14/07/2026

LYFE TUESDAY | JULY 14, 2026

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Silat gives young Malaysians a way to learn discipline, respect and physical confidence through tradition. – ALL HANDOUT PICS

Preserving heritage martial art

Ű BY AMEEN HAZIZI

T HE Malay martial art form, silat, is often treated as ceremonial, brought out for weddings, official functions and cultural showcases – a narrow view for an art form built on discipline, restraint, respect and identity. Contrary to this, silat is a living discipline that still has a place among young Malaysians. Trusting the teacher World silat champion Al Jufferi Jamari has spent years trying to move the

people question whether they can start a family, said Keita. “That distinction matters. If we misread the problem, we risk designing the wrong solution.” A rights-based response to demographic change is about ensuring every person has the agency, support and opportunity to make some of the most intimate and consequential decisions of their lives, she said. “More than 100,000 young people have spoken. It’s time to listen. In a fragmented world with shrinking resources, we need all future generations to thrive – for people and the planet.” – Bernama-Xinhua from what is in front of us,” he said. He recalled managing a large silat competition that drew criticism over organisational problems. With more than 100 team managers confronting him, he said the only choice was to stay and deal with it. “We had no other choice. We had to face it. When we face problems, we learn how to overcome them,” he said. Adab before skill During the discussion, the word that kept returning was adab (proper conduct). In silat , skill without manners is incomplete. Muhajir said knowledge alone does not make a person grounded. “We may have knowledge but we may not have manners. But when a person has manners, usually that person will also seek knowledge,” he said. That may be why silat still has a place among young Malaysians. It offers movement, discipline and identity but also a practical way to teach strength without arrogance. Silat survives when families trust it, teachers protect its values and young people find their own reasons to keep stepping into the gelanggang. The message from practitioners was clear: silat remains relevant.

understanding where and how their children are being taught. The responsibility is not only on the student. “Parents have the right to ask for a teacher’s licence and certificate. Once they are satisfied, then they can send their children,” he said. Building restraint Lawyer and silat coach Muhajir Wazinie Morchseinie said the martial art value lies in how physical training shapes the mind. A practitioner learns how to move but also how to stay calm under pressure. “Within physical strength, there is also mental strength. When silat students have both physical and mental endurance, they develop the ability not to panic easily under pressure,” he said. For young people, that lesson may be more useful outside the ring than inside it. School, university and working life all test patience in different ways. Silat teaches that reaction without thought can cause damage. National silat referee and judge Yusrizam Ibrahim said leadership is often formed by facing problems directly. “Whatever we do, we must be brave enough to face it. Do not run

o How families, mentors keep silat alive

then, now and forever,” he said at Gema Warisan, a student-led programme at UiTM Shah Alam about whether silat still has a meaningful place among young Malaysians. While young people may take up silat for the punches, kicks, locks and sparring – to truly embrace artform, they are also expected to learn discipline, humility and respect for opponents. Hence his argument is not built on nostlagia and his advice to younger practitioners was poignant yet direct. “My advice to the younger generation is to learn silat but do not join gangster groups. Gangsterism will only lead you towards damage,” he said. This sentiment reflects a larger concern around martial arts. Strength can attract young people looking for confidence, status or belonging. Without proper guidance, that energy can be misused. “Learn silat but do not let it consume you,” he said. Al Jufferi also said parents should not dismiss the martial art as outdated or unsafe without

martial art beyond the limited view that it belongs only at weddings or selected showcases. “Throughout the last 15 years, I have proven to the world, not only Malaysia, that silat remains relevant

From left: Muhajir, Jufferi and Yusrizam share how silat can shape discipline, leadership and respect among young Malaysians.

Young people willing to say ‘I do’, have children if lifestyle affordable YOUNG people across the world are willing to marry and have children if they can afford to do so, according to a new UN report, reported Xinhua. More than two-thirds of young adults selected an ideal relationship and living arrangement that includes marriage, according to the report of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on the findings of its 2025-2026 Demographic Futures Survey. more common in West and Central Africa and in East and Southern Africa, according to the report Lives, Choices and Futures: What young people want and what shapes their decisions about relationships and parenthood. respondents rating it as important. This pattern is observed among respondents with and without children. Reasons related to government encouragement and contributions to the future workforce are among the lowest-rated reasons for having children, it showed. and parenthood. Some people have suggested that younger generations are rejecting marriage and family life. But our data shows this is simply not true,” said UNFPA executive director Diene Keita at the launch of the report. However, many young people do not feel the conditions are in place to achieve these goals, she said.

The highest-rated preconditions for feeling ready for parenthood are being financially secure (88%), having stable employment (87%) and feeling emotionally ready (85%). On average, female respondents rate each of the preconditions as more important than male respondents, according to the report. The joy and happiness children bring is the highest-rated reason for having children, with 80% of

Economic and housing constraints constitute the highest-rated barrier to having children, with 72% of respondents rating this as important. Lack of a suitable partner and health and reproductive factors are the next highest-rated barriers, according to the report. “The findings are striking: most young people aspire to partnership

“They are asking for the conditions that would make real choice possible: decent work, affordable housing, health care, sexual and reproductive health services, childcare support, parental leave and gender equality at work and at home.” Simply put, it is uncertainty, not unwillingness, that is making young

The survey covered more than 108,000 internet-connected people aged 18-39 across 73 countries and territories. Across most regional groupings, a family with two children is the most commonly reported ideal family size. Larger ideal family sizes are