Raja Ali Haji (1809–1873) was a Riau Malay scholar, poet, and grammarian who wrote Gurindam Dua Belas (Twelve Stanzas of Moral Guidance) and the Bustanul Katibin — considered the first systematic grammar of the Malay language. He was declared a National Hero of Indonesia in 2004, and his grave on Penyengat Island has become something of a pilgrimage site for those interested in Malay literature, linguistics, and cultural history.
The grave itself is modest — a covered tomb surrounded by a railing and often draped in fabric. A monument to Raja Ali Haji stands nearby. The significance of the place is in what it represents: the Riau Islands as one of the heartlands of classical Malay civilisation, at a time when the language was being codified and the culture was producing some of its finest writing. If you are visiting Penyengat Island anyway, the grave is easy to include in the same circuit as the mosque and royal tombs.