Echoes of Tradition: PADAT’s Strategies for Selangor Cempuling Music Preservation

Selangor, the most developed and populous state in Malaysia, is currently inhabited by about 7.4 million people of various ethnicities and is often referred to as a melting pot of cultures. However, much of its cultural heritage is on the verge of extinction due to the influence of technological advancements and the declining interest of younger generations. Recognising the importance of preserving these cultural traditions and heritage, the Selangor state government established the Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor (PADAT), formerly known as the Selangor Museum Board. Since its founding in 2009, PADAT has made numerous efforts to not only preserve but also promote the various cultural traditions of the people of Selangor, including the traditional music known as cempuling. Thus, this paper intends to examine PADAT's strategies to preserve cempuling music, focusing on the period between 2014 and 2024. This research utilises a qualitative approach, collecting data through participant observations, document analysis, and interviews with PADAT officers and musicians. The findings show that PADAT adopts a community- and education-centred approach, complemented by robust information management practices to promote and sustain cempuling music of Selangor.

Cempuling; Preservation; Music-Culture;PADAT

1. Chong, K. Y., & Balasingam, A. S. (2018). Tourism sustainability: Economic benefits and strategies for preservation and conservation of heritage sites in Southeast Asia. Tourism Review, 74(2), 268. https://doi.org/10.1108/tr-11-2017-0182 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2024). Current population estimates, Malaysia, 2024. https://www.dosm.gov.my [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Enakmen Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor (Enakmen No. 4/2009). (2009). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Ezza Rafedziawati Kamal Rafedzi, Hazrina Khairuddin, Maziyyah Ibrahim, & Jafalizan Md Jali. (2017). Menjejaki warisan Cempuling negara menerusi kaedah sejarah lisan. Journal Sejarah Lisan Malaysia, 1(1), 62–76. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Gravagnuolo, A., Micheletti, S., & Bosone, M. (2021). A participatory approach for “circular” adaptive reuse of cultural heritage: Building a heritage community in Salerno, Italy. Sustainability, 13(9),4812.https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094812 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Gražulevičiūtė, I. (2006). Cultural heritage in the context of sustainable development. Environmental Research Engineering and Management, 3, 74. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Hoang, K. V. (2021). The benefits of preserving and promoting cultural heritage values for the sustainable development of the country. E3S Web of Conferences, 234, 76. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202123400076 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Khazin Mohd Tamrin. (1977). Orang Jawa di Selangor: Kedatangan dan penempatan. Jebat: Malaysian Journal of History, Politics and Strategic Studies, 7–8, 68–97. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Khazin Mohd Tamrin. (1984). Orang Jawa di Selangor:Penghijrahan dan penempatan, 1880–1940. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ma, J. (2023). Religious heritage conservation and community engagement under the threshold of heritage revitalisation in Ningxia. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(8), 1. https://doi.org/10.54691/fhss.v3i8.5530 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Merriam, A. P. (1964). The anthropology of music. Northwestern University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Nugroho, A. C., & Hardilla, D. (2020). The importance of cultural heritage conservation in society: A review and prospect for future cities, with Bandar Lampung as case study. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 409(1), 012013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/409/1/012013 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Opare, S. (2016). Challenges of preserving indigenous ecological knowledge through intergenerational transfer to youth. Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 17, 232. https://doi.org/10.1504/IER.2016.080243 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. [Prompayuk, S., & Chairatananonda, P. (2017). Historic community preservation: The approach suitable to Thai context. Asian Social Science, 13(11), 120. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v13n11p120 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Ramsay, A. B. (1956). Indonesians in Malaya. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 29(1), 119–124. https://doi.org/10.2307/41503200 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Setiani, U. A., Sukirno, S., Riyanton, M., & Kariadi, M. T. (2021). Using character education forms and values of folklores in Brebes Regency as the old literature learning materials. Jurnal Lingua Idea, 12(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.20884/1.jli.2021.12.1.3949 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. [Shukri, S. M., Manteghi, G., Wahab, M. H., Amat, R. C., & Ming, W. H. (2018). Preserving and conserving Malay Royal Towns identity in Malaysia. The Journal of Social Sciences Research, 852–860. https://doi.org/10.32861/jssr.spi6.852.860 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. [Siliutina, I., Tytar, O., Barbash, М., Петренко, Н., & Yepyk, L. (2024). Cultural preservation and digital heritage: Challenges and opportunities. Revista Amazonia Investiga, 14(75), 262. https://doi.org/10.34069/ai/2024.75.03.22 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Soini, K., & Birkeland, I. (2014). Exploring the scientific discourse on cultural sustainability. Geoforum, 51, 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2013.12.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Suaib, N. M., Ismail, N. A., Sadimon, S., & Yunos, Z. M. (2020). Cultural heritage preservation efforts in Malaysia: A survey. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 979(1), 012008. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/979/1/012008 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Talib, D., & Sunarti, S. (2021). Strategi pedestrian budaya lokal sebagai upaya pengembangan pariwisata budaya (sebuah analysis teoritis). Tulisan Ilmiah Pariwisata (TULIP), 4(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.31314/tulip.4.1.6-12.2021 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Usmaedi, M. A. L., Studyanto, A. B., Gymnastiar, I. A., & Amin, F. (2024). Cultural heritage preservation through community engagement: A new paradigm for social sustainability. Indonesian Journal of Studies on Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 1(2), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.54783/cv5q0011 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Yan, J. (2020). Exploration of the school education inheritance path of intangible cultural heritage. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Culture, Education and Economic Development of Modern Society (ICCESE 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200316.208 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study