Phase 4: Malaysia Batik Goes Global

Main Sponsors

Phase 4 / 2006-2007 

Phase 4, for 2006 and 2007, will see continuity in the work that was begun by our late patron, Datin Paduka Seri Endon, and greater expansion of the movement�s objectives. Patronage has been taken over by YAB Dato� Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia. 

• THE PIALA SERI ENDON � THE ANNUAL DESIGN COMPETITON NAMED AFTER DATIN PADUKA SERI ENDON MAHMOOD

The Piala Seri Endon was conceived to discover and to provide a platform for support, recognition and encouragement of Malaysia�s batik-making talent. It is an annual event that is open only to Malaysians over 18 years of age, and is part of the Malaysia Batik � Crafted for the World movement, Datin Paduka Seri�s brainchild. 

The Piala Seri Endon batik design competition, named after the late wife of Malaysia�s Prime Minister, is now in its fourth year. Launched in 2003, the Piala had just one category, that is Fashion. A second category, Soft Furnishing, was added in 2004, and in 2005 a third category, Handicraft, was added. Expansion in categories is in line with the movements aim to broaden the base of products to which batik can be applied so as to address the problem of a lack diversification in products to which batik is applied.  

The competition has seen keen interest from students, batik producers, fashion and textile designers and artists. The competition will continue in the years to come, with sponsorship secured from The Star and Royal Selangor.

 This competition will continue to be organized by PENYAYANG, in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, Arts & Heritage. 

PHASE 3/2005:
SHARING WITH THE WORLD

This is the third year of the three-year plan for the Malaysia Batik - Crafted For The World Movement. If 2003 was a campaign of awareness, 2004 was a year of sharing with the nation. This year, we are sharing with the world.

� Sharing With the World aims at placing Malaysian batik on the world map. In line with the theme, the third phase started with a charity fashion show in Kuala Lumpur, �An Italian Affair: Batik Expressions�, where renowned Italian designers infused local batik designs in their creations. Also at this event, local batik designers exchanged ideas with the Italian designers and discussed ways to enhance the movement.

In May, a Batik Fashion Show beyond the shores of Malaysia was organised. Malaysia Batik Exotica: Colours of Malaysia saw 5 local batik producers/fashion designers parading their collections in The Hague, Netherlands at a charity auction. Held in conjunction with the Prime Minister�s visit to Netherlands, the event had the support of the Malaysian Embassy in Netherlands as well as the Ministry of Tourism and Malaysia Airlines.

� The Kuala Lumpur International Batik (KLIB) Convention & Exhibition 2005 - an international-class event that will attract batik aficionados, textile enthusiasts, buyers, sellers and business people from all over the world is envisaged. This will position Malaysia as one of the major batik players in the world, consolidating it as part of our national identity and exposing Malaysian batik internationally.

The theme �The Business of Batik� is intentionally wide, allowing for participation from anyone related to the batik craft and industry including the wider areas of textiles and textile production, fashion and marketing, new technology, new trends in textile decoration, new applications as well as batik art history and craft & heritage preservation. Foreign and local speakers have confirmed their participation in the convention. It is hope that the event will position Malaysia as one of the major batik players in the world, while giving the industry worldwide a network for information sharing and friendship building.

� Piala Seri Endon Competition 2005. In line with the movement's aim to widen the scope and creative use of batik, a third category was added to the Piala Seri Endon Competition this year. It is hoped that this will extend and establish Batik use to as wide a range of products as possible and help diverse our range of sellable products. The more batik we sell, the bigger the batik industry grows.
The grand final of the Piala Seri Endon 2005 will also have international audience as it will be held in conjunction with the KLIB Convention & Exhibition. Scheduled on Saturday, 10th December, the Grand Final Gala Dinner will also be a joint event with the ASEAN Business Summit delegates who will be here at that time. We are looking forward to an exciting year indeed.

PHASE 2/2004:
SHARING WITH THE NATION

For 2004, a host of events was once again organised. These are:

� The Piala Seri Endon Batik Design Competition, now comprised of two categories, i.e. Fashion and Soft Furnishing. The aim was to achieve even higher standards in the spirit of friendly competition. For the new category, i.e. Soft Furnishing, short-listed participants were provided with rooms in which to present their creations. The addition of this category was in line with the movement's aim to widen the scope and creative use of Batik as well as to extend and establish its use to as wide a range of products as possible.

� Roadshows comprising exhibition, events and talks travelled to Penang, Kelantan, Selangor, Sabah and Terengganu, collaborating with the respective state governments to bring the movement closer to the people.

� Batik Buyers/Sellers meet � a business matching event as well as a meeting place for batik producers and manufacturers as well as buyers. Talks held covered topics such as marketing, branding and packaging. Assistance schemes were also introduced. International journalists were invited to provide exposure for Malaysia's batik producers.

� Malaysia Batik Week 2004 - the culmination of 2004's programme of events, brought batik to the public in a positive way once again, through festivities in the streets, malls and hotels of Kuala Lumpur. There was a wide range of events for the public to enjoy such as Batik Fun Walk, Bazaar, Batik Demonstration and Exhibition.

� Launch of Sabah Batik Chapter - we have had very positive response from Sabah, where the batik industry is very much in its infancy. A Sabah Batik chapter, with the aim of promoting the craft and artistry of batik as a viable industry within the state, was launched in October 2004.

� The Kuala Lumpur International Batik Convention & Exhibition 2005 was announced, a first-of-its-kind event with the theme "The Business of Batik".

PHASE 1/2003:
BATIK EXTRAVAGANZA

The spirit of Phase 1/2003 of the movement was to focus attention on Malaysian Batik and put it in a positive light. The Piala Seri Endon - Batik Design Competition was launched, providing a platform for recognition and exposure to batik designers. It is seen as a vehicle to bring about the constant improvement of batik design toward higher and higher standards overall.

The Batik Extravaganza, launched on 3rd December 2003 by YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Bin Hj Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, comprised a street carnival, craft demonstrations and retail booths that were provided for batik producers at no rent. All this took place in the main shopping malls around the Bukit Bintang area. A host of fun, fiesta-type activities such as fashion shows, cultural shows, a Batik Fun Walk and more, took place in the area every weekend during the Batik Extravaganza month.

The Batik Guild magazine, with a directory of Malaysian batik producers and manufacturers, a showcase of Malaysian designers as well as informative articles on batik artists and batik making, was also launched.