The 1-Malaysia campaign appears to be in full swing. Opinions differ: some good, some bad. But we have to admit that finally more and more people are starting to realise that Malaysia is really a multi-cultural country.

Racism and separatism are simply not practical and puts Malaysia in a bad light. It is so much better to be a truly multi-cultural country and highlight the achievements and many talents.

Aliran Tempur Ikhtiar (officially based in London England) has always promoted and taken influence from a multitude of cultural backgrounds. Therefore Ikhtiar decided to have a ‘batik samping’ design that represents all the people and cultures of Malaysia .

The new custom design was made by Emilia Tan who is a well-known Malaysian batik artist as well as the founder of the TMS Art Gallery and the publisher of the ‘myBatik’ magazine.

Batik is the art and a craft of decorating cloth using wax and dye and has been practiced for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is an old tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. The word ‘batik’ is said to originate from the Javanese/Dutch word 'tik' and means to tap or dot.

Indonesia, most particularly the island of Java, is the area where batik has reached the greatest peak of accomplishment. Although the exact origins of Indonesian batik are unknown, it is most common on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is known that when the art of batik was first practiced in Java, batik belonged only to royalty and families of wealth and position.

Aristocrats and royalty had certain designs identifying a family, social status or geographical location on the island. It is believed that certain patterns have special meanings and are thought to bring the wearer good luck, wealth, prosperity, health, etc. Central Javanese designs are influenced by traditional patterns and colors.

Batik from the north coast of Java, near Pekalongan and Cirebon, have been greatly influenced by Chinese culture and effect brighter colous and more intricate flower and cloud designs. Skills have particularly well-developed over hundreds of years in Central Java around Yogyakarta and Soto under the patronage of the Sultan and his court.

On the coast designs were developed differently, influenced by settlers from China, the Dutch colonists and traders from India and Arabia. The Dutch brought Indonesian craftsmen to teach the craft to Dutch craftsmen during the seventeenth century.

The traditional dyes used are deep indigo blues and soga browns and these are still the characteristic colours for work in central Java. Towards the end of the 19 ^th century chemical dyes were introduced in the coastal regions.

In Malaysia batik was first introduced by the Javanese and other tribes from the now Indonesian regions moving to the mainland. It is said that the first Malaysian batik was made with the use of carved wooden blocks. This illustrates that batik arrived in Malaysia relatively late. This technique is also known as 'batik chop'.

In late 1920s, the Javanese batik-makers introduced the use of wax and copper blocks on the East Coast. The production of hand-drawn batik in Malaysia is relatively new. Known as 'batik tulis', the commercial production started in the 1960s. This is a free hand method of drawing. This craft is peculiar to Malaysia and did not lose its traditional characteristics.

The motifs drawn by the Malaysian artists sometimes include Islamic values whereby motifs of animals are strictly prohibited. In the East Coasts states of Terengganu and Kelantan, batik is still very prominent. Artists from around Kuala Lumpur are more open-minded and use butterfly motifs, which has now become a trademark of Batik Malaysia.

A ‘sarong’ or ‘sarung’ is a large sheet of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a skirt by men and women throughout South Asia and South East Asia, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands.

Sarongs are also used as wall hangings and other forms of clothing, such as shawls, baby carriers, complete dresses or upper body clothing.

In some ‘silat ‘styles, they are used as a weapon and to conceal weaponry. In Cambodia, it is known as ‘sampot suhrong’, or simply ‘suhrong’. In Indonesia it is known as a ‘kain sarung’. In Malaysia it is known as a ‘kain’, ‘kain pelikat’, ‘kain sarung’, ‘kain sampin’ or ‘songket’ (not batik but a woven sarong, often with golden thread, worn by men with ‘Baju Melayu’).

In Myanmar, it is known as a ‘longyi’. In the Philippines it is known as a ‘malong’.

Ikhtiar has its own official design batik sarong. The first design was inspired by the ‘parang rusak’ motif which was once reserved for the highest court circles of Jogjakarta. A similarity can be found in the characteristics of the drawing.

It has a traditional look and early 2009 it was decided that our batik should be modernised and represent all people and cultures of Malaysia. Therefore a new custom design was made by well- known Malaysian batik artist Tan Mei Shia (Emilia Tan).