Datuk Maharajalela's House on the Verge of Collapse
People today no longer value the contributions of our ancestors and are completely indifferent to history and lineage. Let's admit that we are only good at shouting the word 'merdeka' (independence) without understanding its true meaning, and we never bother to learn about the hardships endured by our freedom fighters, heroes, and Malay leaders to achieve it. To whom else can these historic buildings, the legacy of our past figures, turn to for help if not to us living in this era?
Datuk Maharajalela was the eighth chieftain of Perak and a national hero who remained true to his oaths and promises. He was a descendant of Daeng Selili and the son of a Bugis King from the Luwuk District, Sulawesi. During the reign of Sultan Mudzaffar Shah III, he came to Perak and was appointed as a mufti, bestowed with the title Datuk Maharajalela Tan Lela.
The title signified his authority, granting him the power to execute beheadings without question. He planned and conspired to assassinate James Wheller Woodford Birch (J.W.W. Birch), who was
the first British Resident of Perak
. Datuk Maharajalela was found guilty of the murder of J.W.W. Birch on November 2, 1875, in Pasir Salak by a court that sat from December 14 to December 22, 1876, in Matang, Perak. He was sentenced to death by hanging on January 20, 1877, in Taiping. Regarding the house of Datuk Maharajalela, there have been reports from readers of orangperak.com stating that the ancestral home of the Malay warrior who fought the British—whom we are so proud of—has been left to ruin, becoming a den for drug addicts and waiting to collapse. If what is reported is true, then what kind of people are we? Are we a nation that forgets the struggles of those who came before us, and is the value of Datuk Maharajalela's struggle not enough, even though he was sentenced to death by hanging?
This is the true attitude of our people toward those who have served. We must accept this reality even though it is painful and hard to swallow. We have become a people who do not know how to appreciate service. There should be an effort to restore the house and fort of Datuk Maharajalela in Pasir Salak. It is only right to do so to uphold their struggle against the British and to serve as a reference and legacy for our children and grandchildren.
Perhaps Datuk Maharajalela's effort in resisting the British is not a significant piece of history for the Malay people that must be remembered and celebrated. Such is the value of a Malay warrior's struggle in the eyes of his own people, who act more British than the British themselves. What we take pride in is Kellie's Castle, which is British property and well-maintained. There are many more tombs and historical buildings with significant value that are left neglected, and sadly, they may vanish, unseen by future generations.
Update: A representative from the Daeng Selili Descendants Association named Daeng Apis has taken note of this heritage house, and information regarding the actions to be taken can be found in his Facebook comment quoted above.
