Malay pantun (poem) has long been regarded as a medium to convey thoughts and wishes between two parties. It is part and parcel of the Malay culture which has withstood the test of time. However, modernity brings changes to the way people communicate so much so that pantun has lost its appeal. To arrest the declining popularity ofpantun, especially among young Malays, the Department of Arts and Culture Perak organised an inter-departmental pantun competition recently to rekindle interest in this art form. The final round held at the department’s auditorium in Jalan Caldwell, Ipoh recently, saw over 200 people eagerly prompting their teams on. The team from the Perak Education Department was declared the winner in a closely contested match marked by wisecracks. The exchanges between the ‘sellers’ and ‘buyers’ were witty and at times comical. The winning team took home RM1000 in cash prize while runner-up, RTM Perak, RM700. Pn Zaridah Zuber from JPN Perak was adjudged the contestant with the most creative pantun. She won RM200. Director Abdul Mutalib A. Rahman gave away the prizes.
