PRIME NEWS POST
‘His Royal Highness (HRH) Sri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Raja Gontar IV Confirms the Participation of the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe at the 2025 Archipelagic Ethnic Heritage Festival in Melaka, Malaysia’
The INDONESIAN — His Royal Highness (HRH) Sri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Raja Gontar IV, Dr. Drs. Syafri Fadillah Marpaung, S.E., M.Pd., Al-Hajj, the 17th generation of the Aru Kingdom, North Sumatra, delivered an official statement at the Communication Forum of the Indonesian Customary Council (Majelis Adat Indonesia/MAI) regarding the participation of the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe in the international Archipelagic Ethnic Heritage Festival 2025, held on November 7–8, 2025, in Melaka, Malaysia.
In his statement, HRH Tuanku Raja Gontar IV affirmed that the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe actively took part in the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, and the Malam Mahabbah (Night of Cultural Affinity), as well as officially participating as a representative of the Aru Kingdom’s 17th generation at the Nusantara cultural festival.
The sacred opening procession of the festival featured the traditional Tor-tor Batak Mandailing dance, witnessed directly by prominent customary and royal figures at the international level, including:
The Governor of Melaka, YM TYT Tun Seri Dr. Hj. Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam;
YM Sultan Yusuf, representing the Pagaruyung Kingdom;
YM Ret. Police Inspector General Ike Edwin, representing the Lamban Kuning Kingdom of Lampung; and
KRAy Yayuk, Special Envoy of YM Tedjo Wulan, Mahapati of the Surakarta Palace.
Throughout the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the Malam Mahabbah, the Royal Flag of Raja Gontar was ceremonially paraded as an honorable symbol of the existence, customary sovereignty, and dignity of the 17th Generation Aru Kingdom on the international cultural stage of the festival.
HRH Raja Gontar IV emphasized that this participation was not merely a cultural performance, but part of a grand mission of preserving ancestral identity, strengthening cultural diplomacy, and reinforcing Indonesia’s national dignity in the eyes of the world.
“The participation of the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe is a form of cultural devotion to the nation and concrete proof that Nusantara traditions—especially those of the 17th generation of the Aru Kingdom—remain alive, sovereign, and honorable within the international community,” stated HRH Raja Gontar IV.
The Indonesian Customary Council (MAI) warmly welcomed this affirmation and regarded the presence of HRH Raja Gontar IV along with the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe at the 2025 Archipelagic Ethnic Heritage Festival as an important milestone in strengthening Indonesia’s customary cultural diplomacy at the international level.
HRH Tuanku Raja Gontar IV also confirmed that this marks the third consecutive year the Raja Gontar Dance Troupe has participated in the festival in Melaka, Malaysia.
Editorial Note:
Reported by the PRIME NEWS POST correspondent, compiled from various media sources. Photo: documentation / public archive
