Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed

Sunday February 26, 2012: Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed. By WONG PEK MEI pekmei@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government cannot say for sure if Hang Tuah ever existed, said Information, Com-munications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

He said it would not be upset if people concluded that Hang Tuah and his friends were not mentioned by history writers as he (Hang Tuah) may not have been portrayed as a warrior “based on the dates and records that the public understand today”.

“However, we are unable to say conclusively that Hang Tuah did not exist or ever existed. This is because we do not have sufficient records and evidence.

“That is why he has been regarded as a legendary hero or a myth which can also be considered a cultural heritage similar to Robin Hood, Maid Marrianne, Hang Li Po and others,” he said in his speech before launching the History of Malaysia Collo-quium at Universiti Malaya yesterday.

The debate over whether Hang Tuah actually existed came about after Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim said there was no written record of Hang Li Po, Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, adding that the stories that had made it into the history books were just myths.

Dr Rais said in history, there were legendary figures, like King Arthur and Hang Tuah, that should not be put aside just because there were no empirical facts about them.

“This group, although not supported by facts, remains part of culture which is classified as cultural heritage or intangible heritage,” he said.

Source: The Staronline Sunday February 26, 2012: Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed. By WONG PEK MEI pekmei@thestar.com.my

P.S. I had visited the "grave" of Hang Jebat in Malacca. If really what Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim said is true then to prove a point dig up the remains and carry out DNA test on them. It is that simple!