Male shoppers trying on songkok at a night market in Negri Sembilan, recently. A traditional Malay outfit for men is not complete without a songkok. — Bernama
Many may choose a career that promises steady income, but Mohamad Zur Ain Abdul Rahman Zaki is different as he decided to become a traditional songkok maker, following in the footsteps of his uncle who has been in the industry for more than 25 years.
The 30-year-old man believes that traditional songkok making is a heritage art that should be preserved, as it is one of the accessories that completes a Malay attire for men.
According to Mohamad Zur Ain, making songkok takes a lot of patience and precision. — Songkok Pak Tam Facebook“I have been interested in the art of making songkok since I was a child. My interest deepened after seeing my uncle do it and then trying my hand at it.
“I took one day to complete my first songkok under my uncle’s tutelage,” said Mohamad Zur Ain.
According to Mohamad Zur Ain, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Malay Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, because of his deep interest in the art, he decided to open his own shop in Dengkil, Selangor, in 2018 to rebrand the songkok made by his uncle.
Under the brand name “Pak Tam”, Mohamad Zur Ain said while he maintained the uniqueness of the hand-made songkok, the materials used were specially imported from South Korea.
“The main material is velvet in either black or navy blue and one of its interesting features is durability – depending on how it is worn.
“The special thing about our songkok is that we use red fabric as a lining for comfort, instead of plastic like the factory-made songkok found in the market,” he explained.
Its fine and neat finishing makes Songkok Pak Tam different than most others in the market today. It is sold for between RM40 and RM500 (sometimes more!), depending on the type of material and size.
“Making songkok requires a lot of patience and precision,” said Mohamad Zur Ain, who is able to complete a single songkok in 30 minutes.
He added that he can produce an average of 10 songkok a day.
A songkok can also be decorated with batik or songket. — Filepic
Mohamad Zur Ain said that the demand for songkok will normally increase during the school holidays, wedding season and, of course, Hari Raya celebrations.
“This year, I received more than 1,000 songkok orders for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, including from dignitaries, and have a stock of 1,000 ready-made songkok of various sizes which I made over the past few months.
“This time around, there is a drop in the demand for songkok compared to last year because of the clash in preparations for the new school session, Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri,” he said.
Although the job is not glamorous, Mohamad Zur Ain said he would continue making songkok to ensure the survival of the heritage art. – Bernama
