The Curse of Tok Kaduk Begins in Lambor, Perak
The legend of Tok Kaduk is no longer an unfamiliar story to the residents around Mukim Lambor and Bota in the Central Perak region. There are taboos that must be observed and believed; to this day, some still adhere to these restrictions to avoid the curse placed by Tok Kaduk upon his descendants.
What are the taboos that Tok Kaduk's descendants must follow? Read on to find out the story. Tok Kaduk once declared, "From this day on, I will no longer engage in cockfighting! And I, my children and wife, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren, my descendants to the furthest generation, whether it be true or not, must not eat, mistreat, or betray the tapah fish. Whoever violates this oath of mine will suffer from itchy rashes, burns, and swelling, and if their body cannot withstand it, they will not survive." Tok Kaduk's oath forbade all his descendants from eating the tapah fish in remembrance of the fish that provided him with a sack of gold. The villages located along the banks of the Perak River are also believed to be the original villages and the place where Tok Kaduk's curse began. According to stories passed down through generations, Tok Kaduk, described as a young man of Siak royal descent from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, set sail and eventually chose to settle in Lambor, Perak. As a straightforward and hardworking young man, Tok Kaduk's presence was welcomed by the Lambor community, leading him to find a wife and be blessed with several children. Tok Kaduk was well-known for owning a very formidable fighting cock named Biring Si Kunani. The prowess of Tok Kaduk's cock, which had never lost a fight, eventually caught the attention of the Sultan, who wished to challenge Tok Kaduk's bird. The palace officials at the time set several conditions for Tok Kaduk as a ruse to ensure victory for the Sultan's cock.
The main condition that Tok Kaduk had to agree to in the fight was to swap his cock with the Sultan's cock, named Si Jalak Putih Mata. Tok Kaduk's enthusiasm, having not been challenged in the cockfighting arena for a long time, caused him to accept the conditions without much thought. As expected, Tok Kaduk lost the fight arranged by the palace officials when his actual cock, Biring Si Kunani, defeated Si Jalak Mata Putih. The defeat caused by swapping cocks with the Sultan resulted in Tok Kaduk losing all his possessions, including his family members who were used as stakes. After realizing he had been played, Tok Kaduk wandered off with nothing but the clothes on his back to a hut in the rice fields. At that time, Tok Kaduk was only accompanied by his pet cat. While lost in thought about his unfortunate fate, Tok Kaduk's attention was drawn to his cat's behavior, which seemed to be beckoning him to go to the riverbank. Tok Kaduk followed every step of the cat until he saw a tapah fish stranded with a heavy belly. Without further delay, Tok Kaduk sliced open the tapah fish's belly using a rice harvesting tool to get the fish roe to eat. However, as soon as the harvesting knife cut into the fish's belly, Tok Kaduk was shocked by an overflow of gold nuggets that spilled out from the tapah fish's stomach.
After cleaning and storing the gold he obtained, Tok Kaduk then stitched the tapah fish's belly back together using fibers from a banana tree trunk before pushing the fish back into the river. Tok Kaduk felt very happy to have received the gold unexpectedly, and in remembrance of the tapah fish's gift, he is said to have sworn an oath forbidding all his descendants from eating or mistreating the tapah fish.
Armed with the gold he obtained, Tok Kaduk then went to see the Sultan to redeem his possessions and family members who had been lost in the bet. The Sultan's excitement upon seeing the tray of gold offered led him to agree to Tok Kaduk's request. As a sign of gratitude, the Sultan also returned a portion of the gold to Tok Kaduk. The remaining gold was then taken by Tok Kaduk to Kampar, Indonesia, to be fashioned into jewelry in the form of shirt buttons, which were passed down to his descendants.
The 'Emas Kancing' (Button Gold) is the only remaining piece of the Tapah Fish gold; it is diamond-shaped and used as a brooch for women's clothing. The current amount is three pieces, and these are used as a cure for Tok Kaduk's grandchildren or descendants if they are affected by the Tapah Fish curse. Today, the Tapah Fish Brooch Gold is kept by one of Tok Kaduk's descendants, Hajah Hasmah Binti Pandak Logam, in Kampung Tua Batu 16, Lambor Kanan, Perak.
