In the Kassim Ahmad version of Hikayat Hang Tuah (published by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1964), we hear the story of how the young Hang Tuah formulated his early education curriculum himself:“Bermula Hang Tuah pun besarlah; tahu-lah ia akan hal ibu bapa-nya itu. Telah beberapa lamanya Hang Tuah mengaji Quran, maka pengajian-nya tamatlah. Maka Hang Tuah mengaji nahu pula. Maka Hang Tuah pun mengaji-lah dengan lebai (India)... Maka Hang Tuah pun berkata pada bapa-nya hendak mengaji dengan lebai Siam... maka Hang Tuah pun mengaji pula pada sa-orang lebai China... Maka Hang Tuah pun mengaji pula pada lebai Jawa... Kalkian sa-telah habis-lah rata diketahuinya dua belas bahasa itu, maka Hang Tuah pun pulang-lah ka-rumahnya bersama-sama dengan ibu bapanya menchari makan sa-hari hari.”A rough translation in brief: After learning to recite the Quran and studying Arabic, Hang Tuah asked permission from his father to study the Indian language from an Indian scholar. The third thing that I would like to draw upon was that Hang Tuah learned all the languages from a “lebai”.

Source: The Star April 12, 2021 22:07 UTC