There is an increase in demand for traditional Malay headgear for men, known as tanjak, according to local tanjak makers. Mohd Iskandar Abd Rahim, a tanjak maker, stated that Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak has gained popularity and become a trend in recent years. He came up with the idea in 2019 by using scarves sewn over stiff cotton cloth to make the tanjak sturdier. Mohd Iskandar, who co-owns Wandarisnor Kompang Baldu, mentioned that tanjak making used to be their family’s side business but has expanded due to growing demand.
Mohd Iskandar added that while their main business is making kompang, a traditional hand drum, they now focus on both kompang and tanjak due to the high demand for the latter. He also plans to take a class on making traditional Chinese and Indian attire for men. Schools and government agencies are the main customers for Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak. Mohd Iskandar has already prepared 50 pieces of headgear, all of which were pre-ordered. Each tanjak takes around one hour to complete and is priced at RM50. Some pieces have been sent to Kuala Lumpur and Terengganu.
In addition to Mohd Iskandar, Zahedy Zakariah, the owner of Songkok Masood Hussin, also produces tanjak. He has sold 200 pieces of the Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak since Aug 1, with a sales record of 400 pieces last year. Zahedy and his wife, Nur Dalila Abdul Ghani, make around 30 tanjak pieces a day. Each tanjak is custom-made and hand-sewn, priced between RM90 and RM100. Their tanjak is made from stiff cotton sewn together with a cloth that bears the colors of the national flag. The biggest clients for Zahedy are government agencies, and they expect higher demand leading up to National Day.
Moreover, Zahedy mentioned that they are making a limited-edition Jalur Gemilang-themed songkok at their shop in Muar. While making songkok is their family’s main business, they decided to venture into tanjak making due to popular demand.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
