Celebrate the clothes that make us Malay, say experts

Free Malaysia Today

Lecturer Nur Afifi Taib has observed that many Muslims have embraced Arab-style attire although traditional Malay wear embodies values such as modesty.    Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2024/04/10/celebrate-the-clothes-that-make-us-malay-say-experts/  Laporan Lanjut:   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #FMTBeraya #NurAfifiTaib #NiniMariniRamlan #Malaysia

Transcript

00:00 Baju kurung, baju melayu, and baju kebaya are more than just traditional attire.

00:06 They are emblematic of Malay heritage and identity, particularly during religious festivals

00:11 like Hari Raya.

00:12 But the essence of these traditional garments has changed over the decades because of influences

00:17 from Nusantara and India, among others.

00:21 This fusion, while aesthetically pleasing, has caused some concern that the unique identity

00:26 of Malay attire is being eroded.

00:29 Nini Marini Ramlan, president of the Association of Traditional Textile Lovers, says there

00:34 is a growing concern that the community will eventually disconnect from its cultural identity.

00:40 The young people, they don't know because they cannot see the difference between Indonesian

00:44 and Malaysian batik.

00:46 Malaysian batik, so free.

00:49 Like okay, we have 200 years of separation between Indonesia and Malaysia.

00:54 Not only is there a disconnect, Nini says many in the community are also unwilling to

00:59 invest in garments crafted using traditional techniques like hand weaving, opting for mass-produced

01:05 fabric instead as it is cheaper.

01:08 For me, the tenon pahang diraja especially, I think it starts at 5,000 for four meters

01:15 of uncut and that's, you know, but it's hand woven silk and all that.

01:19 Songket, it's even more because it's using gold.

01:23 And people are just like, oh, I want the same look but I'm just going to go for machine

01:27 made stuff.

01:29 This is where the cultural lines become blurred.

01:33 Machine made stuff are not necessarily coming from this country.

01:36 It's coming from other countries.

01:38 So you can get four meters of brocade, Indian brocade for 250.

01:44 Samping is actually, it comes together with the baju Melayu and it's machine made from

01:50 India.

01:51 And there's nothing wrong with that, but we are losing a touch of what our cora is.

01:59 Performing arts lecturer Nur Afifi Muhammad Ta'ib from UITM says it saddens him to see

02:04 many Muslims adopt the cultural attire of communities in other countries.

02:09 I always see this when there is a funeral.

02:13 Especially women, they will choose to use abaya more than wearing kurung clothes.

02:21 Why is it easy for Malays to adopt this Arab style of clothing?

02:25 In my opinion, it's because of the way they wear it and the shari'i.

02:32 Even so, Nur Afifi doubts modesty is the issue here.

02:35 Yes, if you follow the kurung clothes, it's true that the fabric is not even.

02:41 If the concept of the false fabric of kurung clothes is beautiful.

02:46 Kurung clothes, why is it called kurung?

02:50 Because it reduces the wearer from doing things outside the limits of shari'at.

03:00 So how do we instill an appreciation for Malay traditional wear in the community's hearts

03:04 and minds?

03:05 Before we go to a bigger picture, let's go to the smallest unit first, which is the family.

03:14 So how does the family culture raise their children, what is passed on to their children,

03:24 that will be the next connection.

03:27 Natasha Bust, FMT News.

03:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]

Category

Transcript

Recommended