Kedah royal couple rides golden barge during parade
ALOR SETAR: An artistic yellow and gold-coloured 'bahtera' had pride of place at the royal procession here yesterday morning, held in conjunction with the Sultan of Kedah's installation ceremony tomorrow, Monday.
Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah and Sultanah Maliha Tengku Ariff rode on the beautiful royal barge, aptly named 'Layang Emas', during the parade to enable the people to see them up-close.
The procession started at Dataran Wisma Darul Aman and ended 3.2 kilometres away at Dataran Medan Besar, opposite the iconic Balai Besar (Royal Hall) in the heart of the state capital.
Built by Kedah-born wood carver Ruslin Long, the 25metre long and five-metre high barge's design was conceptualised by the State Secretariat's think tank, architects at the Public Works Department and Ruslin himself.
Ruslin, 64, who is from Kampung Seberang Perak, Alor Setar, said 'Layang Emas' was the second 'bahtera' he had been commissioned to build for the Kedah royal family,
The first one, named 'Emas Lapis Suasa', was built in conjunction with the celebrations to commemorate the golden jubilee of the reign of the late ruler Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on July 15, 2008.
Ruslin has been involved in woodwork carving for about 44 years and he has also, in the past, created ornamental vehicles for various processions and designed the stage decor for official functions, among other things.
The skilled craftsman said his years of experience in the field of creative art had helped him to build 'Layang Emas'.
"I got some inspiration from the designs and carvings featured in some of the buildings around me," he told Bernama, stressing that the designs created by him were all one of a kind.
Starting from its bow up to its stern, the royal barge's design is replete with traditional Malay artistic features, borrowing elements from the states of Kedah and Kelantan.
"The bow of the barge is in the shape of an eagle, which symbolises strength and power. The stern is shaped like an eagle's tail, with the closely-knit plumes denoting the unity of the people of the state.
"The middle portion of the barge, where the Sultan and Sultanah were seated throughout the procession, was created to resemble the iconic Balai Besar," he explained.
The barge's canopy, meanwhile, is adorned with leaf motifs, beautifully carved wooden panels and decorative structures like 'tunjuk langit' and 'selembayung' (usually placed on the roofs of traditional Malay houses), which were all essential features of Malay architecture.
"What's more interesting is that the canopy sports a combination of Kedah and Kelantan elements," he said, adding that he decided to add some Kelantanese elements as Sultanah Maliha was from the east coast state.
Building a barge as big as 'Layang Emas' was no mean feat. Due to the curved shapes of the front and rear ends of the boat, the work had to be executed with exact precision and it took Ruslin and his helpers about two weeks to complete these portions.
Since 'Layang Emas' was to be transported on a lorry's trailer during the royal parade, the construction of the barge took place in the trailer itself.
"Before work started, we had to consider various aspects, including the trailer's movements (during the procession) as the barge was going to be 25 metres long and we had to figure out how it can manoeuvre into other roads," he said.
The entire barge was built manually and all its metal and wooden fixtures, as well as the canopy, were assembled and installed with the help of his 20 workers who were skilled in various areas.
Working as a team, Ruslin and his workers easily overcame the challenges and difficulties they faced.
"It took us almost three hours to hoist and instal the canopy over the barge because of its weight and size. It seemed like a tough job at first but by pooling our ideas and energy, we managed to do it without any problems," he added.
Grateful that he was once again selected to build the 'bahtera' for the Sultan and Sultanah, Ruslin said it was a privilege "to create the royal barge for the Tuanku Sultan and Sultanah who are loved by all the people".
When he built the first barge in 2008, his three sons and two daughters watched him from afar as they were still young then but now that they were older, he got them involved in the making of the second barge. "The time has come for my children to take over my work and start creating better looking and more unique 'bahtera'. But I will always be there to guide them and share my know-how with them." - Bernama