Jakarta - An Indonesian foundation, Yayasan Panggung Melayu, has invited Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam to participate in a pantun competition to be held in Jakarta over the weekend.
The competition was initiated in an effort to revive the spirit of brotherhood among Malay-speaking countries following a series of controversies -- regarding cultural theft and migrant worker abuses -- that have caused tension between Indonesia and Malaysia.
Pantun, a type of recited poetry or rhyme, is an oral tradition rooted and preserved in many communities of Malay-speaking countries. Most pantun consist of two to three couplets, which employ an a-b-a-b rhyme scheme.
Pantun are often recited in contests between two parties; be it between a man and his lover, a groom and his bride, a king and his people or a fighter and his foes.
"This is part of our effort to preserve and develop the Malay culture," the foundation`s chairman, Asrizal Nur, told The Jakarta Post.
"It is not aimed at pointing out who the real Malay is," he added.
The competition is to be part of the Pantun Serumpun Festival, which will be held by the foundation from April 25 to 29 at Taman Ismail Marzuki cultural center, on the sponsorship of the Tanjung Pinang administration of Riau Islands province.
The festival will feature a number of events, including a pantun exhibition, a record-breaking attempt of the longest pantun recital and a pantun caf‚, where visitors can perform a pantun and receive a free meal.
Asrizal said Malaysia had confirmed its participation and would send two groups. Brunei and Singapore had also confirmed their attendance.
Participants from the three countries will compete with Indonesian participants representing several provinces; among others, South Kalimantan, Riau Islands, South Sulawesi, Bangka Belitung and Jakarta.
A pantun competition, or peraduan pantun in Malay, is a contest where one group recites a pantun as a challenge to its rivals, who are required to spontaneously reply within a specified time.
"The event is not merely a recital of famous pantuns. They will have to make their own pantuns spontaneously," Asrizal said.
The jury members, he said, would all come from Indonesia, but the organizing committee is open to suggestions from the guest countries should they feel they need a representative on the jury.
Tanjung Pinang is one region in the country that has attempted to keep the pantun tradition alive by teaching it in schools and encouraging its citizens to continue using pantun in their daily lives. The city will declare itself the "Land of Pantun" during the festival.
"The youth there are now text-messaging their lovers using pantun," Asrizal said.
The Singapore, Malaysian and Brunei Darussalam ambassadors for Indonesia have expressed their willingness to participate in the festival. Together with State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Daud, Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban and governors of participating provinces, they will recite pantuns in an event called Parade Pantun Majlis, a pantun recital of state officials or royalties, Asrizal said.
Source: old.thejakartapost.com (25 April 2008)
