Ghee Hin Commander Cursed to Become a White Crocodile in Larut
The state of Perak is quite popular for its folklore, which once served as a form of entertainment for children in the past. Other states are no exception to this abundance of folklore, and interestingly, every folktale passed down through generations carries specific messages that serve as good examples and lessons for our society today.
To prevent these folktales from being lost and forgotten due to the passage of time, we at orangperak.com have taken the initiative to collect and record these stories on our website for reference and reading. This story is based on oral accounts from elders we met while having tea at a stall in Bota, Perak. If Hulu Perak is famous for its Elephant Charmers (Pawang Gajah), you should know that the Kinta region is famous for its Crocodile Charmers (Pawang Buaya). Both were synonymous with our society in the past across the archipelago. Some often associate the tales of Crocodile Charmers with a white crocodile that cannot be seen by ordinary people, but only by those with special status or spiritual authority. Returning to the story of the Ghee Hin commander named Ah Choong, it is said that he was a man from a Hakka-Cantonese family. He was the individual appointed as the secret leader of the Ghee Hin community, and they established more than 16 settlements to serve as collection points for their tin mining business.
Interestingly, there is a legend associated with Ah Choong. He is often linked to sightings of a white crocodile in the Larut River. This is because it is said that Ah Choong once studied Malay martial arts (silat) and promised that he would never use the knowledge he gained to fight against the Malay people.
However, the reality was the opposite; Ah Choong broke his promise to his teacher by killing several Malay people. As a result of breaking his oath, it is said that Ah Choong was cursed by his teacher to become a white crocodile. Others say he transformed into a white crocodile after falling into the Larut River. Regardless of the version, it remains a folktale passed down through time. The municipal government of Taiping in Perak named a road after him due to his economic contributions. In reality, behind the folklore mentioned earlier, in June 1865, Ah Choong was captured and executed following the Larut Wars. The first Larut War occurred in 1861 when the Hai San faction blocked the water route to the tin-rich mines of the Ghee Hin faction. In this war, the Ghee Hin faction was defeated and driven to Kemunting.
After Ah Choong passed away, the Chinese community in Matang built a temple to worship his spirit because Ah Choong was a highly influential figure and was titled 'Panglima Ghee Hin' (Ghee Hin Commander) by the Malay people.
