Tasik Chini, home of Sri Gumum, plays a central role in many stories. In Orang Malayu stories, Sri Gumum is a to-be-feared crocodile. In Orang Asli stories, however, she is the to-be-respected spirit of the lake, who may take various shapes but usually appears as a naga ular (snakelike dragon).

In one Orang Malayu story, Sri Gumum and her husband left Tasik Chini via Sungai Chini and Sungai Pahang and by mishap became islands (Pulau Daik and Pulau Tioman, respectively) in the South-Chinese Sea. In another Orang Malayu story, Sri Gumum is now dormant in Tasik Chini, and it was her predecessor Sri Pahang who went to the sea to fight a royal battle with naga udang (shrimplike dragon) Sri Kemboja — Sri Pahang lost, died, and was burried at Pasir Panjang.

In Orang Asli stories, however, Sri Gumum is still alive and kicking in Tasik Chini. She has no husband or predecessor but she had a child who went to the sea after a family dispute, ran into a fight with Sri Kemboja, was shot by a golden bullet, and died at Pasir Panjang. Sri Gumum resides at an underwater rock that may move around but usually is in Laut Gumum. From there, she watches over the lake and over an ancient city at the bottom of the lake. There are archaeology reports of findings of ancient artifacts near the lake, and it is said that not so long ago (before logging had troubled the water), one sometimes could still see walls and trees of this city that had been built on top of a mountain that later turned into Tasik Chini.