Night of the Harimau

Communities have different ways of responding to pressures on their traditionally-held beliefs. When a conservative faction in Johor state revived a religious fatwah against the art of Kuda Kepang, the response was loud and clear. In the heart of Parit Raja, the ethnic Javanese community rose up with a ritual performance that awakened the spirit of the harimau (tiger). The energy merged into a Kuda Kepang performance as powerful as any I have witnessed. The camaraderie was charged, the smoke heavy, the sounds ferocious. Here are a few images created in the light of the call for respect.