Ibnu Hashim
I received an sms from Celcom with this message “Celcom Valentine’s Day Special: Watch Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical @ Istana budaya on Feb 14. Show this SMS & get 30% Off. …….bla bla bla…”

Mmmm..sad thing to learn how my childhood ‘hero’ Hang Tuah is now being portrayed not as a warrior but rather just as a passionate lover! I even got that message above to watch the theater on Valentine Day!! Why I said my childhood hero? Is because when I was a boy, a kampong boy, I was sent to learn Malay Self Defense art – silat. My guru always tell us about this ancient heroic Malay warrior -Hang Tuah during the Sultanate era of Malacca. But to my memory, never did he mention any ‘love affair’ or any mushy mushy stories of him. At that time, I wanna be as powerful as Hang Tuah..ehehehe..(hey! he was my idol what!) Most of the stories were about his bravery, a cunning plotter at battles, loyal to his Sultan and his powerful mystical power. But again, that was then…and now..???

Now Hang Tuah is nobody but a womanizer.. In the PGL the movie was also the same. In that movie he is always seems like a sad, moody and having internal conflict within himself. I believe, most of us read Hikayat Hang Tuah, if not mistaken I’ve read that book 3 times! Is that how Hang Tuah was described in that book??

I read the advertisement on PGLtm few days back, the newspaper adds showed few snapshots of the said theater. The photos shown in the newspaper, to me, mostly were under category 18sx (so I won’t attach it here). May be not to few of us, but it is to me. In one of the photo, ‘Hang Tuah’ was seen on his kneel embracing the hip of ‘Puteri Gunung Ledang’ which is naked shoulder up. And another shot, Hang Tuah was seing kissing the PGL forehead (she was smiling).

The photo of the Majapahit Emperor, played by AC Mizal is seen with ‘tattoo’ on his shoulder! I never did know the Javanese tattooed themselves?? Any Javanese out there can clarify this to me? There’s another character at the back of the Emperor also having an even larger tattoo on his body!! (See photo) I don’t wanna describe more as I’ve never watched this theater, I don’t think I will either. So let me just commented of those photos insertion in the newspaper only.

What I know, during the era of Sultanate of Malacca, Islam is being upheld by Malaccan people. All I know, Malacca was one of the hubs of Islamic propagation in Tanah Melayu and Nusantara. With such Islamic value, and together with Malay culture, I don’t think that Hang Tuah freely to mix around with women, let alone the princess!!! Don’t you think it’s a mockery of him to portray him as what PGLtm is doing? I can still remember reading a book of this warrior Hang Tuah, the writer of the book even have a theory that this Hang Tuah was not only a warrior but he was also a ‘wali’ and that’s explain all of his mystical powers! (sorry I don’t remember the title of that book, that was a long time ago). What I’m trying to say here, Hang Tuah lived in a strict community, socializing between man and woman was not freely and restricted. He lived in the era whereby Islam was upheld accordingly and that Islamic Law was the supreme law. With that, you think he’ll act like that ‘Hang Tuah’ on stage? Mmm….

Only what I can say, getting involved in theatre/acting giving you a license to do things you cannot do in real life. it surpassed all boundaries and values and even religion. Playing a role in the theater, making it ‘it’s ok’ for one’s wife to be kissed by another man and nobody even bother not even the said ‘thousands’ of spectators watching the play to complaint – the husband of the actress..I don’t know. When you are on the stage, it is ok for you to hold the hand of someone else’s wife, because it wasn’t real! Just simply an act..

Can you imagine if that ‘Hang Tuah’ kissing that PGL forehead in real life? What would people say? But I guess, on stage, is ok for you to do it simply because “it’s wasn’t real, it was just an act!”.

O! Datuk Hang Tuah, “Tak Melayu Hilang Di Dunia” you said, but O Datuk Hang Tuah, do you know that “Hang Tuah Melayu Sudah Hilang Di Dunia ?”. Hikayat Hang Tuah

p/s: We are now still hot with the issue of blasphemy against Rasulullah s.a.w. cartoon caricature. We all stood up together to defend him. That’s good, it’s a manifestation of our love towards him. But what about his teachings?? He came here as a messenger, and as a messenger, he had already relayed us the MESSAGES!!..He left us the Al-Qur'an and Al-Hadith didnt he? If we really love him, do as he say, and leave as what he forbids us!! That's the ultimate manifestation that we truly loves him- Have you guys sent your protest email to Danish Embassy? Send: kulamb@um.dk
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