Malin Kundang lived with his mother as a child in a small village near the beach in West Sumatra after his father passed away. He helped support his family by fishing and selling his catch. One day, he helped defeat pirates attacking a merchant ship and was offered a position on the merchant's crew, leaving his mother alone. Years later, after becoming wealthy with his own ship, Malin Kundang returned to the village but denied knowing his mother when she came to see him. Enraged by his rejection, his mother cursed him to turn into stone if he did not apologize. When a storm destroyed his ship, it was too late for Malin Kundang to apologize and he turned into stone.