Adat Perpatih; its significance to contemporay society

Since I began searching materials on Adat Perpatih, I came across many sources, one of which is compiled by Jabatan Warisan Negara, entitled "Adat Perpatih" which is very useful to refer to since it covers a wide range of topics and they are essays written by a few experts in their own area of specialisation such as Land law, protocol and sayings (terombo).
                 But what intrigues me most is an essay by Nordin Selat who at one time was on the teaching staff of the Arts Faculty in University of Malaya and he was responsible for introducing the module on 'Adat Perpatih' as a subject taught to students. Unfortunately when he left, there was no one who was competent enough to continue with it. The comment he made in his essay is a reflection of the state of neglect on the significance of the Adat Perpatih to contemporary society which is rather unfortunate since there are many which could be learned on the art of developing a civil society. He said we need not look at foreign element such as the 'Renaissance Man' in bringing back social stability and harmony if we can revive the 'Adat Man'. The saying below is pertinent;

Apa tanda bangsa beradat
Mewariskan adat ia ingat
Supaya hidup selamat
Adat diingat ingat
Diturunkan bercepat cepat
Diwariskan ketika ingat
Disampaikan dimana sempat

               He stressed the importance of intellectual leadership to be infused amongst the practitioners of the adat, since the mainstay of the adat stems from wisdom derived from centuries of traditions that have gone through adaptations from its place of origin in Minangkabau as it travelled through Siak and Naning. He suggested that an Institute on Adat Perpatih be formed to ensure its continuity and research its relevance to contemporary society. Alas, it still remains a dream, which he hopes will materialise in the future.