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A Centre for Johor Malay Heritage

 

Some 15 years ago, I was introduced to the elegance of Johor Malay traditional costumes when I experienced a fashion show presented by Yayasan Warisan Johor or Johor Heritage Foundation, and found it both charming and fascinating.

 

Johor zapin dance performance at Rumah Limas

Looking back, it was 2005 when I learnt more about the timeless elegance of Busana Johor in this presentation that showcased Johor Malay traditional costumes.

 

While the commentary was in Malay, I managed to learn more details in English from Hj Shafie Ahmad, my go-to person for Johor Malay culture and heritage and whose personal contributions made Johor Malay culture and traditions, clear and interesting to me.

 

My interest in Busana Johor was so ignited that I even joined a training session for sewing the Malay costume – Kursus Jahitan Busana Johor – and discovered more about the design of Baju Melayu Telok Belanga, a style of the Johor Malay costume that had royal origins.

 

It was good to be back at the
Johor Heritage Foundation again

I learnt more about Busana Johor in 2012, when I joined the Johor Baru chapter of the International Women’s Association for a Johor Malay culture experience while the Foundation premises was located at Jalan Mariamah.

 

Then in 2015, I published my feature, Stitched in Tradition, in Life & Times with The New Sunday Times newspapers on Jamil Sukaimi of Telok Belanga Design, to share with readers nationwide, more about this style of Johor Malay traditional costumes.

 

Over the years, I had the pleasure to participate in numerous Malay culture and heritage experiences hosted by the Foundation where Hj Shafie, a fountain of information and an exceptional host who provided me with relevant info in English.

 

After a visit to Galeri Tenun or Weaving Gallery – housed in the heritage building within Komplex Warisan Sultan Abu Bakar – my feature, Reviving the Tenun artform, was published in Life & Times, The New Sunday Times newspapers in June 2016.

 

An array of Johor specialties displayed
on a woven mat, spread on the floor in
the Rumah Limas Johor
 
Built more than a 100 years ago, that was an old palace once named Istana Tunku Fatimah, the former residence of the younger sister of Sultan Sir Ibrahim.

 

In 2018, I was a guest (again!) with the Johor Baru chapter of the International Women’s Association for a Johor Malay cultural experience at the Foundation located in its current premises at Jalan Sungai Chat.

 

In 2019, I was proud to witness Haji Shafie being recognised for his consistent contributions in the promotion of Johor culture and heritage, as the Individual winner in the Arts, Culture & Heritage category of the Iskandar Malaysia Social Heroes Award.

 

Around end 2019, the Foundation presented visitors to Johor Baru with a One-Stop Malay Cultural Centre experience in a conducted tour that included hands-on activities like batik painting and traditional games, that ended with light refreshments.

 

Meeting with Deputy Director, Pn Sarina Taslim
and her team at the Foundation in June 2022

At last, there was a one-stop destination to enjoy and experience Johor Malay culture and heritage, where visitors could watch traditional zapin dance performances and learn the dance steps, as well as visit the Weaving Gallery to observe traditional weaving and buy souvenirs.

 

About the same time, I was preparing the Contents for Book Three of My Johor Stories and decided to include a story on the proud heritage of Baju Melayu Telok Belanga under the Culture-Heritage section.

 

Once again, Hj Shafie was my friend at the Foundation whom I could count on to help review my manuscript on the Baju Melayu Telok Belanga.

 

It was good to know that 
My Johor Stories were in the
Document Resource Centre

While the global pandemic compelled us to stay home to stay safe, I made good use of time and technology to research, refine and ready my manuscript for Book Three.

 

As the economy reopened after more than two years of uncertainties, I reached out to the Foundation to let them know that I will be featuring the Baju Melayu Telok Belanga in Book Three of My Johor Stories.

 

[After Book Two of My Johor Stories was published in 2018, Hj Shafie told me that the Foundation had stocked my books in their Document Resource Centre.]

 

In June 2022, I was at the Foundation to meet with Deputy Director, Puan Sarina Taslim and her team, to share with them the Contents for Book Three and how my story on the Baju Melayu Telok Belanga would fit in beautifully in the theme, Proudly Johor.

 

[Meanwhile when I met with Johor Royal Court Council president, Dato’ Abdul Rahim Ramli, whom the Foundation was working closely with to document Johor culture and heritage, Dato’ graciously volunteered to share with me, his valuable knowledge and experience on the Baju Melayu Telok Belanga.]

 

The Baju Melayu Telok Belanga features
a round flat collar, hand-stitched and
fastened by a single stud

Recently, the Foundation planned an event to relaunch the One-Stop Malay Cultural Centre experience and I was delighted to receive an invitation.

 

And when I joined them at the event, I was warmly welcomed by none other but the Foundation Director, Sharil Nizam Abd Rahim. Over a cup of tea, we reminisced about life in old Johor Baru and where he used to live at Kampung Mohamad Amin.

 

I was pleased that the event agenda included a visit to the Rumah Limas Johor, Art Gallery, Galeri Tenun or Weaving Gallery and Document Resource Centre, along with interactive activities and of course, a taste of Malay specialties.

 

Wearing a Johor-style songkok

After two years of travel restrictions due to the global pandemic, it was good to meet with tour and travel government agencies as well as travel industry players again.

 

Back at Rumah Limas Johor again, we were introduced to the traditional building architecture, Johor Malay food specialities and Johor Malay traditional costumes.

 

It was a pleasure to meet with an event participant, Fairuz, a tour guide who introduced himself as a regular reader of My Johor Stories and who was familiar with my stories on Johor culture and heritage, stored in my blog.

 

When we were invited to explore the house, I did not hesitate to visit the inner sanctuary – the room – where the traditional Malay costumes were displayed.

 

I was pleased to see the hand-sewn details on the flat collar of the Baju Melayu Telok Belanga where the edges of the collar were hemmed in tulang belut or eel bones stitches, and fastened by a single stud – a signature feature in this outfit.

 

Two ways of wearing
 the Johor-style
Baju Melayu Telok Belanga


Nearby, I spotted a staff who was wearing the Johor-style songkok, a version taller in height than a typical songkok.

 

When we were ushered to the other Rumah Limas for a zapin dance performance, I paused to speak to two young men and asked for permission to snap a photo of them.  

 

This was because they were each dressed in Baju Melayu Telok Belanga in the uniquely Johor-style Baju Melayu.

 

While one wore a calf-length kain dagang or samping (sarong) over the trousers but under the shirt in the Baju Melayu berkain dagang dalam style, the other wore the Baju Melayu berkain dagang luar style where the sarong was pleated with a single pleat at the front-center and folded down twice with a neat, flat waistband. 

 

The shirt or baju of the young man who was dressed in the Baju Melayu berkain dagang dalam style, featured three pockets: one small breast patch pocket on the left and two palm-size, right and left pockets on the front bottom edge of the shirt.

 

Hands-on activity at the Art Gallery to create
your own tie-and-die masterpiece

At the Art Gallery, exhibitions by local artists will be changed from time-to-time but I was told that there were permanent exhibits in the gallery that included an abstract piece in acrylic by Johor artist, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal entitled, Hujung Tanah.

 

Among the paintings to admire here were two attractive pieces by Her Majesty Johor Permaisuri Raja Zarith Sofia and a priceless piece by her mother-in-law and mother of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, YAM Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom Abdullah, a 1976 etching entitled, Malay Wedding.

 

A collection of old magazines and newspapers

At the Document Resource Centre, we learnt that the Foundation had a section dedicated to the preservation of old but valuable books on Johor because the preservation of documents like books and magazines, will provide future generations who were seeking documentary proof of the past, a very precious resource.

 

While observing a demonstration of the electronic equipment used for the digitalisation process, I was pleased to recognise a familiar book, A History of Johore by R. O. Winstedt (1878 – 1966) that was being digitised. 

 

The print on its cover indicated that this old book was its sixth reprint, proof of how his research and discoveries documented of a bygone era, was of such great value.

 

My Johor Stories in the Johor section
of the Document Resource Centre

And while the others were still browsing, I sought the help of the Foundation staff to escort me to the Reference Books section in the Resource Centre and Fatin guided me to the Johor Section where there was a collection of Malay and English books.

 

No, I do not count myself along the ranks of Winstedt but I was ridiculously pleased to see My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage and My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People among the collection, which Fatin told me, were often used by visitors who needed references on old Johor.

 

Fatin holding up my books,
One and Two of My Johor Stories

Back at Galeri Tenun, it was refreshing to see some changes in the display and to discover that there was a new product – smart tailored shirts – that featured panels of the exclusive Johor-style fabric, woven in lovely colours and designs.

 

While the woven fabrics were typically designed in a check or square pattern, I learnt that the distinctive Johor fabric design was distinguished by woven motifs in gold threads or threads made from pineapple leaf fibres, positioned at the points where the squares meet.

 

Upstairs, I was pleased to see in glass showcases, ladies’ accessories like anklets and hair pins traditionally worn to complete the ensemble, and mannequins – both adult and children – that displayed a range of Johor Malay traditional costumes in the style of Baju Melayu Telok Belanga and Baju Melayu Cekak Musang. 

 

Our Johor Malay Cultural experience at the Foundation aptly ended with lunch hosted at the Rumah Limas that was served with live music entertainment provided by their band and singers, as well as zapin dance performances.

 

Dancers of this zapin dance performance were
wearing Johor Malay traditional costumes

I probably had the privilege of the best-seat-at-the-table, closest to the dance floor to capture some good shots of these exciting performances.

 

While I enjoyed the music and songs, presented in a pleasant inang melody, the cherry on top of this cake, was the finale: a traditional zapin dance performed by dancers who were dressed in Busana Johor, a range of elegant Johor Malay traditional costumes.

 

Yayasan Warisan Johor or the Johor Heritage Foundation, is located at Komplex Warisan Sultan Abu Bakar, Lot 888 Jalan Sungai Chat, 80100 Johor Baru, Johor.

 

For group tours and enquiries, write in to Email: corporate.ywj@gmail.com

 

For more information, visit Yayasan Warisan Johor official pages on Facebook, Instagram and website: www.ywj.gov.my

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