In the proverb says, when a Penghulu dies, the people of the Penghulu are likened to “Ijuak ndak basaga, lurah ndak babatu” which means, his people have no king anymore (no Penghulu).
If this custom in Minangkabau, if there is no tribal anymore, it will reduce the status of its own people.
So when the Penghulu of a tribe dies, call it the Penghulu of the Koto tribe or Sikumbang, then a nagari meeting is held to elect a new Penghulu for that people.
How to Choose a Ruler
Collected nephews, “Nan sapayuang sapatagak, nan salingka cupak adat” then selected “someone” who would be appointed as Penghulu “Kapai tampek batanyo, ka pulang tampek babarito di anak dan kamanakannyo”
When Penghulu has been obtained, it is taken to the ninik mamak ampek suku institution.
“Bajanjang naiak batanggo down”, stood Penghulu basarato jo wakilnyo (and his deputy), and was perverted (informed) to the four tribes.
In Minang culture, establishing Penghulu must slaughter buffaloes, according to ability, if able to “sweep the floor” slaughtered a buffalo. However, there was a
rich tribe, plus a jawi (cow), slaughtering buffaloes and jawi (cows).
This buffalo slaughter custom aims to feed one Nagari. Made baralek sanagari, one after another people who will come, if there is no ability to invite many people, then only those who should be invited, or the ruler, can also be institutions, just as legitimate.
In the Penghulu baralek, there will be sambah manyambah / batitah / petatah – petitih, oral literary culture that has been rooted for hundreds of years in the Minang Realm, mutually responding, with its own procedures.
Please note, that Penghulu is Andiko in Nagari, Andiko is the same function as a member of the DPR, in this Balingka nagari Andiko or his DPR members have 60 people.
KAN, that is the institution, in every nagari there is a KAN (Nagari Customary Density), a customary consultative institution.
Source : Dt. Malano
