Compiled by C.ARUNO AND ZAKIAH KOYA
WHAT began as a childhood fascination with the films of the legendary Tan Sri P. Ramlee has inspired Muhammad Aliff Danial Muhammad Nor to become one of the young Malaysians dedicated to reviving traditional Malay attire.
Although his generation is more closely associated with modern fashion, the graduate with a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Nottingham Malaysia has chosen to preserve cultural heritage by collecting, researching and wearing various forms of classic Malay clothing that have nearly been forgotten.
The 25-year-old said his interest in history and traditional clothing began during childhood, nurtured by his late grandmother and influenced by classic films.
“I’m not just interested in the clothes. I love the stories behind them. Every cut and design has its own history. Most people only know the Teluk Belanga and cekak musang baju Melayu, but in reality there were many different styles of classic Malay attire that flourished throughout the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Kalimantan,” he told Harian Metro.
Each traditional outfit in his collection is either custom-made or personally purchased. He has also learned how to craft tanjak (traditional Malay headgear) and songkok getam.
“Many old Malay clothing styles have almost disappeared, even though they can still be seen in old photographs and films. That’s why we need to study them again so this heritage is not lost,” said Muhammad Aliff.
> An attempt by a smuggling syndicate to transport nearly one million white cigarettes was foiled when two suspicious vehicles crashed after being pursued for 16km during an operation by the Marine Police Force (PPM) Region Three on Friday.
Sinar Harian reported that Marine Police Region Three Commander Asst Comm Mohd Khairuddin Jamal said the operation was launched following a public tip-off.
A member of the Marine Intelligence Unit (URM) spotted a lorry and a car in the Salor, Kelantan.
He said both vehicles attempted to flee, triggering a 16km chase that ended in Ketereh.
“The suspects abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot after both vehicles skidded off the road onto the shoulder. The raiding team pursued the suspects but failed to apprehend them.”
A search of the vehicles uncovered 976,800 white cigarettes believed to have been smuggled into the country. The total value of the seizure, including the vehicles used, is estimated at RM2.01mil.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
