WARISAN PERKAPALAN TRADISIONAL MELAYU: SIMBOL KEBIJAKSANAAN PERTUKANGAN MASYARAKAT DAHULU

Abstract

Abstrak
Masyarakat Melayu tradisional sebenarnya merupakan masyarakat maritim sesuai dengan kedudukan
pusat petempatan dan pemerintahannya di pesisiran pantai di seluruh pelosok Alam Melayu di Asia
Tenggara. Petempatan-petempatan yang strategik di persimpangan jalan perdagangan laut antara dunia
Barat dan Timur telah menjadikan pusat-pusat pemerintahannya sebagai bandar-bandar pelabuhan
utama di wilayah ini. Sistem peniupan angin monsun yang bertiup dari Barat ke Timur pada musim panas
dan dari Timur ke Barat pada musim sejuk telah membawa kapal daripada arah berbeza pada masa
yang berbeza, dan ketiadaan tiupan angin pada masa antara dua musim itu memaksa kapal-kapal itu
menunggu di pelabuhan yang memberi peluang bagi para pedagang untuk menjalankan jual beli mereka.
Untuk memenuhi keperluan perdagangan maritim itu maka sejak awal lagi pedagang Melayu telah
menggunakan pelbagai jenis kapal dan perahu. Artikel ini membincangkan tiga jenis warisan kapal orang
Melayu yang digunakan dalam aktiviti perdagangan dan kegiatan maritim pada zaman lampau; iaitu jenis
kapal besar bagi penjelajahan di lautan luas dan antara benua, jenis kapal sederhana bagi penjelajahan
di antara pelabuhan di Alam Melayu dan jenis kapal atau perahu kecil untuk kegiatan di pinggir pantai dan
sungai. Pembinaan jenis-jenis kapal itu melambangkan kebijaksanaan dan kemahiran seni pertukangan
Melayu tradisional.

Abstract

The traditional Malay society was generally a maritime society with their settlements and centers of
government located along the coastal regions of Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago. These centres
of settlement and government, being strategically situated midway between the sea routes of the western
and eastern trading worlds, have developend into the major city ports of the region. These favarable
locations were aided further by the variation of the monsoonal winds that blow from the west to the east
during summer months and from the east to the west during the winter months, which helped to bring
sailing ships from different regions. A lull in the wind between the seasons forced the ships to stay put at
the harbour which gave traders ample apportunities to trade their goods. Naturally ships played important
roles in such maritme trading scenario and the Malays since earlier times had been using various ship
types to fulfill those activities. In this article a description of various ship types used by the Malay maritime
traders will be discussed, namely the big ocean-going ships, the medium size ships that plied the seas
and straits within the Malay Archipelago, and the smaller boats that were used along the coasts and rivers.
The construction and the use of the various types of ships, sumbolized the wisdom and skill of the Malay
traditional craftsmen and artisans.