Rumah Batik Sri Wangsa A Popular Attraction For Visitors To Mersing

By Nur Faradilla Mohamad

MERSING, April 27 (Bernama) -- Rumah Batik Sri Wangsa here has emerged as a new attraction for visitors, offering them a hands-on experience in drawing batik patterns using a pen-like tool known as the canting. 

Its owner Nadia Mohd Fuzi, 39, said after more than 15 years of selling handicrafts and batik products in Johor Bahru, she decided to produce her own batik pieces.

Mersing-born Nadia said she and her husband Haiyat Md Hassim, 47, eventually returned to her hometown to explore batik-making in Mersing district, the gateway to a chain of picturesque islands.

pic-2

“We used to sell batik products sourced from Johor and Terengganu, but due to strong demand, I decided to start producing our own batik about three years ago,” she told Bernama.

Featuring batik fabrics with designs inspired by flora, fauna and geometric patterns, as well as motifs inspired by Johor commodities such as pineapples and black pepper, and the berembang tree, Rumah Batik Sri Wangsa has also, since last year, been offering visitors the chance to try making their own batik prints, following growing interest in the fabric art.

pic-3

Nadia started her batik production business with her own capital of about RM80,000, driven by her passion and confidence in what she describes as a niche industry.

Mersing’s appeal as a tourist destination has added value to her business, which has received an enthusiastic response from both local and international visitors.

“Mersing is actually underrated, but interestingly, about 80 percent of our visitors are international tourists. For many of them, our centre is a must-stop location,” she said.

pic-4

She added that Rumah Batik Sri Wangsa also receives numerous bookings from schools, government agencies and non-governmental organisations for team-building and family day programmes, as well as for educational, craft and arts club activities.

“Our premises are among the largest in the state because here most batik makers operate from their own homes without large spaces to accommodate busloads of visitors,” said Nadia, who has two full-time and 12 part-time staff, all trained by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia).

Nadia, who holds a diploma in property management from Universiti Teknologi MARA, said she was mentored by her uncle, who has more than 40 years of experience in batik-making.

She said batik production usually involves four main techniques: batik canting, batik cop (block printing), batik skrin (screen printing), and batik pelangi, or tie-dye, each with its own distinctive character.

pic-5

“The essential materials for making batik include white fabric, batik wax, canting, block stamps, fabric dyes, brushes, wax heater and wooden stand,” she said.

Looking ahead, Nadia and Haiyat plan to upgrade Rumah Batik Sri Wangsa’s learning centre, production space, batik gallery and parking facilities in response to increasing visitor numbers.

“We also hope to build a two-storey glass gallery within the next two to five years, infused with traditional elements that can become a tourism landmark in Mersing and a symbol of pride for Johor, while serving as a learning space for younger generations.

“We’re also looking to explore international markets. We hope batik will remain relevant… we also hope to continue receiving moral and financial support from relevant agencies in preserving this cultural heritage,” she added.

-- BERNAMA