ID :
356999
Thu, 02/12/2015 - 04:23
Auther :

IMAMI Promotes Malaysia-Indonesia Ties In Strengthening ASEAN Community Spirit

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Ikatan Malaysia-Indonesia Mandailing (IMAMI) not only aims to strengthen ties between the two countries, but is also a forum to promote Mandailing culture and language. IMAMI president Ahmad Tarmimi Siregar Kamaruddin said the existence of this first non-governmental organisation with a combined membership of people of both countries, was consistent with ASEAN's efforts to create an ASEAN Community by the end of this year. ASEAN is determined to build a sense of belonging among member countries in the region under the ASEAN Community concept comprising three pillars of cooperation namely socio-cultural, political and economic. Tarmimi said with the establishment of this organisation made up of citizens of both countries, efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the Maindailings could be better coordinated. He told Bernama this after appearing as a guest on the "Ala Carte Pagi" programme aired by Bernama Radio24 here Wednesday. Tarmimi said the idea to create a body comprising Mandailing descendants of both countries was mooted when Malaysia's efforts to preserve the tor-tor dance and Gordang Sambilan drums as a Mandailing heritage in 2012 caused an uproar. "Arising from that controversy, we saw a need to define our efforts clearly so that Mandailings in Malaysia and Indonesia will not feel threatened with any issues. "Subsequently, the association was registered here and an official appointment letter was handed over to the customary head in Sumatera who acts as patron, and they will use the same logo and have the same objectives," he said. Through this collaboration, he said IMAMI Malaysia was registered officially with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on June 13, 2014 while IMAMI Indonesia was registered with the government of Indonesia on October 30, 2014. Ahmad Tarmimi said this Saturday, IMAMI Malaysia and IMAMI Indonesia will be launched simultaneously at Universiti Putra Malaysia by socio-cultural affairs advisor to the Malaysian government, Dr Rais Yatim and Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno. He said there were more than two million Mandailings in Malaysia and Indonesia with family ties, 500,000 in Malaysia and the remaining in Indonesia with more than one million in North Sumatera. Ahmad Tarmimi expressed the hope that the Mandailings in Malaysia would promote the Mandailing descent and identity in their names in developing Mandailing cultural heritage further. Among well known Mandailing names were Siregar, Lubis, Nasution, Hasibuan and Rangkuti, and these family names were used as the last name for Mandailing boys as identification of the clan, he said. "The family name should be adopted formally in identity cards so that the children are aware of their origin," he added. -- BERNAMA

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