Ever heard the Puteri Gunung Ledang legend? It doesn’t matter if you heard it when you’re small, you read it in literature class, you read it from books, you watched the movies, you went to the theatre, or if you was there when she gave the 7 almost impossible conditions (if you were there, please report to the JPN so you can get your name in the books of records..). The point is, you must know the legend to understand what I’m trying to say.
For the uninitiated, this was a legend set in the height of the Melaka Empire. Sultan Mahmud Shah, the Sultan of Melaka, was to marry Gusti Putri Retno Dumillah, A Javanese princess who ran to Gunung Ledang in Johore, to meet her love of her life, Hang Tuah. The marriage was to form a bond between the Melaka Empire and the Majapahit Kingdom, which was in a turmoil, at that time.
So, in order to gracefully but not irrespectably reject to the marriage proposal, Gusti Putri, also known as Puteri Gunung Ledang, offers to marry the Prince of Demak, whose country was in war with Majapahit. Sultan Melaka, however, could not accept it, as it would humiliate him. So he makes sure that Gusti Putri, will marry him at all cost.
Ironically, Hang Tuah, who was the Laksamana (General) was sent by Sultan Mahmud Shah to propose to Gusti Putri, thus resulting in a dilemma. Hang Tuah, was very obedient and loyal to the Sultannate, that he had once killed his best friend Hang Jebat when Hang Jebat ran amok after the Sultan condemns Hang Tuah to a death sentence. That, is another story.
Thus, unable to reject, Gusti Putri accepts, but with a catch: Sultan Melaka must fulfil 7 almost impossible conditions set in 7 riddles. After solving the riddles (with help with the countries best minds, of course), the Sultan goes on to realize all the conditions, which one, including him killing his one and only son which was the hardest and the only one he didn’t do. In the end, Gusti Putri had to tell the Sultan in the face that she do not want to marry him. Thus she was condemned to stay in Gunung Ledang, unallowed to meet any male. If she did, then she and the male will die a horrible death.
Okay, fast forward to present moment. about a decade ago, we wanted to replace the Causeway Bridge linking Singapore and Malaysia. We have built a second bridge in the process. And Singapore keeps on giving almost impossible terms for the building the bridge. We have been to a point where a Customs, Imigration and Quarantine Complex 90% done, and a half “scenic bridge” had almost been bulit. Sounds similar, these two tales, doesn’t it?. The difference is, we, not Singapore, canceled the bridge idea. No suprise there, actually, we seem to learn from the Puteri gunung Ledang story.
It’s a shame though, that we flaunt around, how we’re at the upper hand by cancelling the idea. I’d hope the minister’s and the media would stop that. It’s like how the Sultan Melaka was embarresed when he was told off in the face by Gusti Putri. I think the Puteri Gunung Ledang movie and musical theatre was timely, as it may have something to do with the Cabinet‘s decision.
And that, is just my 2 cents (or 7.34 sen, to date.).
Comments
9 responses to “Legend Comes True”
hmm.. me keeps on imagining things that me wish them will not happen..
hmmm… nominate ya’self as one of the cabinatee.. can?
wow, one cool analogy/association u got there, buddy..
well, the legend yg aku baca zmn skola rendah dulu lain dgn yg kat movie tu. tak kisah la, yg penting the lesson to b learned.
wlady: I’d rather be a couch than a cabinet
intan: ,ost probably the version you read don’t have Hang Tuah flying in another dimesion when having a duel with Gusti Adipati handaya Ningrat (:p)
the one ive read didnt even mention hang tuah or gusti adipati or gusti putri pun.. just the sultan n his wife n his son, tun mamat yg pegi pinangkan, nenek tua n her 7 ridikulus request.. hehe..
but of course la, that book utk bacaan kanak2 skola rendah.. kang tercemar plak saya yg innocent ni baca hang tuah beromen dgn gusti putri kat air terjun.. ekeke..
tp kan, tgk PGL tu.. to imagine hang tuah yg konon laksamana macho yg setia mempertahankan negeri jd weng cemtu sbb pompuan.. hehe.. apa kes?
dude….. we have a teruk gile babas pnye neighbour.. that the… what we call… Temasek! hahah!
for intan.. lakmana melaka pun leh jd weng ek… diciptakan wanita tu utk mjadi pendamping lelaki. dia bleh membahagiakan, n jg bleh memporak perandakan. Pempunuhan pertama di alam ciptaan Ilahi ini jg disebabkan wanita, igt kisah Qabil n Habil. bkn salah wanita, salah lelaki? mybe… nafsu semua tu… heh
intan: dari suruh kanak2 seolah rendah hafal nama full Gusti Putri Retno Dumillah dan Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat (mesti IC derang ni ada extension: nama panjang sangat), baik suruh depa hafal warna pelangi. kuar jugak masa exam Alam & Manusia. ingat lagi ‘Michael Jackson Kena Hantar Balik India Utara’?
About Hang Tuah, bukankah fantasi setiap wanita untuk memiliki lelaki yang gagah perkasa fizikalnya namun mempunyai hati yang sensitif dan penyayang seperti Hang Tuah?
kaplye: on the other side, the grass is always greener, and the dog always bark louder. lagipun, kan betul atau salah tu subjektif?
pasal wanita:bagi aku, wanita pelengkap hidup lelaki dan sebaliknya. ala kap, kalau bos ko nak kawin dengan awek ko, ko nak buat ape ek?
heh, well the mp’s are trying to make themselves heard….not much can be done politically for them
i mean you keep quiet, temasek say you had your tail under your leg running….
you bark that the decision is noble…. temasek says you lose the negotiation…
but most importantly… the decision is made at the right moment…
its a political game of chicken dare(i think thats the name..) and Singapore just happen to call our bluff…. so we pull back….
Now big issue is… what does it make of the other negotiation package…. we were discussing multi-lateral issue concerning water delivery, sands, airspace…. will it really be scrap out as promise? or will it be that we malaysian show our courtesy again at the wrong time, at the wrong place….. ceh..
i’d rather read the HIKAYAT SANG KANCIL DAN MONYET tale. Kehkehkeh… seems silly but teaches us a lot.
kaz: sands, maybe, but not 200 mil m3.airspace, definitly not. water, they still got sometime before the contract ends. anyhow, it seems now we’re kind of ‘merajuk’, so we should not agree or ask for anything as yet. i’d suggest we give them the ‘silent treatment’. can ah?
pyerudz: how about HIKAYAT SANG KANCIL AND BIG BIRD? the story of how Sang Kancil outsmarted Big Bird into having a KFC Snack Plate Wholesome Meal. Big Bird have never talked to Kancil ever!