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[March 29, 2006]

INTEREST IN MINANG HOUSES FADING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

(Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)from BERNAMA, The Malaysian National News Agency KUALA PILAH, March 26 (Bernama) -- Visitors from outside Negeri Sembilan who enter Seremban through the North South Highway toll would have the impression that traditional Minangkabau-type houses continue to be the pride of Negri folks who generally practice the "adat Perpatih" (Perpatih traditions)


This is because they would see three quaint Minangkabau-type houses in the compound of the Negri Sembilan Museum, complete with curved roofs as those seen in Indonesia, especially in West Sumatra from where the adat perpatih was said to have originated

However, this would be a misleading conclusion because in fact, the interest in Minang houses is fading, especially among the younger generation

Local historical researchers discovered that the interest among the young in such houses have greatly faded and the only Minang houses still standing are mostly owned by the state government

Negeri Sembilan Historical Society Research Chairman, Associate Professor Norhalim Ibrahim said the chief cause of the erosion was migration from rural to urban areas

Young people no longer want to stay in villages where entertainment outlets are few and those who do stay prefer to live in brick houses which are cheaper to make and cooler, he said

Norhalim who has written several books on Negri Sembilan's history and heritage said from the feedback he received, there were few skilled wooden house builders left who could build Minang houses well

Being a lover of art and cultural heritage, Norhalim who was a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia was unhappy over this development

"In my opinion, our national identity will be affected if we lose interest in our own culture," he said

The Negeri Sembilan Minang house is slightly different from the Melaka version

Minang houses normally are built on pillars with tall and long roofs, verandah and does not use nails

Norhalim said there were no plans to create a Minang village to maintain such houses for future generations

According to him, he had received feedbacks that foreign tourists were attracted to Minang houses because of the structures and efficient ventilation system

A Minang house builder, Kasim Kasah, 72, said he had stopped buiding such houses since 1980 and is currently a building contractor

Relating his 30 years' experience in building Minang houses, he said the cost of constructing a fair-sized Minang house is RM2,000 while labour costs amount to RM1,300

By: Ahmad Shukran Shaharuddin Copyright 2006 Bernama

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