06 December 2006

PESAKA wants silat be made Malaysia's official martial arts

PORT DICKSON, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National Silat Federation (Pesaka) has urged the government to proclaim silat as the country's official martial arts.

It also seeks recognition as the silat governing body in the country and plans to set up silat complexes at the national, community and district levels.

Those were among the resolutions passed by the two-day National Silat Convention that ended here last night.

Pesaka president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who is Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, said the silat federation hoped there were universities that would conduct special research on the Malay martial arts.

Pesaka also encouraged more writing materials on silat be published and compiled to serve as reference by future generations, he said and later launched Pesaka's website at Pesakamalaysia.org.

Present were Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib who was Pesaka president for 16 years and and founder of the Malaysian Silat Lincah Organisation Datuk Omardin Mauju.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-155861282/pesaka-wants-silat-made.html

03 December 2006

Call for changes in silat

PORT DICKSON, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The National Silat Federation (Pesaka) wants changes to be made to ensure "silat", a Malay art of self-defence, remained relevant and able to go far.

Its president, Datuk seri Mohamad Hasan said that performance and achievements in competitions alone would not take the art anywhere

"We should be able to convince all quarters on the need for silat to be given a wider role and not merely to win medals for the country," he said at the opening of a National Silat Convention here today

He hoped that a policy on the development of silat could be drawn from discussions at the convention

Some 800 participants from various silat associations, the army and the police are attending the convention, which is scheduled to be closed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tomorrow.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-155543951/call-changes-silat.html