by Anne Das
I was intrigued as I listened to the Perak Academy Lecture on the history, succession, manners, and decorations of Perak Royalty and Nobility as I sat in the audience. Dr. Adib Vincent Tung, the speaker, skilfully crafted a story that evoked memories of a time I had never even lived through.
Dr. Adib’s enthusiasm for the topic was evident, and his command of Perak’s traditions and history was excellent. His descriptions of the founding of the Perak Sultanate and how important chieftains consented to choose a prince of the late Sultan Mahmud Shah of Melaka to lead the state of Perak were vivid.
Particularly fascinating was the speaker’s description of Perak’s special succession mechanism. It was neither automatic nor passed down directly from father to son; instead, it rotated among four families, and the Dewan Negara Perak, the royal court, was responsible for picking the monarch. The fact that this system is still in operation today is evidence of Perak’s diverse cultural legacy.
Dr. Adib’s accounts of Perak’s traditional rituals were in depth, and it was clear why the locals take such pride in their heritage. He holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration with cross cultural management. With many articles, brochures and books under his belt, here are three of his books available today:-
1) Titles and Ceremonial Traditions of the Royalty and Nobility of the state of Perak, Malaysia (English)
2) Adat Pusaka Raja-Raja dan Orang Besar-Besar Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan (Malay)
3) Undang-undang Darjah – darjah Kebesaran dan Pingat- pingat, Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia ( Statutes of Orders and Medals of the state of Perak, Malaysia (Malay & English)
To purchase any of these books, please contact the Perak Acedemy via email at contact@perakacedemy.com or WhatApp – 016-4123742.
