Move over Sang Nila Utama – here comes Badang.
Badang who?
That was on the lips of many puzzled spectators and TV audience after they saw the dazzling portrayal of a local legendary folk hero played by actor Rizman Putra Ahmad Ali at the National Day Parade on Aug 9.
It was the first time that they learned about Singapore’s version of Hercules and the huge rock that he reportedly tossed into the mouth of the Singapore River eons ago, according to Malay folklore.
Bringing the worlds of myth and reality together is a stone fragment called the Singapore Stone that has been on display at the National Museum of Singapore after it was declared a historic relic.
Apparently, the fragment came from a larger rock which once stood at the Fullerton Hotel site. It was blasted into bits by one ignorant British engineer in the 19th century, who ordered workers to use the debris to pave a trail to Fort Canning Hill.
The depiction of the Badang story at Singapore’s 51st birthday celebrations saw the National Stadium crowd howl in approval as Rizman smashed through a huge ‘rock’ while soaring through the air.
Culled mostly from folktales and history records, here are 5 things to help you reacquaint with our rediscovered local hero:
1) Who is Badang?
Badang was a poor fisherman who lived on the banks of the Sungai Singapura (Singapore River). Thin, weak and hunchbacked, he dreamed of becoming a strongman.
He reportedly had royal blood, having descended from a Bugis prince who married a woman from a Malay tribe in Bintan. His father also had the blood of a Chinese prince from the Ming Dynasty who married a woman also from the same Bintan tribe, according to one legend.
Badang later became the army chief under the then-Sultan of Johor and created a lineage of army chiefs. One of his descendants was Hang Mahmud, the father of legendary hero Hang Tuah, whose cousins and children also became great warriors of Johor and Malacca.
2) How did Badang get his superhuman strength?
Badang was furious with a water jinn (spirit) for eating the fish that he had caught in his trap. He managed to seize the spirit who offered to grant him any power if he set him free and on the condition that he eat whatever the water jinn threw up.
Badang agreed and asked that he be given superhuman powers and abilities. True to the jinn’s words, Badang was able to uproot a tree effortlessly after consuming his vomit.
From then on he used his new-found might to help fellow villagers and was later made a court warrior by the sultan, who also ruled Singapore.
3) How did he become so famous?
The amazing feats of Badang spread by word-of-mouth, and reached the royal palace. After he was appointed a court warrior, his fame went as far as India.
A ruler of India sent the kingdom’s strongest man, Wadi Bijaya, to Singapore for a showdown with Badang.
Wadi Bijaya set sail with seven ships filled with valuable prizes for the winner. Should he win, the Singapore ruler would have to award him with seven ships with the same valuables.
Badang emerged victorious in all the matches, the last of which comprised a rock-throwing contest.
While Wadi Bijaya could only lift the enormous rock up to knee-level, Badang was not only able to hoist it above his head, he also flung it into the mouth of Singapore River.
After he died, Badang was believed to be buried at the same area where the rock he threw landed.
4) Badang and the Singapore Stone
In June 1819, news on the discovery of an old rock, fabled to have been the one hurled by Badang at the mouth of the Singapore River, set the island abuzz.
Employed by Captain Flint, Bengal workers who found the rock were terrified by the inscriptions on it.
The islanders and British founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, all failed to decipher the script, believed to be an indecipherable Tamil dialect.
As the enormous rock was seen as a danger to passing ships, it was blasted in 1843 when the colonial government built a sea wall round Fort Fullerton.
A fragment of the stone, called the Singapore Stone, is now showcased in the National Museum of Singapore. A few other fragments were sent to Calcutta.
Ancient inscriptions on the rock probably highlighted Badang’s achievements and supernatural power.
5) Film highlights the legend of Badang
The awe-inspiring story of Badang was turned into a Malay movie by Cathay Kris Productions in 1962. Playing the role was comedian-singer Wahid Satay (above).
The movie is available on YouTube while a spoof version was created by polytechnic students a few years ago.
The National Day re-enactment by Rizman Putra Ahmad Ali saw him flying over an army of enemies – 600 warriors brandishing bamboo poles, shields and fire torches in battle scenes.
The segment was shown during a recap of Singapore’s colourful history. Now, many Singaporeans know that they have a heroic abang called Badang.
chenj@sph.com.sg
AsiaOne, Berita Harian, The Straits Times
