Teo Yit Siew, a 37-year-old woman, wore a batik baju kurung for the first time at the 2023 National Day celebration at Dataran Putrajaya. She mentioned that she had never owned a baju kurung or a batik blouse before, but bought the batik baju kurung specifically for the event. Teo, who was born in Klang, Selangor, explained that she wore the batik outfit to demonstrate her patriotism as a Malaysian, as well as to respond to the government’s call to liven up the celebration. She also noted that the baju kurung can be worn by anyone, regardless of race.
Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil had encouraged attendees of the National Day celebration to wear batik in support of the local batik industry. Kamarudin Muhamed, a 69-year-old retiree, also wore batik to the celebration, accompanied by his wife Norlia Mustafa. Kamarudin mentioned that they typically watched the celebration on television at home, but this year, they wanted to attend in person due to its proximity to their home.
Sofiyyah Khairil, a student studying Actuarial Science at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Perak, expressed her choice to wear batik as a way to promote the national identity. She compared it to South Korea’s pride in their traditional costume, the hanbok, and suggested that batik should receive the same level of promotion, particularly during special occasions like the National Day celebration. Sofiyyah also shared her preference for Terengganu batik baju kurung.
Imad Ariffin, a 22-year-old civil servant, mentioned that he was taught to appreciate batik by his parents since he was 10 years old. Therefore, he feels comfortable wearing batik for any occasion. Additionally, Mohd Azrin Abdul Rashid, 32, and Joitoh Tinggu, 49, both from Sabah, attended the National Day celebration wearing traditional Kadazan clothing. This marked their first presence at the country’s National Day celebration.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
