Silat exponents wed in unique wedding

Martial arts exponent-cum-instructor Safaran Ahmad, 56, and his wife, a fellow silat cekak exponent, wanted to ensure that their wedding would be out of the ordinary.
Safaran, who lost his wife last year, married Farimah Idon, 47, in a low-key ceremony held at Kampung Sepinang here.
Both bride and groom were dressed in traditional Malay costumes, while their guests, mostly from the silat cekak fraternity, were dressed like Malay warriors of a bygone era.
The groom’s best man wore the uniform of a hulubalang, which is likened to an army commander under the sultan or prince during the old Malay-Riau sultanate.
Staying true to their passion, the music for the wedding was played on traditional musical instruments such as the gamelan, gendang (big bass drums), serunai (fife), gong and kompang.
“For many of the over 1,600 guests, including children, this was the first time they had attended such a wedding,” Safaran said.
Farimah said she had taken up silat cekak to strengthen her body and mind and Safaran was her instructor. She fell for his patience, nurturing ways and disciplined characteristic.
“We had both lost our spouses. We wanted to use our wedding to create awareness of our rich culture and history,” she said, adding that silat is a Malay heritage that should be protected for its beauty.
Among the guests was Malaysia Silat Cekak Association president Datuk Maideen Kadir Shah.