Preferred Types of Kris

The krises most preferred are the ones called Simpana, cherita, and Sepukal. The 'kris panjang' (long kris) is typically worn by the nobility and grooms in Malaya. These long kris blades resemble sharp poniards made from Damascus steel. The handles are carved from ebony, adorned with intricate gold designs, and the sheaths are similarly richly embellished with the same metal. In the Malay Peninsula, these krises were even utilized to carry out executions.

In earlier days, Malays didn't place value solely on the amount of gold inlay in their krises; instead, they valued them for their precise proportions as stipulated in their guides. They assessed factors such as the quality of the damask on the blade, its age, and any auspicious attributes it might possess, such as having drawn human blood or possessing supernatural qualities similar to the famed sword "Excalibur." This distinctive attribute was termed 'bertuah,' signifying immunity to accidents and invulnerability. Conversely, the opposite of this was known as 'celaka,' indicating misfortune or bad luck.
Preferred Types of Kris

Malay Pre-History

During the Paleolithic period (pre-15000 BC), primitive men, such as those now identified as the Pithecanthropus erectus, were little more advanced than the anthropoid ape.

The manner of combat as such primitives must have largely depended on empty handed fighting tactics augmented by such natural objects as sticks and stones.

More highly developed Pleistocene men, too, have been found by archaeological efforts. All these settlers employed instruments, such as hand-axes, which were made of unpolished stone and slightly tapered at one end (by chipping) against another stones.

These crude instruments were probably used without handles or halting to serve as both tools and weapons.Between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods (15000-3000 b.c) in the Mesolithic, or transitory period, primitive inhabitants learned to fashion stone implements, sometimes actually sharpening them. Most of the stone implements of this period are ground and polished.Asian continental influences stemming from Indochina, Annam, Laos and possibly upper Burma and as far as India, arrived about Neolithic time.

The bronze culture of the Dong followed and neighboring areas perhaps were also special contributors; it is probable that they gave the use of iron and attendant metallurgical skills to the primitive Malays.
Malay Pre-History

Bugis in Selangor

Originating from Sulawesi, the Bugis were a seafaring race and their maritime power dominated the Malay states of Johor, Selangor and Kuala Linggi. In 1667 the Dutch East India Company captured the Bugis capital city of Makassar and this intrusion acted as a catalyst for the dispersal of the Bugis people across the Malays world.

Not long after the rise of a Bugis dynasty in Aceh in 1727, Bugis power was established in the kingdom of Johor in 1728.

Intermarriage with Malay royalty and nobility enabled the Bugis to identify with and become increasingly Melayu, and their influence spread throughout the peninsula. The Bugis were so strong that they successfully installed a new sultan in Selangor.

In the 18th century, the interior of Selangor was virtually uninhabited and when the migration of Bugis from the east took place, many settled there. During the period of conflict between the Minangkabau and the Bugis Raja Kechil invaded Selangor.

The Bugis eventually drove the Minangkabaus out in 1742 but realized they needed to establish solid governments in these settlements. To the end they set up the sultanate of Selangor, only this time a Bugis family held the title.

Raja Lumu (1705–1778) was the first Sultan of Selangor. He was the son of the famous Bugis warrior prince Daeng Chelak. He took on the title of Sultan Sallehuddin of Selangor in 1742.
Bugis in Selangor

Georgetown, Penang

Georgetown is one of the cosmopolitan port city and the second largest city in Malaysia with more than one million populations, where commercial trading is still its major economic activity.

In 1786, Francis Light occupied Penang. He was a trader for the British East India Company, as a base for the company in the Malay States.

It was the commencement of the British forward movement in the area. It was expected to become a key port city in the island.

Light’s action was neither sanctioned by the East Indian Company nor acceded to by the Sultan of Kedah. When the sultan prepared his fleet in 1791 to take back Penang by force, Light moved first and defeated his adversary.

Light decided to clear jungle at the point of arrival and constructed central thoroughfares converging on Fort Cornwallis, namely Light Street, Beach Street, Chulia Street and Pitt Street.

Penang Ferry Service

The town was built on swampy land that had to be cleared of vegetation, leveled and filled. The British opened and established new tropical spice plantations in Penang to enhance the existing local spice trading activities with products such as cloves, pepper and nutmegs.

Immigrants from Southern China and Southern India were brought in to work as laborers, who later shifted to rubber and palm oil plantation and also to tin mining, as the former monetary economy was not so promising.

Most inhabitants concentrated in the central town, and various groups were segregated according to ethnic living quarters. Europeans resided mainly in the northern part of Penang, especially near Fort Cornwallis.

The majority of Chinese and Indians lived in the central business district, and most Malays lived in the southern part of the central business district.

To the Malays outside Penang and later the peranakan community as well, especially the non-English-educated, Georgetown was an alien term, so the town was called ‘Tanjung’.
Georgetown, Penang

Silat in Southern Philippine

The art of silat, is believed to have been introduced by the Bugis native during the second half of the 19th century.

However many believed that Philippines fighting systems have strong historical roots from Malay martial arts such as silat which was arrived earlier than 19th century.

According to history Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan in 1521 by forces of the Mactan tribal who used as silat as their fighting systems.

It is also believed that the ninth century Tang dynasty brought goods to the Philippines from East Asia and Malay peninsula. This countries’ combat methods of Kuntau and silat had a great influence on the development of Kali, the mother art of the Philippines.

According to Moro people, it is a malayan word which means offensive and defense with bladed weapon. It is also refers to actual combat. In Philippine the term of silat means ‘kilat’ or lighting referring to the speed of execution.

The silat utilizes hand and foot strikes, throws and locks and attacks to vulnerable points in the body. The Filipino type of silat is often label as kuntau silat.

The silat lessons here are considered top secret by both teacher and students and not everybody can witness the exercise and play.

Silat in Southern Philippine