The Famous Woven Silk Fabrics of Pahang

SUTERA TENUN PAHANG DIRAJA (ROYAL PAHANG WOVEN SILK)

A small village in the Pahang royal town of Pekan that is famous for fine woven silk fabrics and cloth – the Sutera Tenun Pahang Diraja or "Royal Pahang Woven Silk"

In Malaysia, whenever someone asks or talks about fine woven silk cloth, inevitably reference is made to the famous and popular product ("Tenun Pahang Diraja" in short) made by the village of Pulau Keladi in Bandar Diraja Pekan, Pahang.

This famous Pahang woven silk cloth was conferred royal status by DYTM Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on the 8th of May 2006.

In fact, the village of Pulau Keladi in Bandar Diraja Pekan, located about 20 km (or 25 minutes drive from Kuantan) is the main source of Tenun Pahang Diraja, and the majority of the Pulau Keladi village folks are skilled in the manual weaving of silk threads into highly desirable quality designed silk cloth, famed all over Malaysia. It is a small cottage industry, and just like the woven silk clothes in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, they are mostly done by the womenfolk of the village.

Nestled amongst the quaint wooden houses of the village, you will find the Kompleks Budaya Pulau Keladi, (or Pulau Keladi Cultural Complex), a modern wooden-styled building opened officially in 1996 by the then Chief Minister of Pahang.

This complex is not only a place showcasing Tenun Pahang Diraja fabrics and related products,it also acts as a center for training young men and women who are interested in learning the art of silk weaving that is unique to the place. This is to ensure that the art and skill of silk weaving of fabrics in the Pahang-style would be preserved and continued by the future generations.

Inside this building, there are written explanations on the various stages and processes involved in silk weaving and making. You can also find a pictorial history of silk weaving in Pahang and of the prominent personalities involved in Pahang silk weaving in the past, namely, Tuk Tuan Keraing Aji (see below) and also Puan (Mrs.) Selama binti Sulaiman. The latter, who died in 1958, was a renowned Pahang silk weaver who exhibited her beautiful products in London in the early 1950s and had won recognition and acclaim as "Tokoh Tenun Pahang" from the English government for her skills.

Besides the pictorial history and display of the beautiful and fine silk clothes made at the Complex, this is also a place where visitors can see first-hand the actual equipment used for silk weaving and closely observe the actual spinning of the silk threads and weaving of silk into the actual completed cloth by the skilled craftsmen and women.

LABU SAYONG - Perak Heritage

LABU SAYONG The traditional art of pitcher making has been around for many years, but this industry is still very much alive in selected areas of Peninsula Malaysia. These pitchers showcase the beauty of Malaysia's heritage and most of the creations can be attributed to the skill and natural talent of the women folk. The art of pitcher making involves the shaping of clay, which is then printed with various designs, smoked and then baked to form a handicraft which is lots beautiful and unique.

One of the most famous pitchers is the Labu Sayong, which is black in colour and can be found in Sayong, in the district of Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

The mere mention of the name Sayong evokes the image of the famous black gourd-shaped clay pitcher.

The idea of creating this gourd-shaped clay pitcher originated from the use of actual matured pumpkins to store water, after the contents had been removed and the inside cleaned.

In the past, Labu Sayong was widely used to store drinking water buy the Malays.

The amazing thing about this black clay pitcher is that it keeps the water cool and is believed to help prevent illness and stomach disorder.

The making of the Labu Sayong emphasises the elements of nature, from the use of the clay right to the technique of shaping it with the hands.

The surface design is usually made up of nature-inspired motifs and harmonious geometric shapes.

Till this day, Labu Sayong is greatly admired, not only for its utility, but for its beauty and aesthetic quality.

Songket - Our Heritage

Songket - A Regal Malaysian Heritage

This series of stamps feature beautiful designs and motifs that can be found on a Malaysian brocade textile called Songket. Songket is produced by inserting gold or silver thread in between silk or cotton weft or latitudinal threads of the main cloth. Once exclusive to the Malay royal courts, songket is now accessible to anyone who can afford it. Prices range from above one hundred to tens of thousands of ringgit per piece depending on the workmanship and material.

Intricately woven, songket is not for daily wear. Intricate cross woven with gold or silver thread songket is worn during special occassion or celebration. Tied to the Malay traditional, songket originates from the eastern state of west malaysia namely Kelantan and Terengganu.

Sarong is an open ended tube 1 meter in diameter is a form of clothing. Sarongs can be made from any fabric normally cotton. Suitable wear for hot tropical climate. Normally with hand/printed batik designs is a porpular day/night wear for women. If worn topless, tie it at chest. It worn as a bottom attire, tie it at waist and put on a cool cotton blouse as the top attire. Asian men wear sarong woven with coloured cotton threads. Pattern normally as checked boxes and lines. Mostly worn tied at waist with cotton top shirts. Malays wear em short ("sampin") over pants. These are normally more formal wear with golden treads pattern which is the songket.

Songket fabric is not only for the men's short sarong "sampin". They are also made into full clothings such as baju melayu, baju kurong, baju kebaya mostly worn by bride and bridegroom, or for formal wear such as graduation or hari raya.

Songket prices depends on the intricacy of the design. Recommended item is the cotton sampin with songket design for both formal and informal mens wear with the baju melayu. Available in many rich deep colour tones or light pastel colour. Short sarong prized at RM110 and full sarong at RM160

EXORA - new Proton MPV

New Proton MPV

Malaysian automaker Proton has announced that dealers will get its new multipurpose vehicle in April. This will be the first truly home-developed MPV for the automaker, and it will be built alongside Proton's Waja for home use and export to Thailand and Indonesia.

The Exora is named for a red flower, the ixora, that is common in the tropics. The moniker was chosen from among 251,763 entries in a contest held last fall. The winner, a teacher from Changlun, will be getting an Exora as her prize. The company says it chose what it considers to be a more "global" name rather than a Malaysian name to reflect Proton's ambitions.

The Exora is built on an all-new platform, the second developed by Proton, and can be expected to be used on a future large vehicle as well. The new MPV will have a 125-horsepower 1.6-liter engine, standard dual airbags and dual-zone air-conditioning — an important feature in Malaysia and something Proton calls a "specialty" of its cars.

It will compete against such vehicles as the Nissan Grand Livina and the Toyota Avanza. The project team also reportedly studied the Toyota Wish closely and even bought 11 copies to study.