Various Versions of the Origin Story of the Name Perak

The origin and history of the name of the state of Perak remain obscure. This is because the stories and narratives were largely passed down through oral tradition, with a lack of written records.

Oral stories passed down from one generation to another over hundreds of years are very difficult to establish as factual history. The problem with this oral storytelling process is that there is clearly a lot of embellishment, leading to various versions of stories that are interesting to share with the new generation. In the book 'Sejarah Ringkas Negeri Perak' (A Brief History of Perak), page 4 lists 6 versions of the origin story of the name Perak, which have been summarized.

First Version

According to the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, the name of the state of Perak is said to have originated from a silver arrow belonging to the prince of Raja Merong Mahapudisat. The story goes that the prince was looking for a new place to establish a state. Upon arriving at a lake area, he shot an arrow made of silver into the air using a bow named Indera Sakti. The arrow eventually landed on an island, which was then named Pulau Indera Sakti. The island was later made the center of the new state, which was named Negeri Perak.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: As we know, in the Hikayat Misa Melayu written by Raja Chulan, it is recorded that Pulau Indera Sakti became the administrative center for the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak).

Originally, the island was named Pulau Cempaka Sari and was renamed Pulau Indera Sakti after the Sultan moved his residence from Barhaman Indera to Pulau Cempaka Sari.

So, this first version of the story might not be relevant because it clearly occurred in a different era, although the location of the island mentioned in the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa might not be the same as Pulau Cempaka Sari, or it may not be related at all. I cannot provide a detailed comment as I have not yet read the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa.

*illustrative image

Second Version

While Megat Terawis was traveling upstream along a river, he saw a very large snakehead fish (ikan haruan) with its offspring, causing the river water to become murky and white, shimmering like silver. Megat Terawis named the river Sungai Perak, and that is how the name of the state of Perak emerged.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: This is clearly a story sourced from oral tradition passed down from generation to generation. This is because the name of the state of Perak already existed during the Malacca Sultanate era, which was before Megat Terawis was appointed as the Bendahara of Perak.

Third Version

At the headwaters of a river that was not yet named, there was a kapok tree located exactly on the border with Siam. All the kapok flowers that fell into the Siamese border area were red, while the kapok flowers on the side opposite the Siamese border were pure white, resembling the color of silver. From there, the names Perak state and Perak river emerged.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: This is also a story sourced from oral tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Fourth Version

The name of the state of Perak emerged from the tin ore that was abundantly found in the state. It appeared white and shiny like silver when exposed to sunlight.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: Tin mining activities became active in Perak during the era of Long Jaafar in Larut. It all started with an elephant named Si Larut belonging to Long Jaafar that went missing and was later found; when found, there were traces of tin on Si Larut's feet, which led Long Jaafar to attempt to open a tin mine.

However, tin mining activities actually began as early as the reign of the late Sultan Muzaffar Shah III (the 13th Sultan of Perak). This can be proven in the records written by Raja Chulan in the Hikayat Misa Melayu, which also mentions the existence of the Dutch Fort (Kota Belanda) in Pengkalan Halban and Pulau Pangkor as a tin collection center. Therefore, this story might also not be relevant as a basic fact for the origin of the name of the state of Perak.

Perak River in Hulu Perak

Fifth Version

There were early settlers who saw the river water shimmering white like a sheet of silver when exposed to sunlight. Thus, the river was named Sungai Perak, and that is how the state was named the state of Perak.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: This is a story that is often told to this day, where the Perak river, which was once clear, does not look like it does today. This oral story passed down is likely one of the factors why this state was named Perak, but it is not recorded in any ancient writings.

Sixth Version

The name of the state of Perak originated from the name of the Bendahara Tun Perak, who is very famous in the history of Malacca.

Editor's comment at orangperak.com: Bendahara Tun Perak is said to have originated from the Perak region and settled in Klang. He was the 5th Bendahara of Malacca and was the most famous among all the Bendaharas of Malacca. Once again, this is an oral story that is often told, and the name Perak actually existed even before that.

Of the six versions of the story listed in this article, the one that might be the most relevant is the fifth version, where early settlers saw the river water shimmering white like a sheet of silver when exposed to sunlight. Thus, the river was named Sungai Perak, and that is how the state was named the state of Perak. However, we want to emphasize again that there is no clear record regarding the origin of the name for the state of Perak, which remains obscure to this day.