Malin Kundang, also called Si Tanggang and Nakhoda Manis, is a mythical person who originates from a West Sumatran folktale about retribution to an ungrateful son. A sailor from a poor family, the protagonist sneaks onto a trading ship, eventually becoming rich, marrying a princess, and acquiring his own galleon. On his return to his home village, he is ashamed of his humble origins and refuses to recognize his elderly mother. In retaliation, she curses him, and when he sets sail, he and his ship are turned to stone.

In Indonesia

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, the story is called Malin Kundang, and the legend is based in

West Sumatra West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5, ...

. Air Manis (Sweet Water), a beach near

Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...

, has a rock formation called Batu Malin Kundang that is said to be the remains of his ship. The existence of Batu Malin Kundang has popularized Air Manis Beach, the legendary setting as one of the tourist attractions in Padang. The relief on the Malin Kundang stone itself was done in the 1980s, the work of Dasril Bayras with Ibenzani Usman. Another Indonesian folk story which is alike but take the different location is the legend of Sampuraga. The legend is based in Central Borneo. Belantikan Hulu, a remote area along the river Lamandau,

, has a rock formation called Bukit Sampuraga which is believed to be the ruins of his ship.

Outside Indonesia

Brunei

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

, the local variant of the story is called ''Nakhoda Manis'' and is associated with a prow-like rock, Jong Batu, in the

Brunei River The Brunei River ( ms, Sungai Brunei) is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into the Brunei Bay towards the north-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, stands on its banks. The Brunei ...

Malaysia and Singapore

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, the story is known as ''Si Tenggang'' or ''Si Tanggang’’ ''One particularly unique Malaysian variant is ''Cerita Megat Sajobang'' in which the main character, Tenggang or Tanggang, refuses to receive his loincloth-wearing parents who then curse his ship which turns into a stone hill, the site is now known as

Batu Caves Batu Caves ( ta, பத்து மலை : Pathumalai) is a mogote (a type of karst landform) that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Malay word ''batu'', meaning 'rock'. The hill ...

''.''

Popular culture

As a parable on family responsibility, the story is popular in Southeast Asia as a theme for animations, film, drama and literature even until today. * ''

Si Tanggang Malin Kundang, also called Si Tanggang and Nakhoda Manis, is a mythical person who originates from a West Sumatran folktale about retribution to an ungrateful son. A sailor from a poor family, the protagonist sneaks onto a trading ship, eventual ...

'', a 1961 black and white Malay film. *

Malin Kundang (film) ''Malin Kundang (Anak Durhaka)'' (literally ''Malin Kundang, the Unfaithful Child]'') is a 1971 film directed by D. Djajakusuma and adapted by Asrul Sani from Malin Kundang, the folktale of the same name. It follows a young boy who forgets his root ...

, a 1971 Indonesian film. * ''The Travel Journals of Si Tenggang II,'' a 1979 autobiographic, produced by Malaysian laureate Muhammad Haji Salleh, uses the story as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...

for the general experience of moving away from one's cultural roots. *''Si Tanggang (Astro)'', 2009 Malaysian documentary chronicling the origins of the legend produced by

Astro Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band * Astro (Japanese band), ...

References

External links

Nakoda Manis
ASEAN Stories Project (story and photos of Jong Batu) {{Mythology of Malaysia Minangkabau folklore Asian mythology Southeast Asian mythology ms:Si Tanggang