MAK YONG PATUH SYARIAH: AN ALTERNATIVE HIGHLIGHTING THE ISLAMIC COMPLIANCE IN TRADITIONAL MALAY THEATRE

Abstract

Mak Yong is a traditional Malay theatre form that originated in Kelantan state and is comprised of dancing, singing, music, improvisational acting, dialogue, story, and ritual. In 1990, the Muslim Pan Islamic Party (PAS) the Malaysian Opposition Islamic Party won the Malaysian 8th General Election and took over the administration of Kelantan. As a result, numerous traditional Malay practices including Mak Yong were banned as it was believed that the performances have a strong connection to deities and spirits, thus, Mak Yong has not been performed openly to the public in Kelantan ever since. In 2019, National Department for Culture and Arts (Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara – JKKN) initiated Mak Yong Patuh Syariah (Mak Yong Syariah-Compliant) in an attempt to allow Mak Yong to be performed in Kelantan again. This move is crucial for the survival of Mak Yong in its state of origin as the traditional theatre was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005 as a ‘cultural masterpiece’ under the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Award. This was an enormous step in sustaining the existence of Mak Yong as a national heritage, however, Mak Yong Patuh Syariah has been criticised by scholars and practitioners, as being against the traditional conventional practice because the female actors were not allowed to be involved. This research aims to create an overview of whether Mak Yong Patuh Syariah is expanding the survival of Mak Yong or is destroying the existing form This paper will analyse the advantage and disadvantages of this invention concerning its adherence to Islamic requirements.