Sarawak Malay clothing, a legacy that has been forgotten

THE beauty of Sarawak's traditional Malay clothing is not only in its design and manner of wearing, but reflects the history, language and identity of the Sarawak Malay people that have been passed down from generation to generation.

However, the changing times and attitudes of younger generations have led to a decline in knowledge about traditional fashion, including amongst Sarawak's own Malay community.

Recognizing the situation, the Sarawak Association of Traditional Malay Dresses (BUTRAMES) took an initiative to ensure that the heritage continues to be preserved and introduced to new generations.

Its chairman, Sapian Morni, said BUTRAMES which approved its registration on August 22 last had previously been operating as the Sarawak Traditional Malay Clothing Club for three years.

"Our objective in establishing this association is to preserve the Malay community of Sarawak whether it be in terms of customs, arts, culture and even the style of dress of the Malays of Sarawak.

"In addition, our goal is to introduce the Malay community of Sarawak, especially the younger generation, about our own traditional costumes", he said in a recent interview with TVS.

Sapian said the effort to reintroduce traditional fashion was important as there are still many young generations who do not know the form, name and methods of wearing Sarawak's traditional Malay fashion.

According to him, the idea of establishing the association came after finding that knowledge about Sarawak's Malay fashion amongst the Malay community in the state was still low.

"We see that knowledge of Sarawak's Malay fashion amongst the Malays themselves in Sarawak is so low.

"So we are taking the initiative to preserve and preserve this fashion so that it becomes an enduring heritage with its facts and forms of use", he said.

Sapian explains that the Malay community of Sarawak has various categories of clothing according to usage and ceremony, including customary, ritual, kenduri as well as daily.

He said that Sarawak's Malay fashion also has its own distinctive features which distinguish it from the Malay society in other states, including in terms of name, form and usage.

Among the highlights is Kalambih Tajaong which according to Sapian is related to the ancient Malay language of Sarawak.

"More is a dress in the ancient Malay of Sarawak. Tajaong means 'we' is science, 'jaong' is the main thing.

"The clothing worn in this body is the chief science of ancient languages. So this outfit is called Tajaong Long", she explains.

Sarawak's unique Malay fashion is also characterized by the use of head or dasta decorations with various shapes and names.

Sapian said that the Sarawak Malay community has seven types of dasta namely Jama'alum, Tanjak, Satanjak, Tankolok, Lopok, Lineng and Tankeliun.

He said that each type of dasta has a specific name, form and method of use based on the heritage of Sarawak's ancient Malays.

For example, the dasta he used was known as Tankolok, rather than a necklace as the more common term is used in some places.

According to Sapian, 'tan' means cloth in the ancient language, while 'kolok' means heel, making Tankolok a heel that covers part of the head.

The naming of Sarawak's Malay dasta also has its own approach when some names are associated with the actions of fauna, flowers, human behaviour or social norms.

Among his old names are Solek Setia, Tanjak Dandan Julangan and Tajok Batitah.

Meanwhile, Lopok is among the traditional Sarawak Malay headscarves that Sapian says have some similarities to ghetam in Kelantan Malay tradition.

The uniqueness of Sarawak's Malay dasta can also be seen through elements such as knots and folding methods, including traditional terms such as sail cliffs, difficulty and point.

To ensure that the legacy is not forgotten, BUTRAMES plans various activities to bring traditional Sarawak Malay fashions closer to society, especially younger generations.

He also did not rule out the possibility of collaborating with other artistic organizations related to the Sarawak Malay community in the state. - TVS