Kamala family named as princess’ descendants

KAMALA: Chern Yayee, 62, from Kamala and his family have been named by the Malaysian Government as the long-lost relatives of Princess Mahsuri, a legendary figure in on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. The Yayee family have now been invited to Kuala Lumpur, where they will dine with Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, on May 31. According to the legend, Princess Mahsuri was a Muslim Siamese immigrant to Langkawi about 200 years ago. She was unjustly accused of adultery and sentenced to be put to death with a sacred dagger. When she was stabbed, witnesses were astonished to see her blood come out white instead of red. This, they believed, signified her innocence. With her dying breath, she cursed Langkawi, saying that the island would not prosper for the next seven generations. Her relatives – terrified that they too might be put to death – fled, some of them to Phuket. Over the past few years, Malaysian Government officials have combed historical documents in a bid to find Mahsuri’s relatives and bring the story to a happy ending. That search, it seems, is now over. “I am excited to be given a chance to meet Prime Minister Mahathir. Actually, we have been told we may meet the King [of Malaysia] as well,” Khun Chern told the Gazette. Khun Chern is the last surviving member of the fifth generation since Mahsuri died. He has five sons and one daughter. One of the sons, Suwan, has a 14-year-old daughter called Sirintra, who not only is of the seventh generation since Mahsuri, but also bears a strong resemblance to paintings of the Princess.