5 popular crafts from Malaysia's East Coast

The wau bulan is one of Malaysia's national symbols. Photo: Tourism Malaysia

The East Coast boasts a wide range of traditional handicrafts, including handwoven material, batik and metal crafts.

Some of these crafts have been passed down through generations, and it is a representation of a community's cultural heritage. Here are some of the renowned crafts from Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Wau - Wau or kite is traditionally flown in Kelantan. The wau bulan (moon kite) is one of the most popular kites there, besides others like the wau puyuh (quail kite), wau kangkang and wau merak (peacock kite). The wau bulan is one of Malaysia's national symbols, apart from the Malayan tiger, hibiscus and batik.

Measuring about 2.5 meters in width and 3.5 meters in length, the wau bulan's framework is made from split bamboo and decorated with intricate floral designs on reflective glossy paper. Did you know the Malaysia Airlines logo is based on wau kucing (cat kite)? And, the wau bulan is featured on the reverse side of the Malaysian fifty-cent coin (1989 series).

Batik is the wax-resist dyeing applied to the cloth. Photo: Filepic

Batik - For centuries, people from all walks of life – from kings to commoners – have worn batik. Batik is wax-resist dyeing applied to cloth. In batik canting or batik tulis, a pen-like applicator is used to apply wax to a piece of fabric to create intricate designs. Another method is printing with a copper batik stamp called tjap.

Songket - This traditional Malay woven fabric is also called ratu kain (queen of fabric).

Songket is a traditional Malaysian handwoven fabric. - Filepic

It is part of the brocade family of textiles and us hand woven silk or cotton, intricately patterned by weaving gold or silver threads in between base threads. Types of patterns on songket material include songket corak jalur (striped patterns), songket corak bunga (floral designs) and songket tapak catur (checkered patterns).

In 2021, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) recognised Malaysian Songket as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Both Pahang and Terengganu are well-known for this handwoven fabric.

Woven mengkuang - Mengkuang weaving is one of the oldest traditional crafts in the East Coast states.

Mengkuang mats are one of the most popular handicraft from the East Coast. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah

The thorny leaves of the mengkuang are harvested, boiled, and dyed before they are woven into baskets, bags and mats.

Most crafters use two types of weaves – diagonal interlacing and horizontal-vertical interlacing weaves – to create intricate floral, honeycomb and herringbone patterns, among others.

Brassware - This is another of Malaysia's oldest crafts where brass smiths use traditional casting techniques to produce parts for fishing boats, cooking pots and ceremonial objects. Brass products are created in several steps: Designing, block moulding, wax heating, melting, casting, breaking the mould and the final finishing touches of stripping, sanding and polishing. Some people appreciate brass cooking ware due to its durability, which can last for generations.