The government of the Malacca kingdom was in the hands of an aristocracy under the rule of a sacred king, and control was centred in the capital, where most of the revenues were collected by the king and his nobles in the form of port dues, presents, and taxes on the import, sale and export of merchandise.
The principal officials of the city-state were the Bendahara, the Laksamana, the Penghulu Bendahari, the Temenggong and the Shahbandars. The Temenggong was the chief magistrate of the city and head of the police force. He was also responsible for assessing and receiving dues on merchandise. The Temenggong also responsible for apprehending criminals, maintaining prisons and keeping the peace.
The Temenggong was instrumental in maintaining the peaceful domestic conditions that were a prerequisite for the Malaccan state’s prosperous commerce. His duties included keeping the peace, caring for criminals, building jails, patrolling city streets, and assuring the accuracy of weights and measures in the marketplace.
The “Temenggong” was traditionally the third highest official in the Johor-Riau-Lingga Sultanate. By the mid-19th century, the Temenggong had become the de facto ruler of mainland Johor. The Temenggong exercised rights over islands in the Riau-Lingga archipelago, including, perhaps, those bordering the Straits of Malacca which were under his control at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Official position of Temenggong
