GUA MUSANG: Like the teaching staff of many schools in the country, the 56 teachers of SK Kuala Betis never miss the opportunity to wear batik outfits every Thursday.
The teachers believe that apart from reinforcing batik as an inherent part of the Malaysian identity, it would also support the country’s batik industry.
The school’s headmaster, Ramzi Ilyas, said the wearing batik at schools nationwide was introduced during Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s time as the fifth prime minister.
He said the male teachers would wear batik shirts while the female teachers would wear baju kurung of various batik designs.
“Every Thursday, it is a must for us to wear batik outfits.
“Most of us will wear traditional Kelantanese batik outfits, but some will also use Indonesian batik, which are popular nowadays.
“Wearing batik will make us look elegant and fashionable, especially when we use the traditional batik fabric,” he said.
Ramzi said Malaysians should promote batik aggressively by wearing it regularly.
“This is one of the ways that we could help the country by promoting the national fabric to tourists.
“I have reminded my staff repeatedly to wear batik to support the industry,” he said.
Ramzi said he also encouraged the school’s pupils, who were all Orang Asli, to tell their parents about the beauty of batik outfits when they returned home every weekend.