The Malaysian Insight

FOR an agricultural state like Perlis, February and March is ‘break time’ from the hard work at a padi field as the harvest is already in.

Those months, too, mark the transition from the cool weather to dry and windy as the temperature rises above 35 degrees Celsius in the state. Thus, the padi field will drying out until the next rainy season and only then, the farmers will go back to planting padi.

To fulfil the farmers’ leisure time, the state government with several agencies, such the National Department for Culture and Arts and Department of Agriculture, organise a harvest festival known as East Wind Festival (Pesta Angin Timur).

One of the games and shows include the iron buffalo race (perlumbaan kerbau besi). 

Previously, farmers used buffalo to plough the padi but machines have replaced the animal in the last 30 years. However, during the East Wind Festival, young farmers race the ‘iron buffalo’ at a dry padi field in Kangar, Perlis. – March 3, 2019.