Pangkor Island ( Pulau Pangkor ) – Batu Bersurat / Sacred Rock
Batu Bersurat or called as Sacred Rock / Tiger Rock in Pangkor Island is a large rock at Kampung Teluk Gedung inscribed with graffiti made by Dutch soldiers in the 1700’s. These soldiers were based in the Dutch Fort just about 200 metres away, in the years 1743-1748 and the date 1743 is carved on the rock five times.
The Sacred Rock is regarded as a historical monument and a modern roof has been built over the top to protect it from the weather.
In English the rock is called as Sacred Rock, Inscribed Rock or Tiger Rock because of the widely held belief that the main drawing depicts a tiger mauling a boy. This has spawned various theories and legends about a tiger which killed the son of a senior Dutch official based in the nearby Dutch Fort.
Some researchers disagreed with the above apocryphal stories, they claim that it is clear that this image is not a tiger but is in fact the Dutch coat-of-arms that was in use at the time the graffiti was made.
The artist may not have been too skilled but the animal is a lion (see the tail-tiger’s tails do not end in a hairy tuft) and it is carrying a quiver of arrows and a sword, not a young boy. Even the line around the drawing is the same shape as that on the coat-of-arms’ red shield.
The VOC symbol to the right of the lion carving is the symbol of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) and the letter A probably represents the Amsterdam Chamber of that company.
There are some mysterious stories about Batu Bersurat . Some villagers claim that this rock is growing over time, it becomes bigger and bigger. Some visitors believe this rock is connected with the earth energy, we can feel it with our heart by touching the rock with our both hands.
Reference: www.malaysia-traveller.com
Address:
Batu Bersurat, Kampung Teluk Gedung,
32300 Pulau Pangkor,
Perak, Malaysia.
