Abstract. This paper discusses the significance of a historical heritage and its practices based on local wisdom to develop sustainable marine resources in Aceh. Local wisdom can be translated through the examination of the significant role played by the Panglima Laot (Sea Commander) as the enforcer of the Customary Law of the sea in Aceh. This law exists since the glorious era of the Kingdom of Aceh from the 17th century. The role played by the Panglima Laot underlines local wisdom in managing and ensuring the sustainability of the seas, an important economic source for the coastal community in Aceh. The sea is the lifeblood of the Acehnese coastal communities. From a historical point of view, Panglima Laot played a major role in safeguarding and nurturing the sea for the benefits of marine activities and maintaining the marine environment and its natural state, as a common property that should not be destroyed for the good of the future. Panglima Laot also managed marine resources that can be exploited and empowers the population to undertake marine activities in accordance with the customary requirements and the interests of society as a whole. In ensuring the effectiveness of the functions, the role of Panglima Laot is strengthened by the existence of special rules concerning marine and fishing practices established for generations through Adat Laot (Aceh Customary of the sea) to ensure the longterm harmony and sustainability of Aceh's marine resources.

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Kajian ini menilai semula dakwaan sesetengah sarjana yang menghubungkaitkan kejatuhan Melaka pada 1511 dengan kekejaman dan kelemahan pemerintahan Sultan Mahmud Syah (1481 -1528). Dalam tulisan kajian terdahulu, Sultan Mahmud Syah digambarkan sebagai pemerintah yang sangat kejam dan berkuasa mutlak. Antara kekejaman utama beliau termasuklah melaksanakan hukuman mati terhadap beberapa individu, terutamanya Bendahara Tun Muzahir dan keluarganya. Tindakan itu didakwa kerana perasaan cemburu raja terhadap keputusan Bendahara untuk mengahwinkan puterinya Tun Fatimah dengan sepupunya Tun Ali, tanpa menunjukkan Tun Fatimah kepada baginda terlebih dahulu. "Pembunuhan" itu dikatakan telah memberikan kesan yang buruk kepada kestabilan politik Melaka yang membolehkan Portugis menawan Melaka pada 1511. Dengan mengkaji semula konflik Sultan Mahmud Syah-Tun Muzahir dan kejatuhan Melaka seperti yang diterangkan dalam teks Sulalat-us-Salatin, sumber Portugis dan sekunder, kajian ini cuba menilai semula kebenaran dakwaan tersebut. Kajian ini menyarankan

This study examines the effects of Eurocentrism to the view of the character, nature and image of the Malays especially in the period of British colonialism in the 19th century. This research explains why Eurocentrism creates confusing and negative views of the nature, civilisation and wisdom of the indigenous people. Eurocentrism is a form of thoughts that often measures and defines non-European civilisation through historical, cultural, religious, geographical, scientific and progressive perspectives based on Western or European values, which is considered to be supreme. The beliefs transpired in the minds of scholars and European politicians as early as the 16th century, and some were extended in the writings about local history by means of the roles played by the European colonial explorers and administrators. In the process of colonising and exploiting the wealth of the indigenous people, the European explorers and administrators often created records that could explain not only the economic potentials of the area that they intend to colonise, but also depicted the inferior characteristics and civilisations of that society to justify their colonisation attempts. In the process, they produced a record of colonial history which later became key references to historians to understand and explain the traits of the indigenous peoples. The ideas behind that colonial history were not only biased as the result of exaggerating the ignorance and retrogression of the indigenous people; it even sought to undermine the wisdom and civilisation of the indigenous people. This is to highlight their own superiority and noble values when placed side by side with the values of the indigenous people. Despite the prejudice, the Eurocentric colonial history is very influential in Malaysia's historiography until this day. This study explains how the influence of thoughts has blurred the understanding of the actual traits of the indigenous peoples and create an apparent confusion over the history of Malay society.

No abstract