Behind the Story of Mediating the Perak Sultanate Succession Dispute
According to sources from the writings of the late Haji Mohd Yaakob bin Haji Abas, a descendant of Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek bin Uda Katab (Ruler of Mukim Lambor Before British Colonization), there is a story that mentions an effort to reconcile the dispute over the Perak Sultanate throne at that time.
The dispute over the Perak Sultanate throne actually occurred before Raja Bendahara Ismail was installed as the 25th Sultan of Perak in 1871. The throne was contested between Raja Muda Abdullah (before becoming the 26th Sultan of Perak) and Raja Bendahara Ismail (before becoming the 25th Sultan of Perak).
Thus, Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek and Toh Paduka Raja Alang Abu Kassim, along with their relative Toh Seri Nara Diraja Alang Dayan, endeavored to mediate the dispute over the Perak Sultanate throne that was occurring at the time.
For your information, loyal readers of orangperak.com, the effort to reconcile these two powerful parties was extremely difficult. Furthermore, the journey from Batak Rabit in Lower Perak, where Raja Muda Abdullah resided, to Sayong, Kuala Kangsar, where Sultan Ismail resided, was very long.
Tomb of Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek bin Uda Katab
In the old days, there were no vehicles like today. The journey from Sayong to Batak Rabit took almost a full day by boat along the Perak River. Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek had to travel back and forth repeatedly for years until he finally succeeded in softening the hearts of both parties to meet and discuss.
The meeting was said to be held in an area within the Belanja district, where at that time it was said that Sultan Ismail had agreed to surrender the Perak Sultanate throne to Raja Muda Abdullah, along with the royal regalia in his possession.
So both parties set off towards the agreed-upon area to meet. Raja Muda Abdullah departed from Batak Rabit and Sultan Ismail departed from Sayong. However, Sultan Ismail anchored at Kuala Pasir while Raja Muda Abdullah stopped at Hujung Pasir. Both parties refused to travel to the middle of the area for the meeting, and this lasted for several days.
Because of this, Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek had to travel back and forth between both parties to carry messages from one side to the other. Nevertheless, both parties still refused to meet because each had their own reasons.
Sultan Abdullah (26th Sultan of Perak)
The reason from Raja Muda Abdullah's side was that if Sultan Ismail truly wanted to surrender power and the royal regalia, why refuse to meet him when the journey from Sayong to Belanja took time.
Meanwhile, on Sultan Ismail's side, it was said that if Raja Muda Abdullah truly wanted to come and pay respects peacefully to take the royal regalia and negotiate with him, why refuse to travel slightly upstream when the journey from Batak Rabit to Belanja also took a long time.
Finally, one morning, the boats of Sultan Ismail's party were seen heading downstream from the head of the sandbank towards Raja Muda Abdullah's royal boat, drifting with the current without stopping there, while Sultan Ismail's royal boat passed by Raja Muda Abdullah's royal boat.
At that moment, Raja Muda Abdullah heard Sultan Ismail declare that if Raja Muda Abdullah wanted the title of Sultan and the royal regalia, he could claim them at the end of a cannon and rifle barrel; thus, the door to peace that had been worked on for so long was completely closed.
Following that, Raja Muda Abdullah requested assistance from the British, leading to the Pangkor Treaty on January 20, 1874, which installed Raja Muda Abdullah as the Sultan of Perak, while Raja Bendahara Ismail, the former Sultan, was allowed to hold the title of Sultan Muda with a pension.
The actual location where J.W.W Birch was killed
That was when the British sent the first British Resident officer to the state of Perak, namely J.W.W Birch. Following this treaty, the British became directly involved in the administration of Perak, and not long after, a misunderstanding occurred between Sultan Abdullah and J.W.W Birch, which led to J.W.W Birch being killed in Pasir Salak. Refer to the article Details of the Story of the Moment of J.W.W. Birch's Assassination.
War broke out between the British and Sultan Abdullah's side, and as a result of that war, the British decided that Sultan Abdullah, Laksamana Muhammad Amin, Dato' Syahbandar Uda Maamor, and Orang Kaya Menteri Ngah Ibrahim would be exiled to the Seychelles, and Sultan Ismail would be exiled to Skudai, Johor.
Accompanying Sultan Muda Ismail to Skudai, Johor, were the relatives of Toh Maharaja Dewa Panjang Ogek himself, namely Toh Paduka Raja Alang Abu Kassim, who was also his in-law, and their relative Toh Seri Nara Diraja Alang Dayan.
Tomb of Sultan Ismail in Johor
Sultan Muda Ismail passed away on September 4, 1889, and the late Sultan was buried at the Bukit Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum, Johor Baharu, and was given the title Marhum Mangkat di Skudai. You can refer to the previous orangperak.com article titled Tracing the Tomb of the 25th Sultan of Perak in the State of Johor.
After the passing of Sultan Muda Ismail in 1889, Toh Paduka Raja Alang Abu Kassim, along with his two children, Long Jati and Ngah Kenta, returned to the state of Perak, while Toh Seri Nara Diraja Alang Dayan did not have the chance to return to Perak; he passed away in the same year and was buried in Johor, but his children, Mohd Yatim and his wife Toh Seri Nara Suri Long Madin, returned to the state of Perak.
