▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal , ▁the ▁oil - export ing ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf , ▁and ▁the ▁busy ▁ports ▁of ▁East ▁Asia . ▁It ▁is ▁narrow , ▁contains ▁thousands ▁of ▁is lets , ▁and ▁is ▁an ▁out let ▁for ▁many ▁rivers , ▁making ▁it ▁ideal ▁for ▁pir ates ▁to ▁e va de ▁capture . ▁ ▁History ▁Pi racy ▁in ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Mal ac ca ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁a ▁luc r ative ▁way ▁of ▁life ▁but ▁also ▁an ▁important ▁political ▁tool . ▁ ▁R ul ers ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁region ' s ▁pir ates ▁to ▁maintain ▁control . ▁For ▁example , ▁it ▁was ▁through ▁the ▁loyal ty ▁of ▁pir ate ▁cre ws ▁made ▁of ▁Or ang ▁La ut ▁people ▁that ▁the ▁ 1 4 th - century ▁Pale mb ang ▁prince ▁Par ames w ara ▁surv ived ▁expansion ▁attempts ▁by ▁neighbour ing ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁eventually ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁found ▁the ▁Sultan ate ▁of ▁Mal ac ca . ▁ ▁Pi racy ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁mentioned ▁in ▁Chinese ▁texts , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁trav eller ▁Wang ▁Day uan ▁described ▁pir ates ▁from ▁Long ▁Ya ▁Men ▁( in ▁present - day ▁Singapore ) ▁and ▁Lamb ri ▁( in ▁Northern ▁Sum atra ) ▁in ▁his ▁work ▁D ao yi ▁Zh il ü e . ▁ ▁The ▁pir ates ▁of ▁Long ▁Ya ▁Men ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁leave ▁Chinese ▁jun ks ▁going ▁west ▁through ▁the ▁stra it ▁und ist urbed , ▁but ▁waited ▁until ▁the