Malin Kundang lived on an island off the coast of Sumatra with his mother. As he grew up, he wanted to work on a neighboring island. His mother allowed it but warned him not to forget her if he was successful. Malin Kundang prospered on the new island but forgot about his mother. When she came to see him in his success, he denied that she was his mother. As punishment for his filial disrespect, Malin Kundang was turned into a large stone by his mother's curse.