An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor, 163
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An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor, 163 Munira Binti Saaidin, Amri Bin Ahmad. (2021). An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 13(1): 163-171. DOI: 10.9756/INT-JECSE/V13I1.211019 Received: 22.11.2020 Accepted: 10.01.2021 Munira Binti Saaidin1 Amri Bin Ahmad2 An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor Abstract The purposes of this study were to explore the availability and conditions of the cultural and heritage products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in the Hujong Permatang sub-district of Kuala Selangor. The data and information were collected via observations and unstructured interviews, guided by using checklists on resources such as community, site, physical and natural, environmental, and the tourism facilities and services, that were to be examined. The findings indicated some very interesting and unique cultural and heritage products that were available and could be promoted as tourism products such as the historical sites which had the graves of famous warriors at Bukit Raja, the old mosque of Kampung Permatang, the traditional Bugis and unique Malay houses, the Malay art of self-defence called Silat Lincah, the almost extinct traditional dance called Dabus with the accompanying musical instruments, and the handicrafts made of jute fibres. Proper planning for tourism development which should include all the stakeholders, especially the community members, had be carried out at the onset of ideas for improvement of the villages. Keywords: Village Community, Cultural Heritage, Traditional Houses, Silat Lincah, Dabus, Jute Fibre, Bugis. Introduction producing a common Malaysian identity, might not appreciated them. Currently, tourists seemed Malaysian is a multi-racial country with to value their experiences in meeting with people people of various ethnic background residing in of different racial background and learning about cities, town and villages. This rich mixture of the different cultural offerings in Malaysia, ethnic groups had brought about different way of especially when they go off the beaten path to life, different values, and preferences and had visits small towns and villages. Thus, this study on contributed to a wide variety of distinct cultural the cultural and heritage in the two villages of and heritage products. Interestingly, some Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung cultural practices and rituals had remained distinct Permatang in the sub-district of Hujong and separated among the Malays, Malaysian Permatang had a significant contribution to Chinese, and Malaysian Indians. Those cultural ensure that the multi-cultural heritage would be and heritage products needed to be preserved protected for the local younger generations. since this distinctiveness might be lesser known At the global level, cultural attractions were or even lost since the younger generations, due usually perceived as being icons of important to interracial marriages and the national efforts in streams of global culture (Richards, 2001). The Munira Binti Saaidin1, UNITAR International University, Malaysia. Email: [email protected] Amri Bin Ahmad2, UNITAR International University, Malaysia. Email: [email protected] International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 13(1) 2021, 163-171 DOI: 10.9756/INT-JECSE/V13I1.211019 An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor, 164 culture and heritage products that had been Kampung Sungai Gulang-Gulang. For this preserved for centuries, mainly through the oral research, two villages Kampung Hujong traditions, could help to provide information on the Permatang and Kampung Permatang. were the way of life of the previous generations and would focus of the study. Kampung Hujong Permatang assist in moulding and building the strength of and Kampung Permatang were mostly populated characters of future generations. Cultural by the Malays who were descendants of either the activities such as methods of self-defence, the Javanese or Bugis. Historical records indicated performance arts and traditional games and that the Bugis people arrived in Kuala Selangor in leisure activities, and also the economic activities the 18th. century. The first sultan of Selangor was could enhanced the development of the youth in Sultan Salehuddin Shah or Raja Lumu who the villages. Richards (1996) indicated also that arrived from the Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, many activities and destinations that are not which thus began the era of bugis ruled in the educational or cultural in a narrow sense, Kuala Selangor area. The two villages were the provided opportunities for tourists to appreciate oldest villages in Kuala Selangor that were settled one another during their encounters at the as far back as the 16th. century, Thus, they held destination. the record of having one of the earliest settlement with a diversified population. The number of settlers grew especially when Kuala Selangor Study Site - Kampung Hujong Permatang and became a popular trading place and was known Kampung Permatang then as the golden trading triangle. Trading also Permatang meant a slightly elevated land became the main economic activity for Kampong compared to the surrounding land area. Thus, Permatang. The success of Kampung Permatang Kampung Hujung Permatang meant the “the far as an economic hub had led to the richness in end village situated on a slightly elevated land”, cultural activities and the heritage reflected in the and Kampung Permatang meant the “village on a uniqueness of houses and traditions. slightly elevated land”. The district of Kuala Selangor in which the two villages were located, Research Issues and Research Problems had nine sub-districts namely, Kuala Selangor, Api-Api, Bestari Jaya, Ijok, Jeram, Pasangan, The communities in both Kampung Hujong Tanjong Karang, Hujong Permatang and Hulu Permatang and Kampung Permatang were Tinggi. Both villages were located in the sub- mostly farmers, estate/plantation workers, self- district of Hujong Permatang. The district of Kuala employed or those working in clerical jobs in the Selangor covered an area of 117,844 hectares public sector or working in blue collar jobs at and the population at the latest census taken was nearby industrial plants. Thus, they were mostly at 272,980. The population of the sub-district of preoccupied with their work life, had very limited Hujung Permatang was at 13,733. time for leisure activities and had very little management or entrepreneurial skills. So they Sub-district Population in 2011 would have the capability and knowledge to Api-api 28,048 strategically plan for developing their community. Bestari Jaya 78,857 However, that did not mean that they were the Ijok 23,366 least interested on the development of their Jeram 50,304 community since they had a very strong sense of Kuala Selangor 14,148 pride in their history and their culture. Any Pasangan 13,345 development projects, be it tourism or otherwise, Tanjong Karang 50,388 should include the community’s participation and Hujong Permatang 13,733 it would be important to ensure of their full support Hulu Tinggi 755 for the development projects. The role of the authority, who had the expertise on projects Total 272,980 development, would be to convince the (Source: Web Portal of District Council of Kuala community that their villages had the cultural and Selangor) heritage products that would bring added benefits and income for them. However, the community Hujong Permatang (which means “elevated members management and operating skills land at the far-end”) covered an area of 7,408 relevant to the product development would need hectares, is situated to the north-west coast of to be upgraded through education and training, Kuala Selangor, and was about seven kilometres They would then be able to conceptualize and from Kuala Selangor town. In the sub-district of capitalize on the potentials of the village Hujung Permatang, there were 6 villages: resources attractiveness, especially the cultural Kampung Hujong Permatang, Kampung and heritage resources, to draw in tourists to their Permatang, Kampung Sungai Yu, Kampung villages. Sungai Terap, Kampung Parit Serong and International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 13(1) 2021, 163-171 DOI: 10.9756/INT-JECSE/V13I1.211019 An Assessment of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products in Kampung Hujong Permatang and Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor, 165 services to support the development of the cultural and heritage tourism products. Research Objectives • Suggest enhancement and possible The overall objectives of this study were to repackaging of the cultural and heritage identify the availability and conditions of the tourism products. cultural and heritage products that could be enhanced as tourism products, which could Study Framework attract more tourists to the two villages, and ultimately could help to improve the quality of life The study began with the analysis on the of the communities (Awang et al., 2019). conditions of the resources at the two villages. They included an understanding of the Thus, specific objectives of the study would communities and their characteristics and be to: lifestyles,