By Shanika Abdullatib
MELAKA (Bernama) -- The tradition of driving the kereta lembu, one of Melaka's iconic identities, is experiencing a revival, and it is the next generation leading the way.
Adam Hazrik Zulhilmi, 32, is continuing his late father's legacy as an experienced bullock cart driver and maker, with two of his bullocks, 'Abang' and 'Adik' forming part of an eight-bullock team, powering the kereta lembu ferrying tourists to the popular tourist attractions here.
"My brothers and I are keeping alive the memory of our father, well remembered for his expertise as bullock tamer and creative bullock cart artisan. Money can't buy the skills and knowledge acquired from our father.
"I am committed to preserving our heritage that is passed down from past generations, and will continue my father's legacy before the skills are lost to the passage of time," he told Bernama here recently.
Adam Hazrik, who is a sixth generation trainer and bullock cart maker, was sharing his journey in training 'Abang' and 'Adik' for the task of welcoming tourists, in light of the reopening of the nation's borders to international travellers on April 1.
TRAINING BULLOCKS
The ability to stop his bullocks with a voice command comes from the idea of safety, said Adam Hazrik, as he called out "Hooo" in a commanding voice to 'Abang' and 'Adik', the pair of white and grey bullocks, who immediately obeyed and came to a grinding halt. "Hooo" means the bullocks were taught to slow down and stop.
'Abang' and 'Adik', which are characterised by large humps over their necks and shoulders and pendulous dewlaps, have been trained to pull his master's kereta lembu, a brown-coloured pointed roof in the shape of the horn of a bull.
To train bullocks, many factors including the breed and relationship between the bullocks, should also be considered to ensure the two-year old animals obey his instructions while handling them during rides.
"Seasoning a bullock is not like taming a horse, tiger or elephant. Different training techiques are used for bullocks," said Adam Hazrik, who is also a horse trainer.
SELECTING THE BEST BREED
Adam Hazrik said the best cattle to be selected for the draft, that is for pulling carts, are of Brahman or Siamese breed, as they have large humps.
"Both breeds are very docile, easy-to-handle and are painstakingly trained from a young age. For the task, only male cattle will be used as they are generally larger," he said, noting that his family owns eight of these mammals for the purpose.
Born and bred in Kampung Tambak Bugis, Telok Mas, here, he said there are some features to look for when selecting cattle for cart rides, which have been the practice of his family for generations.
"The good breed of cattle is recognisable by the large hump on their backs and they are usually tame, trainable, obedient, calm and are not easily agitated in public places," he said.
Cattle with cloven hoofs are usually strong and hardy animals," he said, adding that they are sourced from several areas in Penang, Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Kelantan.
Good breeds of cattle are usually big framed and well-muscled, with a deep and wide rump, strong foundation, black hard hoofs and they do not have loose skin at the navel or around the sheath.
Making the two bullocks (castrated young male cows) compatible with each other is no easy feat. As such every time Adam Hazrik buys cattle, he would buy two male cows from the same stable.
"They may not necessarily be siblings but if possible they should come from the same stable. We will also look for the sire (the cows' father). If the sire is good, Insya-Allah (God willing), the cattle will also be okay.
"But all these depend on luck. Sometimes you tend to get one that is good, the other is rather naughty. It can be quite challenging if this happens, the good cow will also behave in the same manner," he added.
Adam Hazrik said there is no specialised technique for taming the cattle as the knowledge and skills are acquired from his father.
He said after two or three training sessions, paired cows will be replaced if they are found to be incompatible and have been showing hostility towards each other.
"Taming a pair of good cattle will only take about a month or two before they are ready to ferry tourists on the kereta lembu," he said.
THORNY WEAPONS FOR TRAINING
Adam Hazrik said he together with his brothers Samsudin Abdul, 44, and Tajudin Abdul, 53, used several 'weapons' to train and tame the cows.
They include fitting iron rims around the wooden wheels of the bullock cart and using thorny beetles.
"Whenever the cows tend to lose their grip, the wooden platform fitted to the bullocks between the parallel wheels of the cart, will be tilted, hence the iron fittings help to stabilise the wheels.
"The thorny beetles are placed around the bullock's neck, and when the cattle loosens itself, it will be stung by the insect bites, causing it to return to its original position," he said, noting that this is only used in the early stages for naughty cows only.
Adam Hazrik admitted that he had been kicked, flung off the cow's back and its head thrashed at him, noting that all these are part of the challenges of seasoning his team of bullocks.
"For horses, you only train one, but for kereta lembu, we have to train two bullocks at the same time for compatibility.
"It's difficult to explain the cows' behaviour. They seem calm at the start of their journey when they are being tied to the cart. But the situation changes when they hit the road and become agitated.
"Cattle stress is triggered by a myriad of causes such as honking of vehicles or tourists touching sensitive parts of their body. When they panic, the pair would charge ahead, and this makes it difficult to handle them," he said.
Other than "hooo", the cows are taught to respond to the signals such as "bah and haaiipp" to ensure they understand the verbal commands given, especially while ferrying tourists.
Despite the kereta lembu fading away due to the change in locations, including the previous ban on bullock carts at tourist spots due to animal cleanliness and health factors, Adam Hazrik is not giving up without a fight.
Today, the bullock cart ride, which is a pleasant site due to its rarity, has emerged as the latest and popular attraction at Hang Tuah Centre in Duyung, drawing large crowds to experience the traditional kereta lembu rides.
"Most of the visitors who turn up for the bullock cart rides are senior citizens and adults who are there to rekindle their childhood memories," said Adam Hazrik.
Over the weekends and public places, he said, the bullock cart rides can stretch up to 15 trips, but noted that the bullocks' welfare is always given priority.
Every gesture and body language will be observed, and if they show signs of tiredness, the bullocks will be given immediate rest.
"We have four pairs of cows which are rotated for ferrying tourists. Before the ride, the cows will be given enough food and a bath to make them comfortable and fresh.
At the same time, the cattle in our stable are also given periodical veterinary treatment to ensure they are in the best of health," he added.
Translated by Salbiah Said
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