Culture Minister Urges Minangkabau Silek Communities to Establish Legal Status

Jakarta - Culture Minister Fadli Zon has called for strengthening the institutional capacity of traditional Minangkabau silek martial arts communities by establishing clear legal status to support sustainable cultural preservation.

Fadli made the remarks during a cultural dialogue with the Ikatan Guru Silek Sakato (Sakato Silek Teachers Association) in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra.

According to Fadli, institutional strengthening is important to enable communities to more easily access programme support, including festival organisation, knowledge documentation through book publication, and strengthening cultural facilities and infrastructure.

“Pencak silat is a cultural heritage with roots that have developed widely throughout the archipelago. It exists not only in West Sumatra or Java, but in almost all of Indonesia, and even internationally,” Fadli said.

In Minangkabau tradition, silek is more than merely a martial art—it forms part of the customary value system that shapes community character, ethics, and life philosophy.

On the occasion, Fadli also distributed strengthening assistance to the community in the form of 5 million rupiah in support for foundation establishment and 20 million rupiah as operational assistance. The ministry also distributed rendang packages and prayer equipment to the community.

Sutan Muhammad Yusuf Tuanku Mudo Rajo Disambah, advisor to the Ikatan Guru Silek Sakato, expressed enthusiasm from both young and elderly generations in preserving traditional silek.

He stated that approximately 20 martial artists are planned to participate in the International Warrior Festival in Malacca as an effort to introduce the tradition to the global level.

The cultural dialogue was also attended by the Regional Secretary of Tanah Datar Regency Abdul Rahman Hadi, delegations from The Heart of Nusantara Malaysia, and numerous cultural figures and officials from the Culture Ministry.