Unity was the central theme in an event sponsored by the Bayan Baru Independent Member of Parliament, Zahrain Mohamed Hashim.
Happily unaware of the blazing sun, 200 ‘Silat Lincah’ martial artists demonstrated their skills in the presense of the founder of the Silat Lincah Association (PSSLM), Haji Omardin Mauju, some VIPs and the public last week at the football field opposite PISA, in Sungai Ara, Penang.
Although the association was registered only in 1969, it was already active in 1963; and has 22 branches all over the world with about 1.2 million members worldwide; of which 30,000 are foreign. Among the countries that PSSLM has laid foot on are England, Belgium, New Zealand, Holland, France, Madagascar and South Korea.
Megat Zulkarnian, son of its founder said: In Penang, its branch started in 1972 at the Custom’s Village in Bukit Gelugor. Presently the Penang branch boasts of 210,000 members.
Its founder, Haji Omardin was awarded the ‘Living Legend of Silat’ by the International Association of Educators World Peace in 2008.
“Why go for taekwondo or karate when we have ‘Silat Lincah’?,” Zahrain reminded the crowd of spectators.
“This Malay tradition must be kept alive,” he continued, urging the Malays to regain the Malay pride through the martial art.
PSSLM opens its membership to all races.
