TITLE:
A Documentation of Mah Meri Indigenous Ceremonial Attire and Ancestral Day Event Stages
AUTHORS:
Norol Hamiza Zamzuri, Abdul Kadir Othman, Tengku Intan Suzila Tengku Sharif, Mohd Hafiz Mohamad Hanafiah, Nor Azzura Nordin
KEYWORDS:
Indigenous, Cultural Event, Ancestral Event, Tourism, Malaysia
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
13,
2024
ABSTRACT: Cultural
sustainability activities are seen as strategies for ensuring the
sustainability of culture and beliefs among indigenous tribes. Yet, there are a
few challenges encountered by the Mah Meri tribe, especially in preserving their culture. The gap of discussion is
in elaborating on the attire and the Mah Meri involvement throughout the ancestral event festival. Without such
documentation, this heritage treasure may disappear and be lost in modernisation.
The present case study was located at the (i) Judah Village, Carey Island (ii) Hari
Moyang Laut cultural event located at Judah Village, Carey Island, about 77 km away
from Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews and
observation were used to gather data before, during, and after the eventful
possession of the ancestral day. Findings suggest that Hari Moyang or ancestral day involves several important stages, the initial stage,
the planning stage, the event, and the event closure. Secondly, such intricacy
of Nipah leaves woven into dresses has intimate meaning to the wearer. This
practice has created the uniqueness of the tribe that differentiates it from
other tribes. Thirdly, the staging of this heritage event is not without
challenges. Among the challenges are time constraints and financial
requirements. This documentation shall serve as a vital heritage preservation
suitable for enduring such a present modernisation wave.