Bin Gregory Productions

Malay Garment Technology

Malay sarong sarung kain palikat batik lungi veshti dhoti

Malay Garment Technology

Last weekend featured the most exciting Malaysian cultural event I’ve heard of in a long time: a flash mob of people wearing sarongs descended on the LRT lines in Kuala Lumpur. I would have joined in solidarity from Kuching, but, alas, we have no trains. We have Jalan Keretapi, but the train, tracks and station are all missing in action. No matter.

Well should Malaysians be proud of their sarongs. It is local technology that has spread around the world, from Yemen to Fiji. I had first encountered the sarong in Sri Lanka, where it is the household garment of choice for the Sri Lankan man. Upon arrival as a uhhh foreign exchange student, I was instructed to cut my unacceptably feminine shoulder-length hair. Next I was told to trade in my trousers for a sarong. Savor the irony.

with Goviya Mudiyanse Tennekoone, Sri Lanka 1991

Sri Lankans are no strangers to cloth wraps. The lungis, veshtis, dhotis of the subcontinent are all lengths of cloth worn around the waist, as is the izar of the Arabs, worn by Our Master Muhammad, peace be upon him. The key distinction, which affects the way it is tied, worn and looks, is the sarong is stitched to create a hoop or sheath of cloth. The Malay word sarung can also mean the sheath of a sword or any other thin wrapping or skin of an object. Malays brought the word and presumably the innovation itself to Sri Lanka, where a small community of ethnic Malays still exists to this day. Sarong has now entered English as well, making it another Malay Contribution to English, for the record.

Despite gifting this word to the rest of the world, in Malaysia the word is rarely used nowadays. Instead the term kain batik is used for the ladies, who get stunning floral ones, and kain palikat (pelikat/plikat/plaikat) for the men, who get dull plaid ones. I wondered about that term: palikat. No one could tell me what it meant. But it dawned on me one day. I had been searching for a nice cotton sarong. Thin, breathable, cool, like the ones I wore in Lanka. All I could find were 100% synthetic materials. They certainly looked sharp, they didn’t fade despite the sun, and they dried quickly despite the humidity. But it wasn’t what I wanted. When I found one that felt a bit more like a soft, natural fabric, the store owner told me it was a polyester-cotton blend: a poly-cot.

Polycot. Palikat. The word Kain palikat replaced sarong because synthetic fiber blends were enthusiastically adopted by Malaysians as superior to cotton fabrics. You heard it here first, folks. Fanciful etymology? True unearthed origin of the word? Preposterous rubbish? ~~I stand by my theory until a better one comes along.~~

Preposterous Rubbish! Preposterous Rubbish it is! Saudara Jordan (who knows from sarongs) quickly pointed to the five-hundred-year-old writings of a Portugeuse traveler to the region, one Castenheda. This Castenheda records that Tamil-speaking traders at that time were importing great volumes of cloth for sarongs, originating from the seaport of Paleakat, “a region of Thondai Mandalam which is made up of the south eastern districts of Andra and the north eastern districts of Tamilnadu” according to Dr. S.Jayabarathi. That corresponds with the present-day town of Pulicat, up the coast from Chennai (Madras). I’m convinced though quietly disappointed . Truly, the fabric of life in Malaysia is woven of threads from all over the world.

A cotton sarong from Pulicat — UPDATE: Incontrovertible proof. Chop Sipoth (Snail brand) all-cotton sarongs from Madras (now Chennai) and *Pulicat!*

Sarungs are good enough – in fact awesome – for lounging aound the house. Malay women, strictly in the privacy of their homes, will often tie a kain batik under the arms for a one-piece house dress. Malay men will also wear them to the mosque or to religious functions in the neighborhood, with a shirt of course. But they fall short of what is needed for occasions of high formality. For weddings, high holidays, royal ceremonies and the like, there is the songket:

When holding thread to stitch a songket
Back and forth stitch threads of gold
When you recall a small favor done
Be not concerned to ask in return

Ada benang kain disongket
Benang emas ikat berbelas
Apa dikenang budi sedikit
Bukan cemas minta dibalas

As the pantun mentions, the songket is a sarong woven through with golden or silver threads. The result is magnificent. It is worn differently from the ordinary sarong, above the ankles, typically just below the knees. Matched with traditional Malay shirts and trousers in complementary tones, it makes a striking outfit. I wore one at my wedding, and never since that I can recall. Guys who like looking good will wear them every Friday for congregational prayer, but I lack the necessary swagger.

And now, we conclude with the utterly ridiculous Sarong Song by Anuar Zain Ft. Ellina. Sisqo, watch out!

Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarongs can be used so many ways

Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong, Sarong! Wear them here and there

Sarongs are such special clothes
They let the air in all around
Wear over your head with such ease
Mothers, sling your child, it’s a breeze

To rest at home they are divine
At wedding days they really shine
Sarong Sarong! Don’t you let
Your eyes rest on that rip!

Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong, Sarong! So dang comfortable!

Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarong Sarong lalalala
Sarongs, you oughta wear them all the time!

Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat diguna aneka cara

Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat dipakai disini sana

Pakaian istimewa
Berangin-angin keliling
Kelengkapan tudung kepala
Ibu menggendong anaknya

Ke kamar rehat sesuai
Bila kenduri dipakai
Kain pelikat dielak
Bertenggok koyak

Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat selesa memang selesa

Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat lalalala
Kain pelikat diguna semua ketika

Malay pantuns courtesy of Malay Civilization.
Sarong Song lyrics courtesy of lirik lagu muzika.
English translations entirely the fault of Bin Gregory Productions.

Husbandry

Husbandry has been on my mind. Hijabman has returned to blogging with a focus on his role as house-husband to his growing family. An admirable occupation and one to which I aspire! Not everyone thinks so. The idea of a man giving up his career to be a house-husband gets plenty of resistance, particularly among muslims. But the question isn’t whether a proper husband can be a house-husband but whether there is any other sort! Webster says:

Husband (n): [Old Norse hus, house; + bondi, yeoman. Literally, house-holder] A manager, as of a household. Husband (v): To manage economically; conserve.

That sounds like holding down the house to me. Meanwhile, to career comes from racing at great speed (and we know where haste comes from…):

Career (v): [French carriere, racecourse] To rush wildly.

I look forward to a time when I can desist from reckless careering, get back on track and hold down the house. Greetings of peace to all the other hus-bondi and aspiring hus-bondi out there.

Of Dukes and Datuks

Malaysia has a peerage system comparable in some respects to what is practiced in the UK, whereby Malaysians of common origins can be conferred a non-hereditary title of honor by the monarch. Like in the UK, this is given out to exceptional artists, athletes, statesmen, men of learning, and to the exceptionally wealthy. It gets complicated because a number of different states have their own sultanate, and the elected National Monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, appoints Governors for those states that do not have hereditary sultans.

This means that every state in the union is able to designate titles of distinction independently. Moreover, there is a graded heirarchy of titles available to be awarded, starting with Datuk (or Datu or Dato’ depending on the state) and moving on to Datuk Seri, Tan Sri, Pehin Sri and Tun. Four or five ranks multiplied by 13 states equals a rather large array of distinguished individuals throughout the country.

Just as the wife of a Duke becomes a Duchess, so do the wives of Datuks become Datins by virtue of marriage, irregardless of what merit they may or may not possess on their own. Take Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his lovely wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor: Datuk and Datin.

But what about the woman who has distinguished herself by her outstanding talents or contribution to the nation? In what must be considered an egalitarian aspect of national culture, women of distinction are also awarded the same title of Datuk, Datuk Seri or even Tan Sri: witness the truly exceptional Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, considered among the best Central Bank Governors in the world, the first female Central Bank Governor in Asia, shortlisted for president of the International Monetary Fund after the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal.

If women can be datuks, then datuks can marry datuks. This happens; for example, the Malaysian Nightingale, Datuk Siti Norhaliza, and her spouse, the noted businessman Datuk Khalid Muhammad Jiwa: Datuk and Datuk.

The third option: a woman earning Datuk while married to an average schmoe. The husband in this situation is left titleless. It doesn’t seem quite fair, does it? I’ve thought about it. Oh yes, I’ve thought about it. See, I myself have been blessed to marry an uncommonly talented woman, and it is not beyond my ability to dream that after a couple more decades of loyal service to God, King and Country, she may one day achieve national recognition in her field and be conferred a datukship. Amin, Ya Rabb!
That should make us: Datuk dan Pendatang.

Cue Datuk Siti Nurhaliza: Two Different Worlds

Update: Since the title carries a significant amount of prestige in Malaysian society, the temptation to fake your credentials is strong. There are those who succumb. Perhaps you’ve met a dubious datuk doing dirty deeds. Check his credentials before you fawn, with the official government registry of meritorious individuals. If the deeds are dirty but the datukship is legit, I’m afraid I can’t help you.

KL Bird Park

Two of my three amazing and talented sisters came to visit last year. It was a good excuse for us to do some touristy things in the capitol. We met them in KL and headed to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park! The park was wonderful. Right in the middle of downtown KL, it is a valley covered over with netting so that the entire collection of birds live uncaged down below. That’s not completely true: the predatory birds are kept in cages for obvious reasons. There were so many interesting and colorful birds to see that the dozens of peacocks wandering freely about the place didn’t even distract from the rest of the scene. The park was much larger than I expected. We spent all morning wandering around and only saw half of the vaguely figure-8 pathway network. Even without little children needing to carried, watered and rested, I doubt we could have taken in the whole park in a morning. I intend to return someday. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a daytrip in KL.

at the KLCC plaza

Interactive tanks

Columns of fish

Giant sea turtles

The Aquarium was also fun. The best part is a walkalator that winds through an enormous tank while mantas, sharks and schools of fish swim all around. The KL Aquarium is located in the basement of KLCC, the big mall adjacent to the Petronas Twin Towers. I didn’t like the the linear layout: you couldn’t wander around so much. Instead you had to keep moving along the one-way circuit till you got to the end. Still it was memorable and the kids had a good time.

Hold Fast

To God was his call, and those who hold fast to him hold fast to a rope that shall never break.

Baginda mengajak umat ke jalan Allah. Maka sesiapa yang berpegang teguh dengan ajarannya, bererti ia telah berpegang teguh dengan tali yang kuat yang tidak akan berputus.

Verily, God and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet. O ye who believe, send prayers and blessings upon him with full respect. [33:56]

The most famous poem of prayers and blessings on the Prophet throughout the Muslim World is the Qasidah Burdah by Imam Al-Busiri. It is recited in countless styles and rhythms and melodies. In Kuching, people gather to recite it once a month at the home of Habib Sayyid Mustafa al-Haddad. I’ve made several short video clips of our recitation, showing the different melodies and tempos that are used as we move through the chapters.

http://youtu.be/BUid5mx3Pj4
http://youtu.be/3naqijDFyS8

http://youtu.be/AjGuIyvcbSI

Listening is well and good, but reciting it yourself with intention to praise Nabi Muhammad, peace be upon him, is much better. Readers of Bahasa Malaysia are spoiled for choice of Qasidah Burdah publications. They are widely available and inexpensive. The one I have is an edition published by Khazanah Banjariah, apparently the publishing arm of the Maahad Tarbiah Islamiah of Derang, Kedah, translated by Abu Ali Al-Banjari Al-Nadwi. It has the complete Arabic text alone, and then the numbered Arabic text with numbered translation on the facing page. I can’t find it online but it has an ISBN: 983-2052-11-4.

Translations in English are harder to come by. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf put out a translation with a set of CDs of Moroccan recitation way back in 2002. Sadly it doesn’t appear to be available online anymore. The book I’m reading from in the videos is The Mantle Adorned, a stunning edition of the Qasidah Burdah produced by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad in 2009. The translation, the illumination, the calligraphy are so lovely, it is a joy and a treasure. The best part is how each couplet is presented with translation on each page. This makes it perfect for group recitation, as you do not have to flip back and forth between the Arabic and the translation as you recite at speed, and the chorus gives time to let the meanings of the verses sink in. Published by Quilliam Press, it is still available for purchase through Amazon.

Unbelievable Advice

One day Mullah Nasruddin entered his favorite teahouse and declared, “The moon is more useful than the sun”. An old man asked, “Why Mullah?” Mullah Nasruddin replied, “Because we need the light more at night!”

You can always count on the famous, well-traveled Mullah Nasruddin for unconventional wisdom. Hoja Nasruddin tales are scattered all over the web, but there are a great many [here] and [here] and [here]. Tell me yours!

The Year in Chickens

The last two weeks saw a number of milestones pass for me. 20 years as a muslim. 10 years in Malaysia. 10 years running this website. 6 years of keeping chickens!

In Malaysia, my first personal encounter with chickens beyond the dinner table was over 12 years back, when a neighbor’s rooster attacked my firstborn son, drawing blood. Incredibly, the same rooster did it again to my toddler daughter three years later.

Somehow, that didn’t stop me. The tiny and attractive ayam serama that are commonly raised here were cute and non-threatening enough (as opposed to ayam laga, fighting cocks, a phrase used metaphorically for young thugs) that I got a pair to raise in the backyard. Before long, I had chicks, hatching them in a flower pot full of dracaena, in my kitchen no less. They were great fun, and the children loved them. They were educational too: you can learn a lot from a chicken.

But then disaster struck. First came the cats. Then came the biawaks. Giant monitor lizards living under your foundation and terrorizing your flock are bad enough. But when a reticulated python crept into the coop and crushed Juliet to death, I was just about ready to give up. Only Romeo my original rooster managed to survive, after nearly a year of chicken rearing. I decided to suspend the chicken project till conditions improved. Romeo was alone.

When we put an addit ion on the house in 2007, Romeo moved with us to the rental down the block for six months. When we returned to the wreckage in 2008, Romeo lived a solitary existence for years, nearly feral, often deciding not to return to the coop in the evening and sleeping rough on some perch or another overnight. Only in the last year did I finally feel the time was right to find Romeo a new spouse. The backyard has grown up, providing shade, cover and interest. A brick and mortar wall around the perimeter keeps a lot of the critters out. The swampy scrub jungle in the adjacent lot has been cleared and filled, awaiting development. A more friendly environment for chickens in every respect.

And so, dear readers, I am happy to announce that Halia the Hen has joined Romeo the Rooster, and in a very short time indeed they have between the two of them produced three generations, 10 chicks that have all survived to adulthood, including a very fine and promising young rooster named Jack. That’s him at the top of the story. He’ll rule the roost one day. With Jack is Jill, and then there are Turmeric, Fennel, Cumin and I can’t remember the rest. Only KakYang can keep them all straight.

The flock are free range in our backyard now, living on a forage diet generously supplemented with cracked corn and table scraps. KakYang takes particular interest in them. She has redomesticated Romeo who last month, for the first time ever, ate grain out of the palm of her hand.

Relatedly, after all these years, I only just now put two and two together and realized that the name of these chickens is actually another word that Malay has contributed to the English language. These chickens are bantams, meaning semi-arboreal small-sized chickens. The word comes from the ancient city of Bantem (or Banten) on the island of Java in Indonesia. As it turns out, chickens are thought to have first been domesticated in the Malay Archipelago, or it may be that chickens have been domesticated by humans separately on more than one occasion, mostly around Southeast Asia. It’s complicated. Either way, these small, clever, gorgeous chickens – bantams – are another Malay loan-word to English. Bantamweight boxers, Bantam Books publishers: indebted to Bahasa Melayu.

International Poetry Translated

If you’ve enjoyed my feeble attempts to translate Malay poems and songs over the years, perhaps you’d like the Poetry Translation Centre. Contemporary poets of Asia, Africa and South America are translated into English by a two-step process: a native speaker translates the words literally, then the poets of PTC render it in poetic English. It looks very faithfully done, unlike how Coleman Barks does Rumi, where he “interprets” Rumi based on his own inspiration after reading Arberry’s translation. There are no Malaysian poets translated by the PTC as yet. If you are a native BM speaker, you should submit!