Rare manuscript believed written by Sultan Tengah heads for UNESCO Memory of the World nomination

1 hour ago 5

ADVERTISE HERE

By Dayangku Hidayatul

KUCHING, June 11: A rare classical Jawi manuscript believed to have been written by Sarawak ruler Sultan Tengah will be gazetted under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019 and nominated for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

The announcement was made following the Sarawak Heritage Council Meeting No. 1/2026 chaired by Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at Hilton Hotel today.

“The Sarawak Museum Department is pleased to announce the discovery of a classical Jawi manuscript written by a key figure in Sarawak history, namely Sultan Tengah himself.

“His tomb is located along Jalan Damai, Santubong, who is also known as Sultan Ibrahim Ali Omar Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad Hassan,” he said, highlighting the discovery of the manuscript titled Pengembaraan Sri Sultan dan Sultan Tengah ke Sebuah Gunung (The Adventures of Sri Sultan and Sultan Tengah to a Mountain).

Sultan Tengah was the son of Sultan Muhammad Hassan, the 9th ruler of the Brunei Sultanate who reigned from 1582 to 1598. Following the demise of Sultan Muhammad Hassan, Sultan Tengah was crowned as the Sultan of Sarawak in 1599 to prevent a power struggle with his elder brother, Sultan Abdul Jalilul Akhbar, who subsequently became the 10th Sultan of Brunei.

Abdul Karim said the 179-page manuscript is believed to be a firsthand account written by Sultan Tengah himself and can be described as a personal diary documenting his travels and experiences.

The manuscript was discovered and studied by the Sarawak Museum Department together with researchers from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch.

He said the 16th-century document is written in classical Jawi using old Brunei royal court language, and contains the Sultan Tengah’s signature and clear authorship markings.

The text was fully translated in 2022 with assistance from researchers associated with Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak, while further analysis remains ongoing.

He also said the manuscript provides rare primary source material on the life and biography of Sultan Tengah, offering insight into his leadership, thoughts, and historical journey across the region.

Abdul Karim added that the discovery challenges assumptions that rulers of that era were not literate, noting that the manuscript shows strong evidence of royal writing and intellectual tradition.

He said the manuscript is expected to attract more researchers to study Sarawak’s early history and its links with Brunei, Sambas, Pontianak, Melaka and other regional kingdoms.

The manuscript will now undergo the necessary processes for gazettement under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019 while preparations are made for its nomination to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, which recognises documentary heritage of global significance. — DayakDaily

Read Entire Article