The malay history proofing that Malay’s navy long time ago was Bugis and “orang laut” (sea people), which almost of them were ex of pirates. From there we can figure it out why the Malay’s empire can hold out for centuries, and of course from Portuges Navy. My father said from Portuguese the “RIAU” name was known as source. He said from legend story where Potuges ship chase the Sultan ship into the river of Bintan’s Isles, they yell of “Rio! Rio!” which mean in portuguese is “river”. Then word of “Rio” became a “Riau” for the name of archipelago in this area.
(Historical Ammunition Storage in Penyengat Island)
The kingdom in Bintan Island are located in several places. For now, they were found many of historical building in Penyengat Island such as; storage of ammunition, old fortress, old mosque, ex bathing place for the Sultan or his mistress, and an old houses. And the island distance is suppose 328 yards infront of Tanjungpinang City in the big land of Bintan. Tanjungpinang is known as new land site for the city, local people said there was an older land site here in Bintan is Senggarang. And it is an older house there but it meaning for anything.
Local peoples believe that the older palace was located in “Kota Piring”, but there not much thing to proof the exist of a castle except the old of family grave. Other believe that castle was built in the other side of river “Sungai Timun” infront of Kota Piring. For common people, the legend of treasure island only a myth of Bintan Island. But most of them are believe it was true story. There are few locals people saw existing an old collapse building in another small islands in South of Dompak Island the other side of Bintan Island. But there not many people are going there.
From what I knew, in time the authority open a new road to “Sungai Timun” river there found many old plates under the ground near the river. Maybe that is why they call the area is “Kota Piring” that meaning of Plates City. But there much more in there. There is a site near the new open road where local peoples believe is a site of castle. When authority did survey to the site there is an old collapse building resemble a castle, it is similiar a fortress but not much have shape left except the few wall and site of exbuilding. Beside that there are many cuts ground similar holes which believe digged by treasure hunters for gold.