Saturday, September 22, 2007 by g3 blog
Figure 3: Rumah Gadang is one of the ancestral properties inherited by woman Customary land is also known as ancestral land, Tanah Adat and Pusaka. In the past, ancestral lands were used mainly for subsistence farming. Each plot of land is rather small, stretching about 34, 565 acres only (Kassim, n.d., p. 29). Women play the role of custodians in the society. Customary lands are passed down the female line. For example, mothers pass on the land to their daughters, with each receiving an equal share. The pattern of inheritance can be seen clearly in Diagram 1. Like seen in the diagram, in an event where “a family has no female heir, the land goes to the wife’s nearest female kin” (Kassim, n.d., p. 29). Despite bearing responsibility of the land, one does not have full ownership of land. A woman can only sell her land when she is in dire need of money. However, only sales within her clan are allowed. On the contrary, men do not inherit any land. Other than land, women also inherit other harta pusaka such as family heirlooms (e.g. keris), family houses, household goods and other valuables. Therefore, women play the role of caretakers in the society as harta pusaka are entrusted in their care.
2.2. Rule of Residence
Other than inheritance of Tanah Adat, woman dominates man in the rule of residence. Adat Perpatih practices matrilocal rule of residence. After marriage, the man moves from his natal place to his mother-in-law’s place. As they are removed from their natal place, they are unable to work in their own family’s land. Therefore they are compelled to work on their wife’s land. Having the customary lands under the woman’s care means woman have control over means of production (Kassim, n.d., p. 32). Especially since the society was very dependent on the agricultural sectors in the past. Hence, women also play the role of an ‘employer’ in her family and society.
2.2.1. Roles of Man and Woman in a Marriage
Although the woman ‘employs’ the man to work on her land, both parties still contribute equally to the financial situation at home. The woman is responsible for providing food while the man is responsible for giving nafkah. Nafkah is money acquired by the man for his wife and children to use. Giving nafkah is compulsory. However, the cash given just need to substantial for basic family necessities. Besides providing food, woman is also in-charge of household chores and fulfilling the needs of her family. According to Mdm. Maryam Andy, whom we interviewed in Singapore, men do not need to lift a finger while at his mother-in-law’s home. While couples share responsibilities in family finances, it is not the same when it comes to the kitchen. Men were treated as kings.
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Figure 4: Woman fulfilling their role as the caretaker of their family.
The woman’s role in the family is to care for her family’s well-being while that of a man is to be the breadwinner. He goes out in search of wealth and name. Hence, it is a misconception that a woman dominates the man in a marriage.
2.3. Descent System
While woman may not have a ‘special’ position in her marriage, she has a vital role in her clan – to carry on her clan’s name. Without any female children, the clan will become extinct. Families without female children are considered unlucky. Dr. Azizah Kassim (n.d.) mentioned that the problem was solved by adopting a female child. The child could be from the same clan or a Chinese family. Adoptions were finalised through a ceremony called berkadim. After joining the clan, the adopted child will receive rights similar to her counterparts (p. 29). However from the interviews we had, we have learnt that this may not be true. All of them have not heard of berkadim before. To them, if you do not have a female child it is just your luck. Furthermore, an adopted child could not receive any rights. Thus, adopting a female child would not stop the clan from perishing. Why do they have conflicting views? We believe it is because the practice of adopting children is no longer in use. Thus, the newer generation of minangkabau people are not aware of such a thing. Even so, females were still preferred in the past as they are able to keep the clan’s name alive.
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Figure 5: Datuk Haji Kahar Bin Sikin, the Datuk
Perdana Menteri of Adat in Negeri Sembilan
Diagram 2: Transmission of Traditional Political Office
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