Who is Hang Tuah? Five Companions, Loyalty, and a Contested Hero

Di dalam istana, seorang lelaki telah dijatuhi hukuman mati.

Ini bukan hukuman mati yang biasa.

Dalam cerita, lelaki itu ialah Hang Tuah. Sultan mempercayai fitnah dan memerintahkan kematiannya, tetapi Bendahara menyembunyikannya. Orang istana menyangka Hang Tuah sudah mati. Hang Jebat juga mempercayainya, lalu bangkit melawan. ^2,4

Five Names#

Hang Tuah is not a lone figure. In popular tales, his four companions are Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir, and Hang Lekiu. They learned martial arts together, entered the palace together, and became the most renowned group of warriors in the Malacca Sultanate stories. ^2,4

For centuries, people have read about friendship, courage, and loyalty in these five names. Yet one question continues to haunt the tale: when power punishes an innocent servant, should his companion be obedient or rebel? The question is most acute regarding Hang Jebat.

Why Jebat Rebellions#

In the popular version of the Hikayat Hang Tuah, Jebat seizes the palace after hearing that Hang Tuah was killed without justice. The sultan later learns that Hang Tuah is still alive, and then summons him back to quash the rebellion. ^2,4

Hang Tuah does not first seek justice for his companion. He takes up arms and ultimately kills the man who rebels for his sake. ^2,4

That is why this tale endures. It is not merely a clash between two heroes. It brings together two demands difficult to reconcile: loyalty to the king or loyalty to justice?

In the Malay Annals, the Name Changes#

The most recognized contemporary version features Hang Tuah alongside Hang Jebat. In the tradition of the Malay Annals, Hang Tuah's opponent is often called Hang Kasturi. ^5,4

This difference is not a minor spelling variation. The story is not a record, court report, or news written on the day of the event. It reaches us through palace texts, oral tales, manuscript copies, and later literary treatments. ^6,3

When the Hikayat Hang Tuah places Jebat at the forefront, the tale becomes a conflict between loyalty and justice. The name swap also alters the lessons the story conveys.

The Book Truly Exists#

The Hikayat Hang Tuah itself is real and holds a significant position. The UNESCO Memory of the World list includes two manuscripts in the National Library of Malaysia, MSS 1658 and MSS 1713. UNESCO states that the anonymous manuscript was written on European paper about two hundred years ago and recognizes the work as a literary classic and traditional Malay epic. ^1,6

However, a manuscript about two centuries old is not a direct record from the 15th century. It demonstrates that the Hang Tuah story already had a mature written form around the 19th century, not that every episode actually occurred as narrated.

Hang Tuah as a literary figure is certain. Hang Tuah as a historical figure still requires evidence of doubt.

Outer Shadows are Not the Full Name#

Portuguese and Ryukyuan sources mention a title or rank that is nearly similar. This is worth discussing, but a positional title is not the same as the name Hang Tuah. The maritime sultanate surely had officials who handled maritime affairs and envoys; that position could be held by more than one person. ^2,4

A story can also compile memories of many people into one name.

Is He of Chinese Descent?#

The internet once spread the claim that Hang Tuah was a Chinese person, even claiming that DNA analysis proved he and his companions were from China. Their names were interpreted as sounding like Chinese and were linked with Princess Hang Li Po or Ming entourage. ^2,4

This claim is interesting because it seems to give modern Chinese society a place at the center of the Malacca hero’s story. But where is the evidence?

To date, publicly verifiable sources provide no DNA report, no chain of tomb samples, or 15th‑century documents mentioning Hang Tuah as a Chinese, descendant of Hang Li Po, or a Ming guard. Rusaslina Idrus’s study examined how this claim spread and described it as a cybermyth—a cyber myth. ^2,4

The conclusion must be precise: reliable public sources have not confirmed that Hang Tuah was of Chinese descent. This is not proof that he was not Chinese. It simply means that evidence is insufficient to present the claim as fact.

Why the Question Arises#

Hang Tuah is too great to be left as a small story. When his name is placed at the center of a Malacca narrative, of sultan, loyalty, courage, and Malay identity, other societies also begin to ask whether a portion of his legacy belongs to them.

Idrus records various modern claims: Hang Tuah is said to come from Sungai Duyung, Bintan, or have Bugis, Orang Laut, Orang Asli, and Indian Muslim backgrounds. ^2,4

These do not resemble an effort to verify a birth record of a person. They are more about Malaysians today still contesting the answer to “who are we?”

What the Legend Leaves#

The Hang Tuah story can be told in an engaging way: learning martial skills, entering the palace, becoming a messenger, acquiring Taming Sari, confronting Majapahit, and fighting Jebat.

However, legend also serves as a place where society keeps its problems. The Hang Li Po tale carries an image of Chinese acknowledgement of Malacca. The Hang Tuah tale holds a question about a servant’s loyalty. The dispute over his lineage, in turn, reflects the anxieties of modern Malaysians about place, dignity, and ownership.

When Portuguese cannons thundered, the legendary hero did not manage to save the city. The story remains alive.

Next chapter: after Malacca fell, the heirs of the rulers withdrew southward. The fall of a city does not end its story.