Kota bharu: The National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) is intensifying efforts to preserve the traditional art of Mak Yong by staging ‘Dewa Pechil’ in collaboration with the Teacher Education Institute (IPG), presented in a learning context. Its Kelantan director, Rohaniza Abdullah, stated that the performance was not merely a traditional entertainment showcase, but an educational initiative aimed at introducing the moral, cultural, and communicative values embedded in Mak Yong to future educators.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the programme is also part of JKKN’s ongoing commitment to preserve and honour Mak Yong, which UNESCO proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 25, 2005, and included in the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Rohaniza emphasized the importance of collaboration with educational institutions such as IPG to ensure the continuity of traditional arts through the role of teachers, who will pass on the values of cultural heritage to future generations.

Rohaniza shared these insights after the Mak Yong Traditional Art Performance: Dewa Pechil (In the Context of Learning) at IPG Kota Bharu Campus. She highlighted the goal of reintroducing Mak Yong to the young generation, not only in Kelantan but also in other states through educational collaboration programmes, as these youngsters are the inheritors and transmitters of this heritage. The performance at IPG is a continuation of the programme previously held with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), and JKKN plans to expand it to other IPG campuses nationwide.

According to Rohaniza, the latest performance involved the Kijang Emas group, a JKKN apprenticeship troupe established in 2010 to produce traditional art practitioners, together with 40 IPG students from the Kota Bharu, Ampuan Afzan, Sultan Mizan, and Tengku Razali campuses. IPG students are not merely spectators; they participate in a week-long workshop to learn elements of music, dance, singing, acting, and dialogue delivery before the performance, as part of the learning and assessment process.

Commenting on cultural and religious sensitivities, Rohaniza explained that Mak Yong performances in Kelantan are conducted in accordance with syariah-compliant guidelines set by the state government. However, for educational purposes, students are also introduced to the authentic traditional version. In the learning context, performances are conducted behind closed doors to allow students to understand the original form of Mak Yong without affecting local religious and cultural sensitivities.