Analyst: Historical claims linking Rentap to Hang Tuah must undergo academic scrutiny

Professor Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Mar 11: Claims that Sarawak warrior Rentap was a descendant of legendary Malaccan figure Hang Tuah must undergo rigorous academic review and scholarly debate before they can be accepted as historical fact.

Datuk Prof Dr Jayum Jawan, a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said the controversial assertion was recently made by Prof Dr Solehah Yaacob of International Islamic University Malaysia, stressing that extraordinary claims must be carefully assessed through established academic processes.

“Anything a scholar argues is new does not necessarily make it a new fact. It must go through the vetting processes,” he said in a recent statement.

Jayum, who is also Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Borneo Studies in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), explained that scholarly discoveries and reinterpretations must pass through recognised academic procedures such as expert supervision, independent evaluation and publication in peer reviewed journals where other scholars in the same field can examine and debate the findings.

“Proposition of new findings and rediscoveries must go through similar processes. In most cases, the new propositions should be published in scientific journals where experts in the same areas would assess them through scientific debates,” he added.

While encouraging scholars to revisit historical narratives and propose new interpretations, Jayum emphasised that the authenticity of such claims should only be determined through proper academic discourse and verification.

To illustrate his point, he cited other contested historical assertions raised by local academics, including claims by Dato Prof Dr Abdul Muati @ Zamri, an expert in communication and extension education from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), that Panglima Awang was the first person to circumnavigate the globe.

However, other historical accounts attribute the feat to Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, who completed the expedition initially led by Ferdinand Magellan.

Jayum also referred to claims by former Sarawak Museum director Dr Sanib Said that the earliest kingdom in Sarawak was located at Santubong, saying such interpretations require careful historical context and verification.

He noted that Sarawak as a political entity only emerged later during the rule of James Brooke in the 19th century, adding that unverified claims could potentially lead to distortions of historical narratives if left unexamined.

Given the growing public discussion on these issues, Jayum called on members of the National Historians Council, established by the Ministry of National Unity in September 2025 to provide informed scholarly perspectives on such debates. — DayakDaily