Monday, 3 September 2012


Mohd Nadzrin Wahab
Since 2008, I've been presenting cultural topics to the National Museum and Tour Guide Associations. Due to good feedback, they've requested that I suggest new topics (which means I'll be providing more regular programs to them).

The audience is mostly local middle-aged Chinese tour guides or European women (expatriate wives and retirees) who are deeply interested in Melayu culture and religion. The stated objective is to educate and make them accurate cultural ambassadors of the topic presented.

Would the Family please provide feedback on the titles I've chosen? A good test is to try and describe for yourself here what you think the topic is about and I'll tell you if that's what was intended.

Here are the topics:
CURRENT
1. Silat Melayu | The Malaysian Martial Heritage
2. Keris Melayu: Weapon | Symbol | Self

SUGGESTED
3. Senaman Tua: Traditional Melayu Exercise
4. Melayu Mysticism: Beyond Magic & Sufism
5. Petua Orang Tua-Tua: The Science Behind Melayu Folk Knowledge
6. Peribahasa: Living The Melayu Paradigm Through Language

Thank you all for your feedback.
Like ·  ·  · 3 September at 23:01
  • Mohd Rizal Hassan I suggest your Petua Orang Tua-Tua should be focused on Living Skills. Make it practical. :) If fact, make specialize, for example, about raising kids, or romance of the married couple, etc.

    A topic I would like to suggest is Traditional Malay Cooking. And you can present this topic from a whole variety of food, from main dishes, desserts and even ulam ;) You may yet be a chef, Nadzrin, but what you know about the subject is still far more than your audience :)
  • Tharwah Kassim menarik sangat!
  • Nurul Shinju 1. Silat Melayu | The Malaysian Martial Heritage is an interesting and intriguing one. I suggest "Malay" for the word "Malaysian" as the word "heritage" speaks about the sense on belonging and origin of something ("Malaysia" sounds more recent to me than "Malay".) :)

    Silat is so beautiful and artistic with its "bunga silat" and so strong with its "buah silat" (is there any specific terms such as "buah silat"?). These two elements from a very distant spectrum resonate harmoniously in silat. I suggest an explanation and a clearer picture about this matter to be included in topic 1. Love to read more about how these two elements fit perfectly and gracefully complement each other.
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim I agree with Rizal. Malay/Malaysian food. Different food for different occasions, food specialties of states and how food represent Malay culture + the culture of eating. 

    One par    t of Malay culture I luv the most, Malay wedding! It's where almost all Malay identity displayed - rewang, Malay outfit, budi bahasa - pantun, all the beautiful complexity. :)
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim Allow me to add, it includes the cultural symbols such as tepak sirih, songket and the 'royal' accessories. The stages towards the wedding. How it evolved as a fusion between Malay culture and Islam syariat. All the 'perbilangan adat'. Aduhai indah nian...
  • Mohd Nadzrin Wahab Muna. Tengah gila wedding. Patutlah ;-)
  • Mohd Nadzrin Wahab Nurul, thank you :-)
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim Ok la. More on Malay food now. Nasi minyak for wedding, Bubur anak lebah for condolence, pulut kuning for celebration and gratitude, bubur lambuk for puasa, ayam golek for 'budak-budak nak masuk jawi', lemang and rendang for raya and sandwich for picnic! hahaha...

    Sekarang semua dihidang tak berapa kira masa dan majlis.
  • Mohd Rizal Hassan Jelas sekali Muna gila wedding, Nadzrin...! :)
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim [mane ade....]
  • Nurul Shinju Haji Mohd Nadzrin Wahab, anytime bro :)
    Masa PLF showcase di Perpustakaan Raja Uda Shah Alam, I missed your slot when you were performing the pencak silat. Then, when I returned to     the showcase, there was this one guy in complete silat attire.My heart said, "Alamak......mamat ni bersilat ker?Aiseyy terlepas peluang nak tengok orang bersilat.."
    In sha Allah next time I see you in action ye :)
  • Rasheedah CoachSha Whatabout events like cukur jambul, berendoi, berkhatan for boys, marhaban - the pre-wedding majlis we grew up with. Not to mention aspecial topic on 'berpantang' - the art of confinement :) These are all family-ing in action! Then we make clear yang mana adat, yang mana syara'.
  • Rasheedah CoachSha Kids games! - teng teng, congkak, galah panjang.. hahah make a video of PLF playing.
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim Yes!! Suka CoachSha!! In fact, ada dalam modul integrasi PLKN semua tu! Termasuk adat resam kaum Cina, India dan beberapa etnik di Malaysia.

    Bahasa, Adat Perkahwinan, Adat Menyamb    ut Kelahiran, Adat Menguruskan Kematian, Permainan Tradisional, Makanan Tradisional, Pantang Larang. Saya facilitate learning untuk modul ni untuk PLKN. Lama dah pencen.. Hehehe... Salleha Haji Kasim pasti suka ni!
  • Mohd Nadzrin Wahab Whoa. You guys are fantastic! Thank you. I normally only do topics that I'm good at, but now I'm actually interested to do research just to present YOUR topics :)
  • Rasheedah CoachSha like like like.. mucho gusto
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim Oh! Lagi... ada juga alat muzik tradisional dan tarian tradisional!
    So fun! So Malaysian!!

    I'm willing to become the research assistant! Hahaha~
    All the best, bro!
  • Aryll MonsterGergasi tarian tradisional....presented by Ejul Kilau...ohoohooiiiii
  • Mohd Nadzrin Wahab Thank you all so much. I've begun visualising your suggested topics and will prepare a proposal for them. If anyone has any reading materials or research links I can refer to, I'd appreciate it very much. 

    I'm primarily looking for primary or secondary sources, for example, significance of Melayu cooking and the related salawat for different kinds of herbs and sequence of entering the raw materials into the pot (my mother knows some of these).

    Academic research is also good to provide a framework of understanding for the audience.

    Here are your suggested topics, now titled

    1. Santan & Spices: Culinary Adventures in a Melayu Kitchen
    2. From Pinang To Pelamin: Secrets of the Melayu Wedding
    3. Significance of Melayu Rituals: The Science Behind Tradition
    4. Melayu Pastimes & Games: Low-Tech Fun
    5. Tarian Melayu: Subtlety In Motion

    Muna, Gendang Silat is already part of my silat topic, but I would be interested to expand that if there is a request for it. I'd also need to being learning to play :)

    Nurul, thus far there is only a short clip here of my silat tari:http://www.plfshowcase.com/p/plf-showcase-20-rev-up-your-life.html. Soon, there'll be the full hour version online.

    As for the title, Silat Melayu: Malaysian Martial Heritage, I speak of modern silat in Malaysia which encompasses all the rich traditions that we inherited from our Arab, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli brethren, including the Japanese influences. It was only fair that I be inclusive and acknowledge their contributions :)
  • Nura Muna Abdul Halim The names are attractive!!!
  • Aminah Norzifah Ismail Malay Folklore and Heritage
  • Rasheedah CoachSha You are a Word Wizard, my brother!
  • Mohd Nadzrin Wahab My name card says WordSmith :-)
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