HangTUAH (JAWI: هڠ تواه‎) was a legendary warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. He was supposedly the most powerful of all the laksamana, or admirals, and is considered by the Malays to be one of history's greatest silat masters. HangTUAH is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malay history and literature. At 10 years old he learned silat together with his 4 comrades hangKASTURI, hangJEBAT, hangLEKIR and hangLEKIU.

Their teacher was Adi Putera, a renowned master who lived a hermetic life at the top of a mountain. Under the guru's tutelage, hangTUAH and his 4 compatriots were taught the arts of self-defense and meditation. HangTUAH's appearance in the history of the region began when some men ran amok near Kampung Bendahara. Tun Perak came with a party of guards to investigate the incident, but was also attacked.

His guards fled but when hangTUAH and his friends, who happened to be at a nearby stall, saw what was happening, they rushed to save Tun Perak. They fought the group and, because of their ferociousness, they ran away. Tun Perak was amazed by the courage of hangTUAH and his companions. He rewarded them and presented them to Sultan Muzaffar Syah.

Career: HangTUAH's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah MALA YU (the semi-historical Malay Annals) and Hikayat HangTUAH (a romantic collection of tales involving hangTUAH).

HangTUAH became the sultan's constant aide, accompanying the king on official visits to foreign countries. On one such visit to Majapahit, hangTUAH fought a duel with the famed pendekar Taming Sari. After a brutal fight hangTUAH emerged as winner, and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or dagger. Keris Taming Sari named after its original owner, and has been recognized as miraculous (ajaib), to authorize the owner with physical invulnerability.

HangTUAH also acted as the sultan's ambassador, travelling on the king's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning hangTUAH 's legendary loyalty to the ruler is found in the Hikayat HangTUAH, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The sultan sent hangTUAH to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the sultan's companion.

Tun Teja fell under the impression that hangTUAH had come to persuade her to marry him, not the sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Malacca. It was only during the voyage home that hangTUAH revealed his deception to Tun Teja. The Hikayat HangTUAH and Sejarah Malayu each carry different accounts of this incident. The Hikayat records that it was hangTUAH who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her.

Perhaps the most famous story in which hangTUAH is involved is the fight with his closest childhood companion, hangJEBAT. HangTUAH's deep loyalty to and popularity with the sultan led to rumours being circulated that hangTUAH was having an illicit affair with one of the sultan's dayang (court stewardesses).

The sultan then sentenced hangTUAH to death without trial for the alleged offence. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because hangTUAH's executioner, the bendahara (chief minister), went against the sultan’s orders and hid hangTUAH in a remote region of Melaka. Believing that hangTUAH was dead, murdered unjustly by the king he served, hangJEBAT avenged his friend's death. HangJEBAT's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred).

It remains consistent, however, that hangJEBAT wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled hangJEBAT. The bendahara then informed the sultan that the only man who was able to stop hangJEBAT, hangTUAH, was still alive.

The bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the sultan and was instructed to kill hangJEBAT. After 7 gruelling days of fighting, hangTUAH was able to kill hangJEBAT.

HangTUAH Colour film. It was released to public on 28 January 1956. This film has received 'Best Musical Score' award at the 3rd Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong in 1956 and an official screening at 7th Berlin International Film Festival in 1957, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear.

Cast:

P. Ramlee as hangTUAH
Ahmad Mahmood as hangJEBAT
Saadiah as Melor
Nordin Ahmad as hangKASTURI
S.Shamsudin as hangLEKIR
Aziz Sattar as hangLEKIU
Haji Mahdi as Sultan Mansur Syah
Zaiton as Tun Teja
Daeng Idris as Dato' Bendahara Tun Perak
Udo Omar as Dato' Tun Ali
S. Kadarisman as Pateh Karma Wijaya
Siti Tanjung Perak as MakTUAH

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