KLIB convention 2005 Theme: 'The Business of Batik'

MALAYSIAN BATIK: The above convention and exhibition was held in Kuala Lumpur, in December 9-10, to showcase the multiple dimensions of batik - art and craft, technique and technology, marketing and business - to the world.

It was envisaged as a three-year plan of activities carrying the title, 'Malaysian Batik Crafted to the World', involving a movement, the brainchild of the late Datin Sri Endon Mahmood, the wife of the Prime Minister (who passed away before the final gathering of participants).

The Convention was also conceived as a tribute to the dedicated effort she made to promote the batik industry and raise it to international status.

Speakers were invited worldwide personally and by press announcements to participate in the convention and read papers presenting proposals on a variety of themes and topics covering the issues, challenges and problems facing manufacturers.

Only two from Sri Lanka responded to the call. Prof. J. Tilakasiri presented a paper on 'Batik as Art and Craft' (published recently in the Daily News (29th March) and Mr. Buddhi Keerthisena, the well-known Batik entrepreneur and film producer, presented his paper on 'The Development of Batik in Sri Lanka'.

The two days of debate and presentation of ideas, comments and observations by varied experts of the art and the industry in the fields of Design, Technology, Techniques and Innovations highlighting the progress of the industry in Japan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, UK and USA, including special issues as well as the challenges affecting the growth of Malaysian Batik, produced an interesting cross-section of distilled expressions of information and knowledge based on their experiences.

It was not only an exercise of learning more about the batik industry for all participants, but a welcome re-appraisal of each speaker's estimate of the state of the art in choosing a special theme of the traditional and contemporary divisions of batik growth.

A batik week devoted to varied competitions, concerts and fashion shows, staged in various parts of the country was also held to promote the interest of the public in general.

On the final day of the meeting a gala dinner took place followed by a fashion show of fashionwear by models revealing the competitive levels of excellence in textile design and competitive, creative manufacture among the private sector business leaders and traders. The audience included high-ranking officials including the Prime Minister.

I wish to conclude this note that it was regrettable to observe that the batik industry of ours, though active and competitive decades ago, is suffering from lethargy as those engaged in production islandwide are indifferent to the progress and advancement in countries like Malaysia where they can derive tremendous commercial gain as a craft process in the handicraft category which has reached great heights in textile manufacture and fashionwear creation.