I had a dream to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Malacca Empire to the world as told by Tun Sri Lanang in his 'Sulalatus Salatin'. Uncompromisingly retold in my own version so as to be well understood and beneficial to younger generations. Said he "The Malays of today are deeply divided and embroiled in daily slander and fisticuffs among themselves. Learned Malays are backstabbing those not in tow to their ideas. And the Malays will be weak and will be subjugated again. My fervent wish the Malays are well bonded and strong.
"In the beginning the Malays were great seafarers and very apt at building ocean going vessels and today the Malay race could be traced from Champa in Vietnam to Madagascar to the west and the islands in between. A Malay sailor called Panglima Awang (Enrique) was the first to circumnavigate this earth completely, as Magellan whom he was with, was killed in Cebu, the Philippines, thus did not complete his circumnavigation alive. The Malays were conquerors and all the lands under the east wind were their domain. And they were efficient traders, and built Malacca into an entrepot of international repute. The Greeks called the Malay Peninsula the Golden Chersonese, and the success were from the backs of the Malays.
"The Portuguese were bent on capturing Malacca but could not overpower the overwhelmingly strong Malays without meticulous scheming including bribes, driving wedges between factions, and ultimately the Malays came divided and conquered. And the Malays lived live paupers in their own land. After the Portuguese came the Dutch, then the English. After almost 500 years on their knees, the Malays attained independence and set to establish their own Government, but it was not to be like the old days. There are 'learned' Malays hardened with colonial thoughts wanting to revert back to colonial days, wishing the Malays to be overran again. And they schemed, and they bribed, and they ridiculed, and the Malays are divided again. And while the Malays bickered, the lands wealth are picked up by others. The Malays are not a complete entity if only form the Government but not involved in trade as in the old days. Trade made the Malays powerful, and take you heed of this. Do not forget the mistakes of the past so that your future generation would not have to beg in their own land. Remember you the land is you and all that come after you. Do this Malay Annals so that they know. Gather all those learned Malays for this task. And they will unite other Malays. And the united Malays will be strong and powerful and the saying 'The Malays Shalt Not Be Obliterated From This Earth' will remain unchallenged."
And thus I set out to illustrate the Malay Annals on The Rise & Fall of The Malacca Empire in its truest entity as spread out henceforth........
"In the beginning the Malays were great seafarers and very apt at building ocean going vessels and today the Malay race could be traced from Champa in Vietnam to Madagascar to the west and the islands in between. A Malay sailor called Panglima Awang (Enrique) was the first to circumnavigate this earth completely, as Magellan whom he was with, was killed in Cebu, the Philippines, thus did not complete his circumnavigation alive. The Malays were conquerors and all the lands under the east wind were their domain. And they were efficient traders, and built Malacca into an entrepot of international repute. The Greeks called the Malay Peninsula the Golden Chersonese, and the success were from the backs of the Malays.
"The Portuguese were bent on capturing Malacca but could not overpower the overwhelmingly strong Malays without meticulous scheming including bribes, driving wedges between factions, and ultimately the Malays came divided and conquered. And the Malays lived live paupers in their own land. After the Portuguese came the Dutch, then the English. After almost 500 years on their knees, the Malays attained independence and set to establish their own Government, but it was not to be like the old days. There are 'learned' Malays hardened with colonial thoughts wanting to revert back to colonial days, wishing the Malays to be overran again. And they schemed, and they bribed, and they ridiculed, and the Malays are divided again. And while the Malays bickered, the lands wealth are picked up by others. The Malays are not a complete entity if only form the Government but not involved in trade as in the old days. Trade made the Malays powerful, and take you heed of this. Do not forget the mistakes of the past so that your future generation would not have to beg in their own land. Remember you the land is you and all that come after you. Do this Malay Annals so that they know. Gather all those learned Malays for this task. And they will unite other Malays. And the united Malays will be strong and powerful and the saying 'The Malays Shalt Not Be Obliterated From This Earth' will remain unchallenged."
And thus I set out to illustrate the Malay Annals on The Rise & Fall of The Malacca Empire in its truest entity as spread out henceforth........
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