HISTORY OF PANGLIMA LIDAH HITAM (Black Tongued General)
Founder of Silat Lintau Martial Art.
The history of the Panglima Lidah Hitam (Black Tongued General) happened around the 16th. century at Jalan Joned in the village of Parit Sakai, Muar. He is originally from Padang Pariaman, a place in Minangkabau area in the island of Sumatera, Indonesia. His well maintained tomb can still be found at Parit Sakai (refer photo below). It is clearly stated on a sign board at the roof of the tomb, "PANGLIMA LIDAH HITAM, BAPAK SENI SILAT LINTAU DI MALAYA" (Black Tongued General, Father of the Silat Lintau Martial Art of Malaya). He is said to introduce this martial art in Indonesia and brought it to the Malay Peninsular in the 16th century.
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Tomb of the Black Tongued General, Father of Silat Lintau Martial Art of Malaya (Malaysia), at Parit Sakai, Jalan Joned, Muar. |
The Black Tongued General's real name is Baginda (His Mejesty) Zahirruddin. On his sea journey to Mekah for the Islamic Haj, they encountered bad weather and had to stop by the nearest place which was Padang (original name of the areas from Parit Sakai to Parit Jamil). Here, he met Orang Kaya Panglima Bauk who was the ruler of Padang.
Orang Kaya Panglima Bauk asked Baginda Zahirrudin for his help to train martial arts to the young men of Padang as he was very well known for his mastery of the art. Baginda Zahirrudin had combined three skills of Silat for formed his art of Silat Lintau. At the time, there were chaos in Padang caused by pirates who moved around the Straits of Melaka. The Orang Kaya Panglima Bauk seek the assistance of Baginda Zahirruddin to fight and defeat the pirates.
Around 1716, heavy battles started at the opening of Muar river between the soldiers of Padang and the pirates. It went on for a number of days until the soldiers of Padang won. However, the boat of Baginda Zahirruddin and his soldiers sank. He and his soldiers died. His death was not noticed by his comrades as they were in heavy battle themselves.
When the battle was over, Dato' Chekas (a villager of Parit Sakai) went surveying for condition at the seaside of Parit Sakai. He saw two dead bodies floating in the river. It was late afternoon, and he could not bring the bodies ashore. Next morning, the two bodies stucked to a root of a Tuak tree. The villagers there brought the bodies ashore. Surprisingly, one of the dead body had a long black hairy tongue and this body had not decomposed even though the it was in the water for a long time.
This strange dead body was buried at the riverside of Parit Sakai. After is was buried, another strange thing happened the next day. A tongue shaped black stone appeared from the ground at the top of the grave. During full moon, this stone change colors from dark gray to black. The villagers of Parit Sakai considered this strange incidents a miracle and called this Keramat Lidah Hitam.
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The thing wrapped with a yellow cloth is where the tongue shaped black stone appeared from the ground. |
This tomb was confirmed as a historical site. In 1977, Dato' Samad Idris, then the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture of Malaysia, visited the tomb and held a ceremony of Bubur Asyura (porriage), the festive food of the people of Bugis (another clan of people from Sumatera).
Contributed by Hassni Bin Hussin's Web Site (Bahasa Malaysia)
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