The Mystery of Si Lenggang's Death on the Perak River
The Mystery of Si Lenggang's Death on the Perak River
The state of Perak holds many fascinating stories that deserve to be told. In fact, many of these existing tales have yet to be republished for the benefit of the current generation.
There is one story recorded by a British colonial administrator named Sir Frank Swettenham. He once served as the British Resident of Perak, British Resident of Selangor, and Resident-General of the Federated Malay States.
While in Perak, he wrote extensively about what he observed happening in the state. The following is one of the stories he recorded regarding an event on the Perak River some time ago.
The story began one evening in 1892, when a Malay man named Lenggang, who made a living as a hawker using a boat on the Perak River, left the Bota area.
Lenggang left Bota with all his trade goods and money, which had been kept by his cousin, the son of the Bota area's penghulu (village head).
It is said that Lenggang began his journey alone by boat, leaving Bota. However, the next day, Lenggang's body was found lying inside his boat.
The location of the boat where Lenggang's body was found was past the Kampung Pulau Tiga area, and at that time, his body was swarmed by blood-sucking mosquitoes.
According to the village head who saw the condition of Lenggang's body, there was nothing suspicious at all, as there were no signs of violence on his body.
Lenggang's boat was also filled with trade goods and a sum of money that appeared untouched. Lenggang's remains were subsequently buried properly.
Lenggang's death was reported and an investigation was conducted, but it yielded no results. However, several months after the incident, Lenggang's family members appeared at the Teluk Anson Police Station (now Teluk Intan).
Lenggang's family members claimed they had good reason to believe that Lenggang had been murdered in a planned conspiracy.
Lenggang's family believed that the victim was murdered in Lambor, a location several miles from Bota, before reaching the spot where his body was found in Pulau Tiga.
After receiving the allegations and information from Lenggang's family, the authorities immediately went to the scene and arrested several people suspected of being involved and having knowledge of the matter. Subsequently, all those arrested were taken to Teluk Anson.
Upon arriving in Teluk Anson, those arrested stated that they would provide the necessary information if they were released. This was because they had promised to keep quiet as long as they did not suffer.
The testimonies of those arrested were taken as witness accounts for Lenggang's death, which was considered full of mystery. The details of the witnesses' accounts are as follows.
When Lenggang's boat arrived in Lambor, it was already getting dark. So, Lenggang stopped and tied his boat to a post (about 20 feet from the riverbank) to prepare to spend the night there.
Not long after, a Malay man named Ngah Prang, along with three friends, arrived at the riverbank and asked the arrested witnesses if they had seen any hawker boats in the area.
At that time, Ngah Prang stated his intention to rob the hawker's boat and indirectly aimed to intimidate the witnesses present so they would provide information regarding the location of any hawkers in the surrounding area.
Around 8 PM, several people on land heard someone shouting for help and begging not to be killed from the river. About 5 to 6 men ran out of their houses to the riverbank to see what was happening.
The witnesses stated that Ngah Prang and two other men were inside Lenggang's boat. Lenggang was lying down while his hands and feet were held, and he was strangled to death.
Those on the riverbank at the time heard thumping sounds in the boat, as if feet were kicking or hands were striking rapidly, and then the atmosphere went silent, signaling that Lenggang had passed away.
After it became quiet, the witnesses on the riverbank began to wonder and called out to the people in Lenggang's boat, which was nearly 20 feet away.
However, no one responded, and on that moonlit night, the witnesses could see the silhouettes of what they were doing after the atmosphere turned silent.
The suspects were seen rushing out of Lenggang's boat and then untying the boat from the post. They then left in another boat and disappeared from sight.
At that time, Lenggang was no longer moving and had already died. His boat, no longer moored, drifted away with the river current toward Lower Perak.
The witnesses to this tragedy then returned to their respective homes and did nothing. They were likely afraid and did not want to get involved in the crime that had just occurred right in front of them.
Tragically, some of the witnesses naively stated that they heard a hawker had been found dead in a boat the next day.
The following day, one of the witnesses met one of the killers and asked the suspect about the events of that night.
The suspect only replied that they were just robbing, and an unexpected event occurred that caused Lenggang to die because they strangled him.
The suspect was also said to have threatened the witnesses the day after the incident, telling them to keep their mouths shut or something bad would happen to them and their families.
Not long after the disclosure was made by the witnesses, the authorities immediately launched an arrest operation to bring the criminals to justice. After the arrests were made, much evidence was found, including trade goods, Lenggang's clothing, and stolen money.
As a result, the criminals were sentenced to hang for their actions. This tragic crime story was recorded by Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham in his book, Malay Sketches, to provide a glimpse into the feelings and conditions of the Malay people in rural areas, who were generally poor and far from administrative centers.
Reference:
- Malay Sketches, Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham
