Tun Perak

Tun Perak was the fifth and most famous bendahara, a Malay rank similar to a prime minister, of the Sultanate of Malacca. He served under four sultans from 1456 to 1498. He was a leader in the Malay defeat of a Siamese invasion in 1445-46, and he led Malacca's forces in another decisive victory over the Siamese in 1456. He was appointed as bendahara by Sultan Muzaffar Shah in 1456, and he became the kingmaker and the effective ruler of Malacca. He pursued an aggressive foreign policy that resulted in a loose empire that embraced the whole southern half of the Malay Peninsula and a portion of the east coast of Sumatra. He also promoted the spread of Islam in the region. He was very loyal to the Malaccan Sultanate, and he did not seek revenge when his son, Tun Besar, was killed by Sultan Mahmud Shah's son Raja Muhammad due to a misunderstanding. Instead, he requested Raja Muhammad to be crowned elsewhere, and the sultan honored his request. He died in 1498 and was replaced by his younger brother Tun Perpatih Putih. His death marked the beginning of the Malaccan Empire's decline.