UOW Students Explore Kelantan’s Main Teri In One Day Programme
It is a healing ritual that is done with music and recitals for sickness that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
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Malaysia is a country that is known for its cultural heritage. Some of them are traditional dances, songs, and poems.
Tomorrow, one of the traditional performances known as Main Teri is being performed by the living legend Pak Mat from Gual Jedok, Tanah Merah, Kelantan at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia.
Programme coordinator Lawrence Robert Abus said apart from the full ritual performance, the event will also feature an exhibition.
The event comprises three elements starting from the exhibition of Main Teri in the perspective of ethnography research by Introduction to Sociology students.
The second element is a sharing session which is narrated by Introduction to New Media students and finally, an exclusive performance by Pak Mat.
Main Teri
Academic Core Lecturer, National Academy of Arts, Culture, and Heritage (ASWARA), Che Mohd Nasir Yusof previously explained that Main Teri is mostly a human psychology-based approach to treating persons who do not appear to be physically unwell, according to a Berita Harian report.
Main Teri is not only a show of aimless singing; it is a means of healing ailments. The art that is known on the East Coast has the elements of witchcraft but the difference is that it is only used to treat and cure sickness that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
The process of detecting the disease involves questions and answers between “Tok Teri” and “Tok Minduk”. The healing process involves reciting spells and singing songs based on the patient’s health problems.
The Main Teri performance includes songs like Mengulit, Kijang Mas, Menora, and Cik Muda.
Main Teri is performed in an open space and accompanied by traditional musical instruments. It is generally held for three nights, but one night is enough for healthy patients.
In the context of Main Teri as a healing process, compatibility between “Tok Teri” and the patient is also considered.
Pak Mat
Che Mohd Zailani Che Moh, 57 who is also known as Pak Mat is a renowned Tok Teri from Tanah Merah, Kelantan. He has been performing the Main Teri for the past 34 years.
In the years of performing the art, Pak Mat has also trained 12 apprentices to preserve the cultural heritage.
Pak Mat claims that the reason this method works so well is that it is based on the belief that all people are born with wind or spirits.
If these spirits are dulled or stifled, Main Teri is a good way to bring them back to life. It incorporates elements of spirituality and nature with movement, music, singing, and verbal discourse based on traditional oral folk literature in a group setting.
The event of Main Teri at UOW Malaysia is taking place tomorrow from 10am to 11pm. Pak Mat’s performance will be from 9pm to 11pm
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