MELAKA : The Melaka state government will bring back several artifacts and documents related to Hang Tuah discovered in several countries for display to visitors in May as part of the Melaka Visit Year 2024 (TMM2024).
Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the state government had previously undertaken a research mission with a focus on reinforcing the existence of Hang Tuah in several countries in Europe and Asia.
He said the mission was carried out by the state government to unravel the existence of Hang Tuah and rectify the 'distortion' of Melaka's history by colonisers.
"Among the artifacts discovered during the mission are the oldest manuscript of Hikayat Hang Tuah in the world dating back to 1758 and the Hikayat Hang Tuah translated into several foreign languages at Leiden University, Netherlands.
"In addition, the Peca de Malaca at the Museu Militar de Lisbao, a matching cannon gifted by King Calicut, India to Sultan Melaka during the Portuguese attacks," he said.
He said this when proposing a vote of thanks to the Governor of Melaka during the Melaka State Legislative Assembly (DUN) session here today.
Ab Rauf said the research mission team also found the ancient map Planisfera Cantino featuring the name Malaqua dating back to 1502 at the Museu Marinha, Lisbon.
He said besides that, the keris lok sembilan and the official records document 'Rekidai Hoan' of the Ryukyu Kingdom at the Okinawa Archaeological Centre, Japan, containing 19 Ryukyu Kingdom letters to the Melaka Kingdom and 11 letters from the Melaka Kingdom around 1480, including letters with the name Laksamana Hang Tuah.
Ab Rauf said as such, the state government had held discussions with various parties to bring back the documents and artifacts, which will be showcased to the people of Melaka in May as part of TMM2024.
He said to support this effort, the Hang Tuah Studies Institute (IKAT) was established under the Melaka Islamic University (UNIMEL) as a one-stop reference and information collection centre for Hang Tuah's history.
-- BERNAMA