FROM THE MALACCAN KINGDOM TO JOHOR: MALAYS AND JAVANESE ARE BROTHERS
By Hamly Hadi
(History Observer)
Before the arrival of the Portuguese colonialists, Malays and Javanese were not differentiated and considered the same. Arab traders called them Javanese/jawi because they were both Muslim and had similar physical appearances. During the Malacca kingdom, the peninsula was called Tanah Jawi.
The term “Malay” for Malays only emerged during the Portuguese era, as the Portuguese sought to separate the Javanese and Malays on the peninsula to facilitate division and incitement.
In fact, the relationship between Javanese and Malays during the Malacca kingdom was very close; there was no difference between the two; they were brothers. The Sultan of Malacca even composed a poem that reads, “IF THE CITY OF MALACCAN FALLS, I WILL ESTABLISH A PLANT IN JAVA, I WILL RETURN IT, IF IT IS TRULY LIKE THE CALL OF LIFE AND BODY, I WILL SURRENDER IT.”
When Malacca was captured by the Portuguese, the Sultanate of Demak provided significant assistance against the Portuguese in Malacca, particularly through two major attacks led by Pati Unus (1512, 1513) to free Malacca from the Portuguese monopoly, although Pati Unus’ initial attack failed.
Then, Javanese assistance was again provided to Johor in 1550, briefly capturing part of the city before being repulsed. Assistance to the Sultan of Johor (circa 1550), led by Queen Kalinyamat of Jepara (daughter of Sultan Trenggana), assisted the Sultan of Johor, who requested assistance in attacking Malacca.
The assistance included 40 ships and 4,000 personnel. The combined fleet of Jepara, Malay, and Acehnese successfully repelled the Portuguese and captured part of the city. However, the Portuguese counterattacked, and the Javanese forces held ground before retreating.
Javanese aid continued with the Jepara Expedition (1574), still led by Queen Kalinyamat, with 300 ships and 15,000 personnel to assist the Sultanate of Aceh in attacking Malacca. The battle lasted three months, but most of the Jepara troops were killed in the battle due to the Portuguese’s superior weaponry.
However, I wonder why modern Malays in Malaysia hate the Javanese so much.***
Banjarmasin, January 16, 2026
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