Sunday vibeS

UNITED Nations (UN) special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune’s call for the Kelantan state government to lift the ban on the Mak Yong performance and other traditional Malay art forms caught the attention of many Malaysians, including myself.

Her comments made on the side-lines of the recently held 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture Kuala Lumpur 2019 made sense. Instead of stifling the growth of some of the oldest performing arts in the world, we should actually be celebrating and appreciating them as part of our rich culture and traditions.

My interest in Mak Yong grew after learning that it was accorded recognition back in 2005 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

The move was made at that time to prevent the ancient art form that has existed in this region for nearly a millennia from fading away as a result of strict restrictions imposed by the Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Control Enactment passed by the Kelantan state assembly in 1998.

The effects of the legislation were far reaching. It greatly reduced whatever little interest that was left for Mak Yong performances which once saw widespread following among local Kelantanese in the 19th century.

Today, the countless troupes that once toured the countryside and received near pop-star like reception everywhere they went have all but disappeared.

In their place are state-sanctioned artistic ensembles that dish out severely watered-down versions which are considered more puritan.

Curious to know what Mak Yong performances were like in their original form, I rummage through my collection of references in the hope of uncovering some interesting titbits. Fortunately, Lady Luck is on my side. Within the hour, a small pile of related works by several renowned Malayan historians and academics, especially those by Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Haji Abdul Mubin Sheppard, lay waiting to whet my inquisitive appetite.