Raja Ali Haji and the Gurindam Dua Belas
This Riau scholar and poet wrote the Gurindam Dua Belas and shaped the Malay language that became Bahasa Indonesia. His tomb can be visited on Pulau Penyengat.
Anyone who visits Pulau Penyengat soon hears the name Raja Ali Haji. The 19th-century scholar and poet is one of the most important figures in Malay literature, and many Indonesians honour him as the father of their national language.
Who was Raja Ali Haji?
Raja Ali Haji was born in 1808; sources name either Penyengat or Selangor as his birthplace. He came from a noble family of Bugis-Malay descent. His grandfather was Raja Haji Fisabilillah, the fourth Yang Dipertuan Muda of Riau and himself a national hero of Indonesia. As a young man Raja Ali Haji made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and he later took part in the administration of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate. He died on Penyengat around 1872 or 1873 – the sources differ on the year.
The Gurindam Dua Belas
His best-known work is the Gurindam Dua Belas, completed in 1847. A gurindam is a Malay verse form made of rhyming couplets: the first line states a condition, the second its consequence. The twelve sections, called pasal, offer advice on faith, good character, speech, family life and just leadership. The verses are still recited at competitions and cultural festivals in Tanjung Pinang today.
A language pioneer
Raja Ali Haji also wrote about the Malay language itself. His works include Bustan al-Katibin (1850), a grammar and guide to writing, and the Kitab Pengetahuan Bahasa, an early Malay dictionary. He also wrote the historical chronicle Tuhfat al-Nafis. Riau Malay, which he described and cultivated, became the basis of the language later adopted as Bahasa Indonesia. In 2004 the Indonesian government declared him a national hero.
Visiting his tomb
Raja Ali Haji rests on Pulau Penyengat, in the burial complex of Engku Putri Hamidah. His grave lies in an open pavilion outside the main building. Penyengat is reached in about 15 to 20 minutes by pompong, a small motorboat, from Tanjung Pinang. Please dress modestly and keep your voice down, as the tomb is a place of pilgrimage for many visitors.