara bangsa. Raja itu adalah lambang Kerajaan. Rakyat yang memahami ‘budaya rakyat beraja – negeri bersultan’ memahami akan falsafah pemerintahan beraja; akan peranan Raja secara tersirat di sebalik yang tersurat, melindungi kepentingan bangsa Melayu.

Dalam puisi Korban Hang Tuah penyair Zurina Hassan cuba menyelami gelombang serba salah yang menghempas dada Hang Tuah ketika terpaksa membuat perhitungan untuk memilih antara kesetiaan kepada sahabat dan kesetiaan kepada Raja. Hang Tuah akhirnya terpaksa memilih, mengorbankan sahabat kesayangannya walaupun dituduh melakukan kesetiaan melulu. Zurina Hassan menghuraikan Hang Tuah sebenarnya tidak sekadar membunuh Hang Jebat tetapi menentang satu penderhakaan – menentang perebutan kuasa. Bagi Zurinah Hassan, Hang Tuah bukan sekadar mempertahankan seorang Raja tetapi mempertahankan lambang negara kepada sebuah kerajaan demi memastikan bahawa Melayu tidak akan hilang di dunia. Tanpa kerajaan apalah ertinya lagi sebuah negara.

Anthony Milner mencatat bahawa kerajaan-kerajaan berpaksikan Melayu itu adalah kerajaan yang mempunyai Raja baik di Riau, Lingga, Deli, Siak, Langkat, Kampar dan Inderagiri di Sumatera begitu juga di negeri-negeri Kutei, Bulangan, Puntianak, Landak, Mempawah dan Sambas di Kalimantan. Di Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Raja-Raja Melayu diiktiraf bukan sahaja menjadi asas berkerajaan malah terlibat langsung dalam gerakan menentang Malayan Union demikian juga berperanan penting dalam usaha untuk memperjuangkan dan mencapai kata sepakat menuntut kemerdekaan. Kesembilan Raja Melayu memberikan perkenan untuk ditubuhkan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu dan turut berkenan untuk dilantik salah seorang daripada Baginda-Baginda itu menjadi Ketua Negara secara bergilir-gilir dengan gelaran Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong.

Kelima: Karya Anthony Milner menimbulkan semula catatan-catatan sejarah tentang bangsa Melayu di samping mengemukakan penemuan-penemuan baru. Profesor Anthony Milner dalam tahun 1982 telah menghasilkan penerbitan berjudul ‘Kerajaan: Malay Political Culture On The Eve of Colonial Rule’ dan dalam tahun 1995 menghasilkan penerbitan berjudul ‘The Invention of Politics in Colonial Malaya’. Bibliografi yang disenaraikan oleh Anthony Milner memperlihatkan senarai panjang, kumpulan penyelidik, pengkaji dan penulis tentang bangsa Melayu. Beta percaya terdapat banyak lagi bahan penyelidikan dan penulisan tentang bangsa Melayu yang telah, sedang dan akan terus dilakukan. Minat di kalangan bukan Melayu melakukan penyelidikan terhadap bangsa Melayu memperlihatkan bahawa bangsa Melayu itu adalah satu bangsa yang senantiasa mendapat perhatian dari pelbagai pihak.

4. Definisi ‘Melayu’ itu tidak terhenti daripada terus menjadi bahan diskusi dan subjek kajian. Definisi bangsa Melayu itu tidak terbatas kepada satu definisi sahaja. Tergabung dalam rumpun Melayu itu himpunan kekayaan pelbagai suku keturunan yang juga menguasai pelbagai dialek dan pelbagai sub culture. Alam Melayu itu merentasi kawasan geografi yang luas dari Filipina ke Madagascar, dengan saiz komuniti berjumlah 350 juta. Melalui perdagangan dan penghijrahan, rumpun Melayu itu turut merentasi kawasan geografi yang luas, mengembara jauh di luar gugusan kepulauan Melayu (The Malay Archipelago).

5. Terdapat pelbagai deskripsi menggambarkan watak Melayu. Melayu digambarkan bangsa yang bertoleransi, penuh beradat – sangat bersopan, juga digambarkan suka melatah – mudah mengamuk. Dalam hikayat-hikayat lama dan cerita-cerita rakyat, terkandung pula sifat-sifat dendam, khianat, dengki, menipu, zalim, bodoh dan malas yang diimbangkan pula dengan sifat-sifat mulia, adil, ikhlas, jujur, cerdik, rajin, tekun, taat dan setia. Jika demikian pelbagainya deskripsi tentang bangsa Melayu ini, rumusan yang dapat disimpulkan ialah bangsa Melayu itu adalah insan yang bernama dan bersifat manusia, kerana sifat dan karakter manusia yang pelbagai itu, terdapat di kalangan semua bangsa dan tamadun lain, baik di barat mahupun di timur.

6. Gugusan kepulauan Melayu itu berada di antara dunia barat dan dunia timur, demikian juga antara Asia Barat dan Asia Timur. Ia merupakan gugusan yang amat terdedah kepada dunia. Pelbagai agama, budaya dan bahasa sampai ke Gugusan Kepulauan Melayu; lalu berlaku proses integrasi dan asimilasi pengaruh daripada pelbagai agama, budaya dan bahasa. Bahasa Sanskrit dan Arab sebagai contoh telah mempengaruhi pemikiran dan tahap literasi bangsa. Perkataan daripada bahasa-bahasa Parsi, Mandarin, Tamil dan Portugis, turut terdapat dalam perbendaharaan kata Melayu. Pengaruh Bahasa Inggeris begitu dominan, susulan daripada pengembangan sistem pendidikan serta kemajuan sains dan teknologi. Ini telah mempengaruhi Bahasa Melayu itu berubah secara dinamik dengan perbendaharaan kata yang semakin bertambah. Bahasa Melayu telah melalui proses transformasi, berasal dengan bahasa lisan, diperkaya dan diperkembangkan melalui adaptasi penulisan, bermula dengan tulisan jawi, disusuli dengan tulisan rumi. Perkembangan Bahasa Melayu itu telah berperanan penting dalam meningkatkan daya intelek dan daya analisis bangsa.

7. Demikian juga proses penyerapan, pengubah suaian, percantuman yang berlaku dalam budaya Melayu. Nyatalah Melayu sebagai satu rumpun bangsa, sebagai satu budaya kehidupan, tidak statik. Rumpun Melayu itu berupaya melakukan adaptasi kepada dinamik yang berlaku di persekitaran kehidupannya dan berupaya melakukan perekayasaan sosial dan penyesuaian ideologi. Namun bangsa itu juga secara bijaksana berupaya mempertahankan identiti asas bangsanya, secara bijaksana berupaya mengimbangkan antara yang lama dengan yang baru, antara tradisi dan modeniti, antara lokal dan global. Bangsa Melayu yang memiliki jati diri yang tinggi telah berjaya melakukan perubahan tanpa melupakan tradisi dan nilai kesinambungan.

8. The Malays memetik dan mengulas kata-kata hikmat pesanan Hang Tuah, ‘Bahawa Tidakkan Melayu Hilang di dunia’; kemudian mencatatkan peringatan Munsyi Abdullah bahawa survival bangsa sebenarnya bergantung pada pelajaran, dan merakamkan kebimbangan Ishak Haji Mohamad bahawa ‘Melayu itu boleh hilang di dunia’. Berlaku pertentangan ungkapan kata antara pahlawan Melayu bernama Hang Tuah dan nasionalis Melayu bernama Ishak Haji Mohamad, dialas di tengah-tengah dengan peringatan kata seorang Munsyi bernama Abdullah.

9. Sewaktu menyampaikan titah di ‘International Conference on Malay Civilization’ pada 30 September 2002, Beta pernah memajukan persoalan menyentuh perkembangan antara tuntutan tradisi (claims of tradition) dan permintaan terhadap modeniti (demands of modernity) dalam masyarakat pada hari ini. Dikatakan bahawa budaya yang progresif menekankan kepada masa hadapan sementara budaya yang statik menekankan sejarah lama dan suasana semasa. Peringatan Beta, jangan bangsa sampai ke peringkat keterlaluan. Bahawa tidak semua yang berbentuk tradisi itu menghalang kemajuan kerana tradisi yang berjaya ditafsir secara bijak dan dilaksanakan secara arif dapat berfungsi sebagai pemudah cara memajukan bangsa. Bahawa elemen-elemen yang berperanan sebagai faktor penyatuan bangsa selama hari ini, adalah modal sosial yang amat berharga yang wajib dipertahankan. Dalam konteks bangsa Melayu di Malaysia, elemen-elemen tersebut terdiri daripada faktor-faktor agama, bahasa dan budaya yang berada di bawah payung naungan dan perlindungan Raja-Raja Melayu mengikut yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Negara. Klausa-klausa menyentuh agama Islam, institusi Raja Melayu, adat istiadat Melayu, bahasa Melayu dan kedudukan istimewa orang-orang Melayu dimaktubkan di dalam Perlembagaan Negara. Takrif bangsa Melayu diperkemas, diikat dengan adat, disimpul dengan bahasa, disalut dengan agama. Itulah resipi kekuatan Melayu di bumi ini. Hari ini telah timbul usaha-usaha radikal daripada kalangan yang tidak mendalami muslihat di sebalik yang tersirat yang mahu mengubah resipi tersebut.

10. Survival Melayu sebagai satu bangsa bergantung kepada beberapa faktor yang telah selama hari ini memberikannya identiti dalam bentuk agama, bahasa dan budaya, termasuk budaya bernegara dan berkerajaan berpegang kepada prinsip rakyat beraja – negeri bersultan. Betapa malangnya bangsa apabila berlakunya tindakan-tindakan yang mahu menghapuskan tradisi dan meruntuhkan institusi Melayu. Betapa terancamnya survival bangsa apabila tradisi dan institusi sudah tidak lagi dihormati dan disifatkan sebagai antitesis kepada pemikiran rasional, modeniti dan sains. Betapa malangnya apabila generasi yang cetek terhadap latar belakang sejarah mengaitkan ‘tradisi’ sebagai amalan jahiliah, tahyul dan dogmatik.

11. Bahawa tidak ada tamadun agung yang dapat dibina tanpa menghargai, mengiktiraf dan meneruskan kesinambungan tamadun dengan sejarah masa lalu – merangkaikan antara satu generasi dengan generasi yang lain, mengkhazanahkan himpunan pengalaman dan pengetahuan bangsa untuk dijadikan ‘memori sosial’ bangsa lalu dijadikan asas utama dalam membina identiti sebuah negara bangsa. Setiap negara bangsa memerlukan minda sejarah dan penghargaan terhadap sejarah yang telah membina tamadun bangsa dan memberikan identiti kepada bangsa. Negara China sebagai contoh telah melalui proses evolusi dan juga revolusi budaya yang hebat; dari sebuah negara Maharaja menjadi negara komunis. Tetapi memori sosial dan memori budaya bangsa Cina tidak terpadam. Acara pembukaan Sukan Olimpik Beijing 2008, memperlihatkan bukti kebanggaan satu bangsa terhadap sejarah dan tamadun zaman silamnya.

12. Dalam mengharungi gelombang globalisasi dan dalam menghadapi dinamik politik yang sedang berlaku di negara ini, bangsa Melayu berada di persimpangan jalan – bangsa Melayu menghadapi dua kemungkinan. Kemungkinan pertama, bangsa Melayu itu akan terus ‘survive’, berkembang dan kuat, serta dihormati dan diiktiraf sebagai rumpun bangsa yang agung di dunia global; atau kemungkinan kedua, barang dijauhkan ILAHI dari berlaku, bahawa bangsa Melayu itu akan hanyut dalam gelombang globalisasi, menjadi lemah kerana akar budaya dan tradisinya telah dicabut. Pemikiran, gaya hidup dan nilai-nilai budaya bangsa makin disisihkan. Akhirnya Melayu itu akan pupus dan tinggal sebagai nama dan cerita yang terkandung dalam hikayat-hikayat lama. Ketika itu tidak akan ada lagi minat untuk dilakukan kajian sosiopolitik dan sosioekonomi bangsa Melayu secara dinamik. Kalau masih ada yang berminat mengkaji bangsa Melayu, ianya mungkin terbatas kepada sejarah kejatuhan bangsa ini ataupun lebih tertumpu kepada aspek antropologi dan arkeologi bangsa Melayu yang hanya tinggal dalam sejarah. Untuk itu perlulah bangsa mengambil renungan akan kisah kebodohan Pak Kadok, memiliki ayam sabung yang hebat, lalu dipermainkan oleh pihak lawan; akhirnya Pak Kadok menyerahkan ayam sabungnya kepada lawan; Pak Kadok sekadar bersorak menang sabung sedangkan kampungnya telah digadai.

13. Beta menzahirkan ucap tahniah kepada Profesor Anthony Milner atas daya usaha melakukan kajian mendalam dan komprehensif. Penemuan dan kupasan beliau pastinya akan menjemput pelbagai ulasan dan diskusi untuk mencambahkan perkembangan ilmu dan perkembangan intelek. Usaha-usaha beliau sewajarnya diberikan penghargaan oleh bangsa Melayu, paling minimumnya menjadikan “The Malays” sebagai teks yang wajib dirujuk oleh para pelajar sosiopolitik Melayu.

14. Dengan kebesaran dan semoga mendapat keberkatan kalimah Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim, Beta dengan sukacitanya merasmikan Pelancaran Buku “The Malays”.

Wabillahi taufik walhidayah

Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

**********************Al-Quran, Al-Hujurat, 13 

Abdul Aziz Bari, Majlis Raja-Raja: Kedudukan dan Peranan Dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia ( Kuala Lumpur): Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2002), 22. 

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, ‘Ucapan Penangguhan Kembara Bahasa,’Utusan Malaysia, 12 September 2005, 11. 

C&P

5 July 2026 : 11.52 p.m

UCAPAN SULTAN PERAK (2022) - THE MALAYS : PATHFINDERS AND TRAILBLAZERS

TITAH

DULI YANG MAHA MULIA

PADUKA SERI SULTAN PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN

SULTAN NAZRIN MUIZZUDDIN SHAH

MAJLIS PELANCARAN BUKU

‘THE MALAYS: PATHFINDERS AND TRAILBLAZERS’

TARIKH: 11 JUN 2022 (SABTU), JAM 10.00 PAGI

TEMPAT: DEWAN TUN HUSSEIN ONN, WORLD TRADE, KUALA LUMPUR.

Salam Sejahtera.

Pengarang Buku

Saudara Tua Beta, Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar DiRaja

Dato’ Seri DiRaja Tan Sri Ramli bin Ngah Talib

Penerbit dan hadirin sekalian.

Alhamdulillah dengan rahmat Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, Beta diizinkan berangkat untuk menyempurnakan pelancaran buku, “The Malays: Pathfinders and Trailblazers” terbitan Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia. Buku ini dikarang oleh Dato’ Seri DiRaja Tan Sri Ramli bin Ngah Talib, anak kelahiran Pasir Salak, sebuah perkampungan yang sangat bersejarah; yang dalam batang tubuhnya mengalir darah Ngah Kamdin, penyandang gelaran Dato’ Sagor yang dijatuhkan hukuman gantung sampai mati, disabitkan terlibat dalam peristiwa pembunuhan Residen Pertama Inggeris JWW Birch.

2. Jika pada tahun 1875, Dato’ Sagor Ngah Kamdin bersama Dato’ Maharajalela Zainal Abidin bin Uda, lebih dikenali dengan nama timangan Pandak Lam, telah dengan beraninya tampil ke hadapan menyanggah arahan Residen Inggeris secara bersenjata, kini pada tahun 2022, Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar DiRaja, Ramli bin Ngah Talib, tampil ke hadapan menyanggah secara intelek dan secara ilmiah tulisan dan huraian yang beliau sifatkan tidak memberikan keadilan serta gambaran tepat mengenai bangsa Melayu, sebagai usaha mahu membasuh arang yang diconteng di muka bangsa Melayu.

3. Beta menghargai usaha terpuji ini, setelah bersara daripada jawatan politik, setelah mengakhiri tempoh memikul amanah dan mengambil tanggungjawab sebagai Menteri Besar kelapan negeri Perak selama 17 tahun, tempoh perkhidmatan sehingga kini, merupakan tempoh paling lama bagi seseorang memenuhi tugas Menteri Besar Perak, Dato’ Seri DiRaja Ramli bin Ngah Talib menghalakan minda dan tenaga menghasilkan tulisan untuk menyuntik harga diri dan menyalakan semangat kebanggaan bangsanya.

4. I heartily welcome the publication of such a richly-detailed book on this important topic. It provides a wealth of information, some new, some already well-known, about our common heritage as Malaysians. We are all residents of this same archipelago, and so this history is shared by Malays and non-Malays alike. Quite apart from the in-depth knowledge they impart, books such as this also remind us just how important it is to revisit and learn from history. A deeper understanding of where we have come from will help us to inhabit the present with greater insight and awareness.

5. Revisiting the past in this way is particularly important for Malaysia, given its history of being ruled by others. As we know, history is written by the victors. The perspectives of other participants are sometimes lost as a result. In our case, understanding of our history has been indelibly shaped by the colonial period. It was British administrators, academics, and adventurers who took the lead in the preservation and translation of our key documents. It was they who took charge of re-telling our traditions and myths. Of course, Malaysian historians have also been engaged in researching, analyzing and recording this history. Fortunately, important manuscripts and other materials from earlier periods have survived. But the more recent written records are dominated by names such as Raffles, Leydon, R.O. Winstedt, Isabella Bird, and Henri Fauconnier.

6. These European names are the ones we see repeated in this book and elsewhere. And their analysis of our Malay history was inevitably filtered through their own subjective viewpoints. Our pre-colonial history was interpreted, or mis-interpreted, to serve the political interests of the colonial project. As occurred throughout the period of European colonization – in Africa, in the Americas, in Australia, and here in Asia – a core element of this strategy was to downplay the level of civilization of the colonized peoples. This made it easier to make the case for their colonization by force by the supposedly superior European powers. In our case, as the author points out, this gave rise to the myth of the ‘lazy and docile native’, and other equally denigrating views.

7. Books such as this provide a vital link back to our own proud pre-colonial heritage. They may still present a subjective viewpoint, as all books do. But it is a local one, not that of an outsider with their own interests and prejudices. Even when the book relates stories or events that we are already familiar with, it tells them without the distorting glare of the colonial lens. The book thus helps us to re-interpret our own history, challenging preconceptions, and bringing out elements that have been underplayed or forgotten. It adds layers of nuance and colour to the existing narratives.

8. As the book’s title proclaims, Malays have historically been both Pathfinders and Trailblazers. These two characteristics encapsulate some of the key elements of our heritage that we would do well to revisit and reconsider. They help us to understand the immense and under-valued contribution that Malays have made to world history. They conjure up our heritage of innovation and invention. And they point to the wide and varied international interactions, both commercial and cultural, that Malays have long engaged in. As the book highlights, these interactions started from the earliest times and continued throughout the pre-colonial period until modern times.

9. A key theme of this book, which comes through again and again, is just how outward-looking the Malay people have always been. Evidence for this trait can be found in some of the earliest records of our history. Artifacts still being unearthed in the Bujang Valley in Kedah suggest that trade and other forms of contact with contemporary early civilizations were already taking place in the millennium before our current era. The extent of the travel being undertaken at this time was impressive. Long distance trade with China, East Africa and Madagascar is recorded as early as 300 BCE.

10. The Malays were in fact one of the first cultures to develop ocean-worthy vessels, taking full advantage of the trade winds or monsoons – a blessing of our geography – to develop ships capable of covering long distances. But Malay innovation went one step further, as the book informs us. Malay sailors are also credited with inventing the so-called balance-lug sail, which enables boats to sail against the wind as well as into it. By reducing dependency on the monsoons, this greatly expanded trading routes. These innovations transformed the ability of the peoples of the world to interact with each other. Although relatively little-known, they are one of the important ways in which the Malays have shaped the modern world.

11. In fact, the Malay jong that used these sails seems to have been the proto-type for both the Arab dhow and the Chinese junk, rather than the other way round. This is but one example – highlighted through the retelling of our history in this book – of how historical facts can become modified through the way they are remembered. The names of both these other vessels remain well-known to this day, and are closely associated with the histories of those peoples. The Malay jong, in contrast, enjoys far less recognition.

12. Other cultures, such as the Arabs or the Ancient Greeks, are also far more likely than the Malays to be identified in the popular imagination as master sailors and conquerors of the oceans of old. This is despite the fact that it was the Malays who pioneered these navigation technologies. The book thus provides an important service by filling in some of these historical gaps.

13. Another interesting example of the way historical facts can be distorted relates to the story of Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world in the early 16th century. The 700th anniversary of this journey is being commemorated this year. One important individual on this trip was Enrique or Henry of Melaka, who served as a translator, including in the Philippines where Magellan met his death. While this cut short Magellan’s own journey, Henry survived and is thought to have continued on and completed the circumnavigation. This fact is now being recognized, and the historical record revised, to reflect that it was probably an Asian, and a Malay at that, who was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Henry’s role as a translator also underscores the importance of the Malay language, a key lingua franca at the time, and to date the fourth most widely spoken language globally, as this book also reminds us.

14. An important aspect of Malay history which remains relatively little known, and which this book informs us about in rich detail, is the kingdom of Srivijaya. Historical records and other evidence about Srivijaya are sparse, partly due to its location on a floodplain – in Palembang in modern day Sumatra. What we do know is that it was a thriving centre of Buddhist practice and study, visited by the Chinese monk, I-Ching in the late 7th century. This is in addition to its role as a trading hub. As perhaps the first ‘entrepot’, Srivijaya can be seen as a model for future and much better-known trading centres of the medieval era such as Venice and Melaka, or Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai in later centuries.

15. As well as its influence and dependencies throughout the region, from Java to Kedah, this empire had links to India, Persia, the Middle East, Africa and China. Traders from all these far-flung places met and inter-mingled in Palembang. Some established small settlements there, where they conducted their business while waiting for the winds to change to make their return journeys. This arrangement contained the seeds of the later Kapitan system, perfected in Melaka, and then replicated in subsequent entrepots, including Shanghai and Singapore. Srivijaya was also a meeting point for the exchange of ideas and philosophies. According to I-Ching’s account, Palembang had a vast library of Buddhist texts. Both these roles played by Srivijaya – as a centre of knowledge and of trade – reflect again the intrinsically outward-looking nature of the Malay people throughout history.

16. Under the Kapitan system of 15th century Melaka, traders were allocated areas of the city for their communities, which they managed and administered themselves. So different quarters of the city were occupied by Bengalis, Gujaratis, Arabs and Javanese, as well as by the Malays themselves. The number of countries from which goods were traded in Melaka is even longer. According to colonial sources quoted by the author, merchandise could be found from China, the Philippines, the Moluccas, Sumatra, Makassar, Timor, Java, Cambodia, Vietnam, Siam, Burma, India, Persia, Arabia, Egypt. Cargoes included sugar, silk, porcelain, damask, satin, musk, rhubarb, iron, saltpeter, silver, pearls, copper, and others. Melaka was a flourishing entrepot indeed, and unequalled at its height as a global trading centre.

17. The success of Melaka has been attributed to the enlightened policies of its Malay rulers. As well as the effective Kapitan system of governing the various different populations, free trade was encouraged by the Sultans, while strong maritime and commercial laws ensured stability. Geography obviously helped as well. But ultimately it was the openness of the local Malays – their willingness to welcome traders from all corners of the world, and even allow them to live according to their own customs – that enabled Melaka to become such a beacon of tolerance and prosperity during this period.

18. In its rich historical details such as those on the Melaka sultanate, this book compellingly reminds us that our heritage is one of openness to foreign cultures and influences. We have always been open to adopting and adapting these, and in some instances have even improved on them. Illustrations of this tendency can be found in our textiles, as well as other forms of art and culture. The songket is a good example of how we have taken a fabric from overseas, borrowed elements from it, adapted it with local techniques and styles, and made it a rich and beautiful item of our own.

19. In the author’s own words, one of the aims of this book is to instill in Malays a greater sense of pride in their own ‘epoch-making’ history. It can also serve to re-balance our understanding of our own history. The book achieves these goals admirably, and I want to commend the author on this substantial and important work. It is certainly voluminous, but such length is necessary to cover in detail all the achievements and developments in the long and storied history of the Malay people. By reading it, we cannot fail to become far better informed about our own shared culture and history as inhabitants of this archipelago.

20. The book also demonstrates just how important it is to remain open in this way, both internally and externally, as this is how cultures thrive and grow. Stories such as those recounted in this volume show us how inter-connected we are, and always have been, with others both near and far. Our history teaches us that it is through such interconnectness that we have been able to flourish. The greatest achievements of our past, in Srivijaya, in Melaka, and those of our present, in modern-day Malaysia, have come about through our joint efforts. This is how we must continue and how we will go forward into a shared and thriving future together.

21. Globally, we are currently facing three severe and overlapping crises—the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and a growing food crisis. These combined challenges are forcing countries to rethink globalization. The pandemic greatly reduced contact between nations, companies, and people. Global supply chains are faltering, global economic growth is contracting, and energy and food prices are soaring. But as this book informs us, for many centuries, the lands of the Malay archipelago have been open to flows of trade, capital, labour, and ideas. And it is this very openness to foreign influences that has shaped who we are, and helped to make us successful. Malaysia today, therefore, must aim to maintain the values that have brought post-independence prosperity to all its communities, despite the challenges that we face. We must champion and remain an exemplar of multiculturalism.

Hadirin sekalian.

22. Buku ini menghamparkan santapan minda mengenai perkara-perkara yang dapat membantu orang-orang Melayu melawati sejarah bangsanya. Jika minda dan jiwa Melayu selama ini terpengaruh dalam perangkap dan orbit pemikiran yang menjadikannya berjiwa rendah, salahnya terletak kepada bangsa kita sendiri, yang memamah bulat-bulat juadah yang dihidangkan oleh orang lain. Keadaan tersebut berlaku berpunca daripada sikap bangsa yang tidak memberikan perhatian berat untuk merekodkan, apatah lagi menulis sejarah daripada lensa dan berdasarkan tafsiran bangsanya sendiri. Begitu banyak khazanah pengetahuan bangsa tertimbus dalam bentuk tacit knowledge atau pengetahuan tersirat. Pengetahuan yang tidak direkodkan akan lupus bersama pemilik pengetahuan tersebut, apabila dia meninggalkan dunia ini. Penulisan yang dikodifikasikan atau dijadikan codified knowledge, apatah lagi jika diterbitkan, akan tersebar lebih luas dan dapat dijadikan bahan sejarah berharga dan bahan rujukan yang memberikan manfaat pada generasi terkemudian.

23. Dalam para tertentu pengenalan buku ini, pengarang menyelitkan suara hati, kebimbangan terhadap bala yang dikhuatiri sedang melanda bangsanya. Penulis bimbang melihat bangsanya sedang berada di persimpangan. Bangsa Melayu yang tidak lagi menghargai laluan yang lurus tetapi bagaikan merestui perbuatan menyimpang yang mencetuskan keadaan bangsa Melayu menghadapi pelbagai persimpangan melalui pelbagai dakwaan yang melibatkan perlakuan jenayah, pecah amanah, sifat tidak jujur, tamak dan haloba, ketidakikhlasan, serta lagak sombong dan bermegah. Keadaan ini pada hemat pengarang telah merobohkan teras kekuatan bangsa sehingga bangsa Melayu semakin tidak dihormati dan semakin tidak dipercayai.

24. Sejak Beta dimasyhurkan sebagai Raja Muda Perak pada 15 April 1987, kemudiannya diamanahkan sebagai Pemangku Raja Perak, Dato’ Seri DiRaja Ramli bin Ngah Talib ialah Menteri Besar di negeri Perak. Sepanjang pengalaman hubungan Beta dengan beliau, banyak nasihat yang disembahkan oleh beliau, untuk memandu Beta memperkenankan perkara-perkara berkaitan tadbir urus negeri. Sehingga ke hari ini atas nama Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar DiRaja yang juga ahli Dewan Negara Perak beliau terus berperanan menyembahkan nasihat untuk memastikan kemuliaan dan kedaulatan takhta kekal terpelihara. Manfaat memperoleh nasihat berdasarkan pengalaman, pemikiran dan tafsiran beliau, kini akan memberikan manfaat kepada audiens yang lebih luas melalui penerbitan yang dihasilkan ini.

Dengan lafaz Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim, Beta melancarkan, “The Malays: Pathfinders and Trailblazers”.

C&P

5 July 2026: 11.39 p.m