All government staff to wear batik on Saturdays
BY A. LETCHUMANANKUALA LUMPUR: All civil servants will have to wear Malaysian-made batik on Saturdays and other days specified by the head of departments soon.
Public Services Department director-general Tan Sri Jamaluddin Ahmad Damanhuri, in a Dec 16 circular, said the Government has decided to make batik a part of the official working attire.
“This decision is in line with batik being a national heritage which should be preserved as part of the Malaysian identity,” he said.
Jamaluddin said the usage would also help to develop and promote the batik industry.
He said male officers would be required to wear collared long-sleeved batik shirts while the women could wear appropriate batik outfits.
He said the ruling would not apply to officers who are required to wear uniforms or to those attending functions where other formal attire is required.
The directive came following a call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi encouraging all ministers and their staff to start wearing batik attire on Saturdays.
He said the Government would give the batik industry full support to become a field that churns out better job opportunities and incomes.
The Entrepreneur Development and the Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministries took the cue and directed their staff to wear batik to work on Saturday to promote the craft.
Cuepacs adviser Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam welcomed the move, as he said it would go a long way towards creating the Malaysian identity.
“The batik will also make Malaysians proud. By wearing it, we are showing the people that we have something to cherish,” he said.
Siva said there was no point in singing or holding campaigns to buy local products when Malaysians don’t use them.
“By wearing batik, we are supporting the batik industry. The private sector should also follow suit,” he said.
MTUC president Zainal Rampak said the directive would inculcate a sense of nationalism among the people, especially civil servants.
“There should not be any complaints as it would give a measure of pride to the civil service. This would also be a boon to the local batik manufacturers,” he said.
Zainal said the Government should consider providing a small allocation for the civil servants to buy the batik clothes.
“Private sector staff should consider wearing batik for work on certain days,” he added.
Malacca Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Datuk Chandrakant Avalani said the Government and the private sector should consider designating a day for the wearing of batik and other traditional clothing.
“Maybe the Government should decide on one specific day of the month as batik day and another day for traditional dresses which include baju Melayu, cheongsam, Punjabi suits or sarees,” he said.
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