MALAY PIRATES / PIRATE OF MALAYA

Posted by Hj Zulheimy Maamor

26 March 2023

Emilio Salgari, an Italian writer of action adventure has produced a novel in 1896 titled "Pirati Della Malesia" (The Pirates of Malaysia). Later 3 films and 1 TV Series were produced based on his novel.

In 1941, Enrico Guazzoni has directed a film titled"Pirate of Malaya", starring Massimo Girotti, Clara Calamai and Camillo Pilotto.

In 1963, Italian adventure film titled "Sandokan The Great" directed by Umberto Lenzi starring Steve Reeves.

In 1964, Umberto Lenzi directed another film titled "The Pirate of Malaysia" also starring Steve Reeves. The film is about Sandokan, a Malayan Borneo rebel with his group of renegades tries to thwart the evil British General from forcing Sultan Hassim to resign.

In 1976 Italian six-part television series directed by Sergio Sollima, based upon the novels of Emilio Salgari featuring the pirate hero Sandokan starring by Indian's Actor, Kabir Bedi was released.

The writer, Emilio Salgari had never even left Italy and then it was assumed that his novel was a made up. However, there is a Historical record similar to his novel, where Sarawak, under James Brooke, allied with the Sultan of Brunei to defeat a pirate king in 1845. It was known as The Battle of Marudu..

Dr. Bianca Gerlich, a resercher believes that Emilio Salgari may have heard the stories about the rebel in North Borneo from Sailor in Venice and mixed it up for his novel. This was theorised as Salgari started writing his stories much earlier – in 1883 – while written British records of the Battle of Marudu was only published in 1886, nearly 40 years after the war happened.

Another book was written in 1893 titled "Among Malay Pirates" by G.A Henty. I had read this book from a Library when I was in the Navy in early 80's. When I read this book, this isn't a novel by a collection of stories set in Asia. The Malay pirates inhabiting the small islands about the eastern extremity of the straits of Malacca, and those lying between Sumatra and Borneo, down to Billitin and Cavimattir.etc.... they were originally the Sea People, a Proto Malay who came to East Sumatra and around Malay Peninsula 2500-1500 BC.

One of the fiercest Malay pirates according to Wikipedia was Illanun originally from Mindanao, Philippines. The Malay word "Lanun" for Pirate derived from his name. Illanun colonies spread from Sumatra through the Sulu Archipelago and the east coast of Borneo. Most Illanun are Muslim.

Reference: Wikipedia

Do you know that according to TIMES magazine Southeast Asia was the location of 41 % of the world's pirates attacks between 1995 and 2013.

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