Three Pillars Supporting Community Life
Tungku Tigo Sajorangan is rooted in the idea that community life rests on three interconnected pillars: customs, religion, and Cerdik Pandai or government and intellectual capacity.
The philosophy uses the image of three stones supporting a cooking pot. Each stone must be sufficiently strong and balanced for the pot to remain stable. In the social context, the three pillars are therefore understood as interdependent rather than arranged in a hierarchy of power.
The first pillar is represented by Niniak Mamak, traditional leaders who safeguard customs, kinship relations, customary norms, communal resources, and traditional dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The second is represented by Alim Ulama, religious scholars who provide moral and religious guidance and help strengthen solidarity within the community.
The third pillar, Cerdik Pandai, historically refers to knowledgeable and wise members of society. In contemporary governance, this role is associated with government officials, professionals, scholars, and others who contribute knowledge, administration, policy, and development capacity.
Social Relations Are More Than Cooperation
The Universitas Riau study shows that the relationship between these three pillars is dynamic. It does not always operate through simple cooperation.
The interactions can include:
- Cooperation and coordination
- Deliberation and negotiation
- Competition over interests
- Conflict and conflict resolution
- Joint decision-making and community participation
These relationships influence how communities make decisions, solve problems, manage development, and respond to changing social conditions. The study describes Tungku Tigo Sajorangan as a network of social relations rather than simply a traditional leadership structure.
This dynamic character is important because differences in authority, development priorities, resource utilization, and recognition of community rights can create tensions. Conflict, however, is presented as part of the social process that requires appropriate mechanisms for negotiation and resolution.
Local Wisdom as Social Capital
The researchers describe Tungku Tigo Sajorangan as a form of social capital because it connects customary norms, religious values, knowledge, trust, social legitimacy, and reciprocal relationships.
Each pillar contributes a different type of capacity. Customs provide social and cultural legitimacy, religion offers moral orientation, while government and intellectuals contribute knowledge, administrative capacity, and policy resources. Together, these elements can create a broader network for managing community affairs.
This model is particularly relevant to Kuantan Singingi, where cultural identity is closely connected to local traditions. The study highlights Pacu Jalur as one cultural practice that contributes to social cohesion and local identity.
Supporting Local Economic and Social Development
The research connects Tungku Tigo Sajorangan with community empowerment through participation, capacity building, local economic development, cultural preservation, education, and religious life.
Government institutions can provide policies, facilities, and technical support. Traditional and religious leaders can contribute social knowledge, legitimacy, solidarity, and values. This combination creates opportunities for communities to develop local resources according to their own social and cultural characteristics.
For Kuantan Singingi, the approach can be relevant to sectors such as agriculture, plantations, and culture-based economic activities. Community participation remains essential because empowerment is not limited to government programs; residents need to become active participants in identifying local needs and opportunities.
Cultural preservation also has an empowerment dimension. Local traditions can function not only as symbols of identity but also as sources of community learning and social cohesion. The study places cultural practices such as Pacu Jalur within this broader context of community development.
Implications for Local Governance
The findings also have implications for public administration. The study presents Tungku Tigo Sajorangan as a model through which formal government authority can interact with local social institutions.
Under this approach, government is not the only source of influence in community development. Traditional institutions contribute social legitimacy, religious institutions provide moral orientation, and knowledgeable community members and government officials contribute administrative and policy capacity.
The researchers argue that this combination can support participatory, collaborative, and context-sensitive governance. Local wisdom can therefore serve not merely as cultural heritage but also as an institutional resource for policy formulation, public participation, conflict resolution, and community empowerment.
Adapting to Social Change
The sustainability of Tungku Tigo Sajorangan faces challenges from modernization, population mobility, economic development, increasing administrative complexity, and changing values among younger generations.
The study emphasizes that preserving the philosophy does not mean keeping its institutions unchanged. Instead, the three pillars need to adapt while retaining the fundamental values that provide social legitimacy and cultural identity.
For the authors, the strength of Tungku Tigo Sajorangan lies not simply in the continued existence of its three pillars, but in their ability to communicate, negotiate interests, resolve disputes, and build agreements that are accepted by the community.
Andri Meiriki, Sujianto, Zaili Rusli, and Auradian Marta of Universitas Riau conclude that Tungku Tigo Sajorangan represents a local governance model in which customs, religion, intellectual capacity, government, and community participation can work as interconnected sources of social and institutional capacity. Their analysis places local wisdom at the intersection of cultural preservation, community empowerment, and adaptive public administration.
Author Profile
Andri Meiriki, Sujianto, Zaili Rusli, and Auradian Marta are researchers affiliated with Universitas Riau. The article identifies Andri Meiriki as the corresponding author.
Source
Article Title: Social Relationship Patterns in Community Empowerment Rooted in Local Wisdom of the Tungku Tigo Sajorangan Philosophy in Kuantan Singingi Regency
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS)
Volume: 4, No. 9
Publication Year: 2026
Pages: 1245-1258
Authors: Andri Meiriki, Sujianto, Zaili Rusli, Auradian Marta
Affiliation: Universitas Riau
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijsas.v4i9.70
Official Journal: http://ijsasjournal.my.id/index.php/ijsas
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