Rice of the past is not what it is now...

When was the last time we heard about paddy? It has been the staple food of Malaysians since the first century based on evidence of ancient paddy finds in the archaeological site of Lembah Bujang, Kedah. And there was also a follow-up study presented in August 1989 at the International Malay Conference, University of Malaya. An earlier version of the article 'Oryza Sativa and the Malays: History, Facts and Reconsideration', by Mohammed Halib and Abdullah Azmi Khalid emphasised that there were two divisions of cultivation methods, namely 'Padi Darat and Padi Basah.

Before the nineteenth century, dry paddy cultivation was more popular than wet paddy cultivation among the Malays who were the sole producers of paddy in the country. But by the beginning of the twentieth century, wet paddy cultivation replaced dry paddy cultivation partly due to the government's inability to support wasteful dry paddy cultivation due to accelerated soil erosion and partly due to the increasing tendency of the population to settle in one place.

Padi Darat, more synonymously called Padi Huma or Padi Bukit, was found to be planned in the pre-colonial era, including in the Malay states of Perak and Selangor in 1511, in the era before the arrival of western colonialists.

Under the Malay state, the Sultan had the right to take one tenth of the crop yield. Therefore, the proprietary rights to land were not limited to occupation or cultivation only but also the obligation to pay taxes to the ruling class. Failure or refusal to pay taxes would result in the right to use the land and crops being confiscated.

While Padi Basah, more synonymously called Padi Sawah or Bendang, began to take root in the 15th century where the growth was in line with the production of Dry Padi. It stems from a unilinear evolutionary framework from one branching system to other systems including . Apart from social, economic and political transformation, the existence of Padi Basah is based on three main factors: rainfall patterns, topography and soil type.

The Malay Peninsula has experienced social, economic and political transformation under colonial rule. The economic basis of the Malay peasantry has changed to adapt to the economic structure under the new social order that prioritizes exchange. The pressure of the world market and the colonial government has formed an agricultural industry.

At that time, this basic food was monopolized by the Sultan or the colonial rulers in addition to involving usufructuary rights and property rights. Despite the advantages for Muslim owners at that time, the production of rice by land cultivation has become a starting point for democracy when it involves taxes imposed by the ruling class.

However, the rice of the past is not what it is now...

You can click:

Melaka Gazettes 1,000 Ha Of Padi Fields To Safeguard Agriculture, Food Security