<資料・研究ノート>マレー農村ガロック再訪

Abstract

Drastic economic changes are taking place in Malay villages, which are being accelerated by governmental development policy. Remarkable changes can be observed even in the village of Galok, which is situated neither in a double-cropping area nor in a rubber or oil palm estate area and thus tends to benefit less from development planning. The changes so far seen in Galok are as follows. The high-yielding varieties of paddy, which are important for rural development of double-cropping areas, have not been accepted in Galok because of the poor water conditions, although the villagers are continually trying to introduce new strains of traditional varieties. On the other hand, the hiring of tractors has spread in spite of the continuing instability of the harvest. Tractor hire became possible owing to the increased cash income deriving mainly from newly introduced tobacco cultivation. Tobacco cultivation in the dry-season paddy fields of Galok played as important a role as did the high-yiclding varieties in double-cropping area. The economic gap between Galok and the more rapidly developing areas is, however, still considerable. Thus, migrant working, which had once been important but had declined in the early years of tobacco cultivation, has again become popular among Galok youths. In this sense the Galok villagers seem to be following the example of the more modernized Melaka villagers. The influences of the outside world are not only economic but also sociocultural. The spread of formal education is one of the most remarkable features. Many village children now have experience or expectations of having Malay-medium high-school education, as a result of the above-mentioned increase of cash income and the priority given to Malays in the distribution of scholarships. On the other hand, the pondok school, the former center of traditional education, has almost completely ceased to function in the education of youth. School education has produced in village youths an urban or non-agricultural orientation, which is supported by their parents. Thus, the economic development of Galok seems to be leading towards an exodus of village youths.