Is Adat Perpatih still relevant in modern Malaysia?

ADAT Perpatih remains relevant in modern Malaysia because of its emphasis on women’s empowerment, consensus-based decision-making and decentralised governance, according to Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Tuanku Muhriz.

The founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs said the traditional system was not merely a historical legacy but contained values that continued to resonate with contemporary society.

He said greater emphasis should be placed on education to ensure younger generations understood the relevance of Adat Perpatih and its contribution to Negeri Sembilan’s identity.

“A large part of this is education.

“I think Adat Perpatih is still very relevant, not only is it still relevant but it is even more relevant to the current generation.”

Tunku Zain, who was proclaimed as Tunku Panglima Besar of Negeri Sembilan in June, said people today were increasingly searching for elements that could strengthen their identity as communities and citizens of their respective states.

He said Adat Perpatih was one of the elements that gave Negeri Sembilan its distinct identity.

One of the key aspects of Adat Perpatih, he said, was its recognition of the role of women.

“Take, for example, the role of women or female empowerment. This is something that everyone associates with Adat Perpatih because it has matrilineal elements.

“I think that is really important, especially in the current context where patriarchy remains strong," he said.

Tunku Zain also highlighted the democratic principles embedded in Adat Perpatih, particularly the way leadership positions were determined through consensus rather than imposed authority.

“The other element is democracy because every position in Adat Perpatih comes from below, not from above.

“There has to be consensus. So Adat Perpatih provides a system to give legitimacy to certain parties," he said, adding that this was different from authoritarian systems where decisions were made by those in positions of power without broader participation.

Tunku Zain also linked Adat Perpatih to the concept of decentralisation, saying its traditional governance structure offered lessons for modern discussions on empowering local communities.

He said before the formation of Malaysia and Indonesia, the socio-political system associated with the Minangkabau tradition emphasised governance that was close to the people.

“If we go back to the Minangkabau era, before Malaysia and Indonesia existed, under Adat Perpatih the socio-political system was based on creating different negeri and luak so that administration was close to the people, close to the community,” he said.

Decisions involving matters such as land, property and issues affecting communities were made locally rather than being concentrated far away.

“In the context of decentralisation in Malaysia today, we can draw inspiration from tradition and Adat Perpatih,” he said.

Tunku Zain said the preservation of Adat Perpatih should go beyond viewing it merely as a historical symbol.

Instead, he said its principles could provide inspiration for contemporary governance if they were properly understood and applied.

“This can be done by drawing inspiration from Adat Perpatih and looking at how it can be applied to the current era,” he said.