70-year-old beduk drum still beats at Perak surau

2026-03-20 - 02:50

Surau An-Nur chairman Muhammad Sarif Wageman (right) demonstrating how the beduk drum is struck to mark each prayer time. (Bernama pic) BAGAN SERAI: In most mosques and surau, the call to prayer is announced through loudspeakers. But five times a day in Kampung Parit 3, the deep thump of the beduk drum breaks the village’s quiet before the azan begins. At Surau An-Nur Parit 3 Tengah Alor Setanggok, the nearly 70-year-old drum remains an important part of daily life, keeping alive a tradition that has slowly faded in many parts of the country. For the villagers here, the beduk is more than simply about nostalgia. “Beating the beduk helps preserve our identity and history, especially now that the practice is increasingly rare in other surau and mosques,” said surau chairman Muhammad Sarif Wageman. In the Banjar dialect, the beduk is also known as keluntung or kelentong. At Surau An-Nur, it is struck to accompany the call to prayer, whether during Ramadan or Syawal. According to Sarif, the beduk was once common across the area. “In the past, each section of Kampung Parit – Parit 3 Atas, Tengah and Bawah – had its own drum. But today, only Parit 3 Tengah continues the tradition.” Beyond marking prayer times, the beduk once served another important purpose. Before the days of mobile phones and instant messaging, it was a way to alert villagers to important news. A different rhythm would signal a death in the village, an emergency, or the need for residents to gather for communal work or religious activities. “The beduk brought people together,” the 61-year-old noted. “It reminded villagers to help one another and strengthened the sense of community.” Today, the drum is beaten only at prayer times by the appointed “siak”, or surau caretaker. Each beat lasts around 10 to 15 seconds. Keeping tradition alive According to Sarif, efforts are being made to ensure the tradition of the beduk drum does not disappear. Children in the village are taught the proper drumming technique so they can continue the practice in the future. The rhythm itself carries meaning. Sarif explained that the first part of the beat signals the approaching prayer time, while the final slower strikes correspond to the number of “rakaat”, or cycles of prayer movements and recitations. The drum’s sound travels far: its deep echo can be heard up to half a kilometre away, reaching all 64 houses and 221 residents in the village, most of whom are of Banjar descent. Despite its age, the beduk itself remains a source of curiosity. Unlike typical drums made from animal skin, the one at Surau An-Nur is believed to have been carved from hardwood. Some say it was made from jackfruit or tempinis wood, though its exact origin is uncertain. “It’s quite heavy, and the sound can even change depending on the wind,” Sarif added. For him and his fellow villagers, the true value of the beduk lies in what it represents, as its steady rhythm continues to echo through Kampung Parit 3.