Restoring The Glory Of 'Kain Pelangi'

By Kurniawati Kamarudin

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Traditional Malay textiles like 'Kain Pelangi' are in danger of fading into oblivion.

The Pelangi cloth, said to have held a very special place in Malay culture and was worn by the royalty and aristocrats of the ancient Malay kingdoms, has been practically phased out since the 1930s following the development of the batik industry.

Local textile expert Dr Mohd Azhar Samin told Bernama the rapidly expanding modern textile technologies, with their faster and simpler production processes, have driven the traditional textile heritage of the Malays to "extinction".

Featuring similar designs as other traditional Malay fabrics, the Pelangi cloth's popularity was evident even during the early 20th century, particularly in Kelantan and Terengganu where the Malays wore it as a sarong, scarf, headdress and other types of apparel.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Mohd Azhar, who is a senior lecturer at the Textile Design Department, Faculty of Art and Design, at Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, said in the old days, the Pelangi cloth's production process would start by placing a piece of white cotton or silk cloth on a table.

Using the block printing method and an Indian ink known as 'khavi', motifs and designs were printed on the cloth.

"Tacking or running stitches were then sewn around the motifs and designs, while those parts of the cloth that have patterns printed on them were bound tightly," he said.

The fabric was later dipped or immersed in red-, maroon- or purple-coloured dye to produce a colourful Pelangi cloth.

After the running stitches and bindings were removed, the fabric was stretched out to embellish the patterns. Using a Chinese brush, the patterns were coloured yellow, orange and green to make them stand out. When completed, the Pelangi cloth was put through the drying process after which it was ready to be marketed.

Mohd Azhar said the Kain Pelangi usually featured motifs of flora such as bamboo shoot, flower stalk and betel leaf, as well as motifs of local foods and desserts, and celestial objects like the sun and stars.

He has also observed that in terms of the source, basic shape and name of the motif or pattern, both the Pelangi cloth and traditional songket (silk or cotton cloth interwoven with metallic threads which form intricate motifs and patterns) share similarities.

"Long ago in Terengganu, the Pelangi cloth was usually produced by the songket and 'limar' (a type of woven fabric) weavers. What they did was weave the leftover threads from the songket into cloth and by printing motifs on this fabric, it was turned into Pelangi cloth," he explained. 

EARLY HISTORY

On the origins of 'Kain Pelangi', Mohd Azhar said there was a huge possibility that this particular textile art originated in Pattani, southern Thailand.

The Malay communities who lived in the northern and eastern parts of the peninsula had family ties with the Malays in southern Thailand.

According to historical records, after Sultan Zainal Abidin 1 was installed as the Sultan of Terengganu (he ruled from 1725 till 1733), he brought groups of people, including craftsmen, from Pattani to Terengganu.

Their settlement, later known as Kampung Pattani, was located close to Masjid Abidin in Kuala Terengganu and to date, it still exists.

Mohd Azhar said one of the curators at the Terengganu museum's textile division has confirmed that the state used to produce Pelangi cloth extensively at one time.

"The late Tengku Ismail Tengku Su, who was an expert in songket, had also stated that Pelangi cloth was produced in Kuala Terengganu before the 1950s but since then the production has ceased."

Kelantan was also once known for its 'Kain Pelangi' industry. Historian Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim in his book on the history of the batik industry stated that one Haji Che Su Ishak and his friends produced 'Kain Pelangi' at Kampung Lorong Gajah Mati, Kota Bharu, in 1911.

According to Khoo, the Pelangi cloth was made from a certain silk fabric named 'Pereir' (or 'Perai' as it was called in Malay) that was imported from Thailand.

"They used a very traditional technique and process and the fabrics were dyed with natural plant-based dyes. They used mainly blue and black colours and had limited patterns," wrote Khoo in his book.

When the batik printing technique made its way to Malaya, especially Kelantan, in 1922, the output of  'Kain Pelangi' slowed down after textile entrepreneurs started to show more interest in batik cloth which they found easier to produce.

REVIVE THE ART

Mohd Azhar, who gave a talk on 'Kain Pelangi' at the National Textile Museum here on March 26, hoped that by sharing his findings on his studies on the Malay traditional cloth, the public would feel compelled to get to know it better, especially its history and how it is produced.

"'Kain Pelangi' has the potential to make a comeback. This can happen if the (Pelangi cloth) production process is made part of the syllabus at local skills centres and institutions of higher learning.

"Textile operators or those who love the traditional arts can then start producing this particular textile craft product," he added. 

According to Mohd Azhar, the technique of designing and producing the local traditional 'Kain Pelangi' was still relatively unknown compared with the contemporary and more popular tie-dye technique.

Urging the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the relevant agencies to introduce initiatives to enable 'Kain Pelangi' to return to glory after being marginalised for so many years, he said it was time to reclaim it as a national heritage.

Translated by Rema Nambiar

BERNAMA