Issues and challenges of the Minang customary land in the Malay world of Malaysia and Indonesia

An inevitable element in an examination of the Malay world of Malaysia-Indonesia is the state of customary land provisions such as those of the Minang which are still practiced in both countries. This paper examines the Minang customary land provisions as they are practiced by the Minang community in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia and in Batu Sangkar, west Sumatera, Indonesia. It was found that the Minang customary land provisions and practices in both countries are experiencing critical issues and challenges. In Indonesia, the issues pertain to the gradual demise of the customary land provisions and practices due to the rather liberal and indiscriminate issuance of formal land titles and grants. In Malaysia, the threat of such de-classification of the customary land provisions is relatively absent but most of the lands now remain practically idle due to the difficulty of obtaining consensus from multiple co-owners as to how the lands should be cultivated or treated. The paper concludes that unless concerted efforts are made by both countries to grapple with contemporary issues and challenges facing the provisions and practices of the Minang customary land, the Malay world runs the risk of losing a fundamental essence of identity and continuity that the customary land epitomises.