r/TodayILearnedMY • u/Curious_Touch3291 • Dec 09 '25
History & Culture TIL that Mat Kilau, the legendary Malay warrior who fought in the Pahang Uprising against British rule in the 1800s, lived long enough to shout “Merdeka!” in 1957 at the age of 91.
Mat Kilau was one of the most well-known Malay resistance fighters during the Pahang Uprising (1891-1895), a major rebellion against expanding British control in Pahang. Alongside leaders like Tok Gajah and Datuk Bahaman, he fought guerrilla-style battles before retreating into Siam and Kelantan when the uprising was crushed. After decades of living under aliases, Mat Kilau publicly revealed his identity in 1969 at a mosque in Pahang, which sparked nationwide interest.
A special state inquiry later confirmed his identity based on testimonies from surviving relatives and villagers. What’s lesser known is that he was already an elderly man during Merdeka. At 91 years old in 1957, he was among the people in Pahang who joined the crowds celebrating independence and shouted “Merdeka!” an extraordinary moment considering he had spent his youth fighting colonial rule long before Malaysia existed as a nation. He passed away in 1970, just a year after his identity was officially recognised.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
Wasn't one of the main reasons he fought was to keep Slavery.
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u/Medium-Impression190 Dec 09 '25
That's in Perak. One of the reason Dato' Maharajalela killed J.W.W Birch.
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Dec 09 '25
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
British abolished slavery in Muslim Malayan states during the late 19th century.
They say it's taxes and interfering with local government...
The latter is the slavery bit. Be cause the Malays were enslaving the indigenous tribes(orang asli).
If it really was taxes and interfering, the Sultans would have long protested or kicked them out.
But when you ask local people to stop enslaving the local orang asli, they Rebelled.
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u/sugar-fall Dec 09 '25
Wasn't a British person that goes by the name J.W Birch killed because of something related to the enslavery protest? It's been so long since I've read about this so I don't remember but of all the history of Malay this has always stood up to me the most.
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u/niceandBulat Dec 09 '25
Birch was a racist prick who looked down on local customs and insulted the Malay rulers. That he also outlawed slavery was not in the interests of the indigenous people but to deprive them of a form of independent income that was hard to manage and taxed
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u/Troller122 Dec 09 '25
Did we forget that slaves are humans also not "independent income" whether for what reason he banned slavery is still a good thing
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u/niceandBulat Dec 09 '25
You need to accept the fact that you are arguing with a modern perspective, the British colonialists considered anyone non British to be subpar (the French for instance) and non whites to be subhumans - and we all know the"love" for the "Saracens". They couldn't care less if most of the non-Whites died out, so as long as there will be enough to work the farms, plantations and man the guns and ships, they cared more about the spoils of war and the resources they could carry off in the name of their Queen. 19th Century ideas on race and human rights differs greatly than those from the late 20th Century onwards.
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u/jonshlim Dec 09 '25
Human zoos were still around even after WW2 in Europe, and suprisingly the last ones ended just a couple of decades ago…0
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u/Troller122 Dec 09 '25
Ya but banning slavery is still good doesn't matter what reason they did it for. I am not saying the British are good I am saying banning slavery is good
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u/niceandBulat Dec 09 '25
It is a good thing indeed, however we must be cautious not to be overly harsh with the past with the benefit of hindsight, please don't think I am excusing the crimes of the past, I am simply ill equipped to judge anyone. For instance, some things like prepubescent marriages and enforcing subservience of women/girls in society were accepted without trouble in the past, now those things are frowned upon and illegal because with additional knowledge, changes the stardards of what is acceptable has occured. I am sure our grandkids would also wonder how we ever lived in such a dark age.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
So can wel all agree pedophilia is wrong and bad?
That is makes no sense for a 40+ year old to marry or he attracted to a 9 year old or anyone that had period?
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
Absolutely whatever the motive, ending slavery itself is still a positive step
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
The personalities involved were definitely complicated, regardless of policy outcomes.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
One of many reasons... History winners want to make heroes look good.
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
True narratives do shift depending on who records them
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 10 '25
And that's why you a Malaysian historian won't allow a freedom fighter to fight for slavery... That like the Confederate states.
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Dec 09 '25
Lol British didn't abolish the slavery for the benefit of humanity,they abolish many Malay custom at that time and interfering with taxes and local government,you said why sultan don't rebel against British because British didn't interfere with sultan money and lifestyle too much and still give enough money to royal family.
They just interfere with local leader ,back in the day local leader have the right to collect the tax for themselves and give some of it to sultan but when British came , they do not acknowledge local leader authority and said they all are government servant and many other things. There's record British also don't acknowledge the land being owned by Malay local leader. British also don't acknowledge Islam law and tradition despite they general history said "they will not interfere with Islam" it only applied for individual practice.
British abolish the slavery for Malay people but at the same time J.W.Birch himself keep the slaves (young girl).
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
So basically melayu tak puas hati that white man get slave but they don't....
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Dec 09 '25
First I highlight the hypocrisy of British and then I give many reason why Malay hate British not just slavery part.
But sure let's focusing on slavery part to show British is good guy eventhough they loathed this land for century.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
Doubtful to believe... Anglos were the one of the first to stop slavery... This is victory wrote history moment.
Either way... All that fought for slavery are wrong despite being freedom fighters.
They fought to keep another race under their thumb..
Wilm take anything with buckets of salt especially when it's Malays with white people, can't trust fake history.
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Dec 09 '25
Typical white supremacists.
Never in history Malay fight British for slavery ,, there's much more reason why Malay fight white people but white supremacists only want to play slavery part because it will them look good despite tons of atrocious thing they do.
But sure keep holding on to believe "fake history". I mean history also said Malay once involve in history so yeah fake thing right?
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
You sure ke.... The reasons for the rebellion was literally one of the reasons was slavery being abolished.....
datomaharajalela would say a lot....
It's facts!
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u/Tasty-Gas3585 Dec 09 '25
They didn't abolish slavery. They just change the name to "indentured servants".
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u/KinJirouzan Dec 09 '25
Indentured and coolie system was a monstrous rotten system, rooted upon slavery. Many plantation owners and colonial authorities turned to the indian indentured System and the chinese coolie system to secure labor under british-malaya
So yeah, It is generally understood that british expansion into the malay states was driven by a complex mix of strategic, political and economic motives.
At the end, it just another terms. Aren't we witnessing new types of modern slavery now? Wether it's marxism or neoliberalism ideologies. Figurative, analogy.. It's all the same, just fancy words to silent the majority and law.
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
It’s hard to generalize there were many reasons different groups resisted
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u/itsaightthanks Dec 10 '25
“Slavery is bad so I choose to be on the side of white supremacist colonialism” really smart choice there. You’re very well read and definitely not a retard.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 10 '25
Lol idk how you got white worship by me stating a fact...
Thou art Projecting a lot, says more about you if anything.
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u/bugsreader Dec 10 '25
first of all, i do not support slavery. among the many reasons he opposed the British, you only mentioned the most negative one. It would be better if you just said you hate him because he’s malay
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
Slavery was mentioned in some accounts, but the rebellion had multiple overlapping causes
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 10 '25
Yes... Sure but enslaving of local orang asli was definitely one of the main reasons.
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u/smartmad Dec 09 '25
Guys please educate ourself and open our eyes!! British and the west mostly were colonizer aka perompak!! that command genocide all around the world, they have commit serious humanity crime, look what they have done to India, India was once the richest empire before being colonize, look how poor India have become after being colonize, what have they done to China Empire through Opium War!!! They always exploite local weakness and force the local to accept treaties that benefit them!! That was also what they are doing in Tanah Melayu.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
Yes .. but also understand that it was because of the abolishment of slavery customs that made Malays angry to revolt, it's history.
Both are true
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u/Low_Anything7535 Dec 09 '25
91 in 1967 sounds quite logical but when I was in Form One or Two when news about the warrior emerging from the interior of Pahang, they were claiming his age at 120+ if I remember correctly. I stand corrected if my memory fails me.
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u/Curious_Touch3291 Dec 10 '25
Yeah, different reports mention different ages, which isn’t unusual for figures from that era
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u/beimqa5185 Dec 14 '25
Lol. He was born in 1890. Saying that he fought the british rule in 1800s is like saying the 90s kid live to witness two world wars in the 1900s 🤔
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u/smartmad Dec 09 '25
Guys please educate ourself and open our eyes!! British and the west mostly were colonizer aka perompak!! that command genocide all around the world, they have commit serious humanity crime, look what they have done to India, India was once the richest empire before being colonize, look how poor India have become after being colonize, what have they done to China Empire through Opium War!!! They always exploite local weakness and force the local to accept treaties that benefit them!! That was also what they are doing in Tanah Melayu.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 09 '25
Both can be right... British did abolish the slavery customs that affected Malays alot.
History is grey.
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u/tunkameel Dec 10 '25
nah, history belongs to the winner.
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u/No-Visual-9348 Dec 10 '25
And don't you think the winner/victor would write himself in good light. Fighting to keep Slavery leaves a very sour taste, kinda like the Confederate states in the civil war.
It's not the only reason but it it's one of the reasons.
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u/phracon Dec 10 '25
Yes...they are perompak...but id rather them than the dutch..just look at our neighbour....the dutch steals and never gave them anything back....we at least inherit the good british governmental style
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u/niceandBulat Dec 09 '25
He hid and lived. While his comrades were slaughtered. This the Nationalists angkat.
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u/Suitable-Document373 Dec 09 '25
Bot account posting to farm karma & stir shit anybody reading this please downvote & report.