Latest news with #Kelantanese
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Flute maker Izani preserves heritage, one breath at a time
Serunai maker Mohd Izani Mohd Noor testing out a newly crafted Kelantanese serunai at his workshop in Kg Pulau Hilir, Kubang Kerian. (Bernama pic) KOTA BHARU : For Mohd Izani Mohd Noor, the serunai (traditional flute) is not merely a musical instrument – it's the voice of heritage and breath of culture that must be preserved. Despite the intricate and time-consuming process of crafting the Kelantanese serunai, he remains steadfast. Each piece of wood carved, and every hole drilled, is done with patience and purpose, driven by the goal of ensuring the continuity of the serunai as a living art form. 'My interest started in school: I would often visit my mentor, the late Tok Wan Nasir, to learn how to play the serunai. That's when I began to understand the process of making one,' Izani told Bernama, recalling his early years in Kampung Pulau Hilir, Kubang Kerian here. In 2013, he began crafting serunai as a pastime. What started as a hobby has now evolved into a specialised craft, with the 41-year-old now making the flute for customers across Malaysia. The process begins with selecting the right wood, such as merbau, sira tanduk, rengas or leban, depending on customer preferences. The wood is then cut to size, lathed and smoothed. Seven holes are drilled into the upper side, with one more hole drilled underneath. Each contributes to the instrument's distinctive tones. 'The lower section is made from softer wood to produce a mellow, melodious sound. The upper part holds the pipit (mouthpiece), made of brass and fitted with daun tar (palm-like leaves) for blowing,' Izani explained. He said crafting the pipit requires great precision, as even a slight imperfection can affect the sound quality. The selection of daun tar is also crucial, with only smooth, high-quality leaves used. It takes him an average of three days to craft one serunai, which sells for between RM280 and RM700, depending on the type of wood and intricacy of the carvings. (Bernama pic) 'These leaves are boiled with coconut milk and pulp for about an hour, then dried for a day. This process makes the leaves slightly oily, preventing saliva from sticking to the pipit and ensuring its durability for up to three months,' he noted. Izani produces two types of serunai – the longer serunai ibu (48-53cm), and the serunai anak (33-38cm). Both feature seven finger holes and one hole beneath. 'The serunai ibu produces a coarser sound, and is often used in performances such as silat, wayang kulit and main puteri. Traditional musical pieces like 'Tabuh', 'Hulubalang' and 'Serama Berjalan' are commonly played with it,' he explained. Meanwhile, the serunai anak offers a sharper, more delicate tone suited to mak yong's soulful performances. This shorter serunai is typically used for songs like 'Berkabar Belas', 'Pakyong Muda' and 'Sedayung Makyong'. Each serunai takes around three days to complete, including the tuning process. Prices range from RM280 to RM700, depending on the type of wood and complexity of the carvings. 'This is my way of preserving our heritage. As long as people still want to hear the sound of the serunai, I will keep making them,' Izani concluded.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Keeping the sound of Kelantan serunai alive
Down to the last detail: Mohd Izani inspecting a serunai at his workshop in Kampung Pulau Hilir, Kubang Kerian. — Bernama KOTA BARU: For Mohd Izani Mohd Noor, the serunai (traditional flute) is not merely a musical instrument but also the voice of heritage and a breath of culture that must be preserved before it fades. Despite the intricate and time-consuming process of crafting the Kelantanese serunai, which can take up to three days, his commitment remains steadfast. Each piece of wood carved and every hole drilled is done with patience and purpose, driven by a single goal: ensuring the continuity of serunai-making as a living art form. 'My interest started in school. I often visited my mentor, the late Tok Wan Nasir, to learn how to play the serunai. 'That's when I began to understand the process of making one,' Mohd Izani, 41, said, recalling his early years in Kampung Pulau Hilir, Kubang Kerian. In 2013, he began crafting his serunai initially as a pasttime. What started as a hobby has since evolved into a specialised craft, with Mohd Izani now creating serunai for customers from all over Malaysia. He explained that the crafting process begins with selecting the right wood such as merbau, sira tanduk, rengas or leban, depending on customers' preference. The wood is then cut to size, lathed and smoothed. Seven holes are drilled into the upper side, with one hole on the underside. Each contributes to the instrument's distinctive tones. 'The lower section is made from softer wood to produce a mellow, melodious sound. 'The upper part holds the pipit (mouthpiece), made of brass and fitted with daun tar (palm-like leaves) for blowing,' Mohd Izani told Bernama. He said that crafting the pipit requires great precision, as even a slight imperfection can affect the sound quality. The selection of daun tar is also crucial, as only smooth, high-quality leaves are used. 'These leaves are boiled with coconut milk and pulp for about an hour, then dried for a day. 'This process makes the leaves slightly oily, preventing saliva from sticking to the pipit and ensuring its durability for up to three months,' he added. Mohd Izani produces two types of serunai, namely the longer serunai ibu (48-53cm) and the serunai anak (32-38cm). Both feature seven finger holes and one hole at the bottom, producing different tones depending on the player's technique. 'The serunai ibu produces a coarser sound, often used in performances such as silat, wayang kulit and Main Puteri. 'Traditional musical pieces like Tabuh, Hulubalang and Serama Berjalan are commonly played with it,' he said. Meanwhile, the serunai anak offers a sharper, more delicate tone suited to Makyong's soulful performances. This shorter serunai is typically used for songs like Berkabar Belas, Pakyong Muda and Sedayung Makyong. Each serunai takes around three days to complete, including the tuning process. Prices range from RM280 to RM700, depending on the type of wood and complexity of the carvings. 'As long as people still want to hear the sound of the serunai, I will keep making them. 'This is my way of preserving our heritage, one breath at a time,' Mohd Izani said, resolute in his commitment to this cultural craft.
Barnama
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Barnama
Kelantanese Serunai: Three Days To Carve The Sound, A Lifetime To Preserve The Tradition
GENERAL KOTA BHARU, May 18 (Bernama) -- For Mohd Izani Mohd Noor, 41, a dedicated flute maker from Kelantan, the serunai (traditional flute) is not merely a musical instrument, but also the voice of heritage and a breath of culture that must be preserved before it fades. Despite the intricate and time-consuming process of crafting the Kelantanese serunai, which can take up to three days, his commitment remains steadfast. Each piece of wood carved and every hole drilled is done with patience and purpose, driven by a single goal of ensuring the continuity of serunai making as a living art form. 'My interest started in school. I often visited my mentor, the late Tok Wan Nasir, to learn how to play the serunai. That's when I began to understand the process of making one,' Mohd Izani said, recalling his early years in Kampung Pulau Hilir, Kubang Kerian. In 2013, he began crafting his serunai, initially as a pastime. What started as a hobby has now evolved into a specialised craft, with Mohd Izani now creating serunai for customers across Malaysia. He explained that the crafting process begins with selecting the right wood, such as merbau, sira tanduk, rengas or leban, depending on customer preferences. The wood is then cut to size, lathed and smoothed. Seven holes are drilled into the upper side, with one more hole drilled beneath. Each contributes to the instrument's distinctive tones. 'The lower section is made from softer wood to produce a mellow, melodious sound. The upper part holds the pipit (mouthpiece), made of brass and fitted with daun tar (palm-like leaves) for blowing,' Mohd Izani explained. He said that crafting the pipit requires great precision, as even a slight imperfection can affect the sound quality. The selection of daun tar is also crucial, as only smooth, high-quality leaves are used.
Sinar Daily
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Kelantan ranked second safest state in Malaysia
It recorded the second-lowest crime index with a score of 96 per 100,000 population, making it the second safest state in the country after Sabah, which scored 95 per 100,000 population 22 Apr 2025 08:11pm KOTA BHARU - Kelantan, with its low crime index, has been ranked as the second safest state in Malaysia after Sabah, said Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan. He said the ranking is based on the latest report on crime index rates by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). "The report was issued based on the crime index rate, which includes murder, assault, property theft, rape and robbery. "Kelantan recorded the second-lowest crime index with a score of 96 per 100,000 population, making it the second safest state in the country after Sabah, which scored 95 per 100,000 population,' he said. He said this in response to a supplementary question from Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim (BN-Galas) regarding the state government's achievements in embodying the "Membangun Bersama Islam' (Developing Through Islam) philosophy during the State Legislative Assembly sitting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex today. Elaborating, Fadzli said the state government hoped that the issue of drug abuse in Kelantan would not be politicised, as it is also a problem faced by other states. "For example, during the tenure of the late Tan Sri Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as Kelantan Menteri Besar, the state recorded the highest consumption of pil kuda (amphetamine pills), which came as a shock to many. "So we called in the head of the Kelantan Narcotics Division to discuss the matter. He explained that while Kelantan recorded high pil kuda usage, other states had higher rates of ketum juice consumption. Every state has its record,' he said. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had previously stated that Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis and Kedah recorded the highest drug abuse rates. Mohamed Fadzli said that, in response, state government took several initiatives to curb social ills and rising crime rates, including introducing new enactments, closing down gambling outlets and regulating alcohol sales. "We have also actively campaigned for prayer observance, modest dressing, established entertainment control enactments and made adjustments to traditional Kelantanese cultural elements that contradict Islamic teachings such as Mak Yong, wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) and others,' he said. - BERNAMA
New Straits Times
15-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Kelantan Immigration expands operating hours for border pass counters
KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Immigration Department has announced a revised operating schedule for counter services handling border pass applications at all its offices across the state. According to a posting on the department's official Facebook page, the new operating hours take effect from today. It stated that counters will now operate from 8am to 7pm, Sunday to Thursday. Previously, the counters operated from 8am-5pm . "The final acceptance of payments will be at 6.30pm," the department said. The department added that the adjustment is part of ongoing efforts to enhance service delivery and improve public convenience, in line with the government's commitment to more efficient and people-centric public services. The revised schedule applies uniformly across all Immigration offices in Kelantan. For further updates, the public is advised to follow the department's official social media channels via @Jimkelantan. It is understood that many Malaysians, particularly Kelantanese, are applying for border passes in preparation for the upcoming school holidays beginning May 29.
