Kampung Pelegong

One cannot deny that the force and power of a woman in Negeri Sembilan has decreased due to massive economic, social and ideological change. The status and role of woman in her family and society have also been degraded due to this. However, we must argue that the central position of woman in her society and family still exists – although in a much diluted form than in the past. Woman does remain in control of land, transmission of clan’s name and care of her family’s well-being. As stated earlier, changes in their roles are still compatible with values of Adat Perpatih. Furthermore, adat itself allows change –as long as it beneficial. Like the saying goes:

“Ibu adat muafakat,
Adat menimbulkan yang baik,
Menghilang yang buruk;
Bulat air kerana pembetung,
Bulat manusia kerana muafakat
Hilang adat kerana muafakat” (Ibrahim, n.d., p.45).

Adat only keeps the best and throws away what is bad (bold portion). Adat does not restrict the people. Instead, it acts as a filter. As it is not a static system, it will undergo changes in order to adapt to the changes around the world. Therefore, our hypothesis prior to the trip cannot stand. Instead, from our research, we have come to a conclusion that,