While the story of Si-Tanggang has become a Malaysian folklore, as with the tale of Malin Kundang in Indonesia, Brunei too has its own legend of an unfilial son.
Not far from its famous Kampung Ayer is a small rocky island aptly named ‘Jong Batu’. Locals believe that it was a vessel which had turned into a rock.
Legend has it that a poor boy had set out to better his life, leaving behind his widowed mother. After many years, he achieved success and became the captain of a huge ship, forgetting his humble roots in the process. One day, Nakhoda Manis, who had by then married, anchored his ship near his birthplace while taking shelter from an impending storm.
On hearing news of his presence, his ageing mother rowed out in a small boat calling out to her long lost son. With his wife by his side, Nakhoda Manis was too embarrassed to acknowledge his mother and turned his back on her. He ordered his crew to shoo her away. The mother, brokenhearted and depressed, then placed a curse on her unfilial son. After a while, the sky turned dark and the wind became strong. Storm came and his ship slowly began to sink at the site where ‘Jong Batu’ is now.
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