MELAKA: The state government will bring back artefacts and documents related to Hang Tuah from various countries to be displayed in May this year in conjunction with Visit Melaka Year 2024.

       Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the state government had previously conducted a research mission to prove the existence of Hang Tuah in several countries in Europe and Asia.

       "The artefacts found during the mission include the world's oldest Hang Tuah Tale manuscript dating back to 1758 and the Hikayat Hang Tuah which was translated into several foreign languages at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

       "In addition, the Peca de Malaca, a cannon given by the Indian King of Calicut to the Sultan of Melaka when he resisted the Portuguese attack, is now in the Lisbao Military Museum," he said when tabling a motion of thanks for the speech of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka in the State Assembly on Wednesday (March 6).

       Ab Rauf said the research mission team also found an old map of the Cantino Planisphere called Malaqua dating back to 1502 at the Museu Marinha in Lisbon.

       In addition, a nine-pronged dagger and the Rekidai Hoan, an official document of the Ryukyu Kingdom, were found at the Archaeological Centre of Okinawa, Japan, containing 19 letters from the Ryukyu Kingdom to the Melaka government and 11 letters from the Melaka government around the year 1480, including the admiral's name, he said.

       Ab Rauf said the state government has been holding talks with various parties to obtain the documents and artefacts. – Bernama

       StarPicks

       Championing sustainability and urban biodiversity