Age-old 'Adat Berjojak' tradition well preserved by Rawa Malay community

TELUK INTAN - The Rawa or Rao Malay community in Gopeng, Perak, with ancestral roots in Sumatera, Indonesia, continues to uphold an age-old ritual called adat berjojak for infants aged 13 months and above who have just started to walk.

The ritual symbolises a baby’s first step in life and only after the adat berjojak ceremony is performed can the feet of the child touch the ground outside the house.

The ritual is carried out to ensure the well-being of young children and prevent them from falling sick. However, some members of the community practice this tradition not solely out of belief but because of the desire to preserve their time-honoured customs.

"This ritual has existed for hundreds of years and we cannot just abandon or eradicate it,” said Noradidah Mokhtar, 59, a member of the Rawa Malay community residing in Gopeng. More than 1,000 Rawa Malays live in several villages in Gopeng, about 30 kilometres from Ipoh.

Noradidah, who is chairman of the Perak Homestay Association, said adat berjojak holds its own significance and uniqueness and cannot be performed "carelessly. It must be conducted by a ‘master’ who has the expertise to perform the ritual”.

She said it is believed that if the adat berjojak ceremony is not performed for a child, he or she may fall ill or may not perform well in school.

"There was a case of a family where the mother didn’t believe in adat berjojak and refused to perform the ceremony for her firstborn. When the child grew older, the child’s academic performance was unsatisfactory.

"This adat berjojak is a tradition we cannot abandon, we need to preserve our heritage. This tradition is also guided by Islamic principles as the incantations recited by the ‘master’ invokes the name of Allah," she said when met at the Adat Berjojak Festival - Rao Community Perak here recently. The festival was held in conjunction with Temasya Budaya @ Negeri Perak 2024 at Dataran Menara Condong, Teluk Intan.

Noradidah said the materials used during the ceremony include flowers of various types and colours.

"We use mostly yellow-coloured flowers. Other essential items include Cassia leaves, yellow and white rice, puffed rice in three colours (yellow, white and black), turmeric, clay and a betel box containing betel leaves, areca nuts, lime, gambier, tobacco and cloves.

Noradidah said during the adat berjojak ceremony, for girls, the ‘master’ will use a ring to stroke their limbs and joints, while a keris (traditional dagger) is used for boys.

"The gong is played and candles are lit throughout the ceremony. We also set off firecrackers as a symbolic gesture to inform the villagers that a child or grandchild has undergone the adat berjojak ritual," she said, adding children undergoing the ritual will have their hands and feet stained with natural henna leaf paste and that after the ceremony, they are fed a bit of glutinous rice or yellow rice.

She said villagers witnessing the ceremony are also served a traditional sweet dish known as beras rendang to add to the festive atmosphere.

"Children who have undergone adat berjojak must observe a three-day confinement period, during which they must be bathed with lime and clay and their feet can only touch the ground (outside the house) at the end of the confinement period," she added. - BERNAMA