SEREMBAN, Aug 19 — Seamstress Normah Ishak never imagined that she would one day have the opportunity to sew a baju kebaya for the Prime Minister’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Describing it as the most precious and memorable experience of her life, Normah, 60, said it took her a week to complete the peach-coloured attire, which was presented to Dr Wan Azizah as a souvenir at an official event in Seremban last month.
It was no ordinary kebaya but styled after the Kebaya Setengah Tiang, a heritage of Negeri Sembilan and worn by women and royalty since the 1930s. It has its own distinctive design upholding the identity of the state.
“I was very excited to be given the opportunity to sew this heritage kebaya for the wife of the Prime Minister. We noticed that she often wears baju kurung or kebaya at official events,” the mother-of-four and grandmother-of-six told Bernama.
She added that Dr Wan Azizah was very pleased with the gift.
“In fact, we understand that she was excited when she learned the kebaya (given to her) represented the identity of this state and she also wore it.”
Normah, a retired government employee, has also received orders for the kebaya from dignitaries and senior government officials, including State Assemblyman for Pilah Noorzunita Begum Ibrahim and state Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Nicole Tan, as well as heads of departments.
She said the design of the Kebaya Setengah Tiang, which features an elegant seven-cut pattern, has no gusset and is loose-fitting, makes it distinct from the kebaya commonly worn by women in Malaysia.
“Previously, I only sewed this kebaya for fun but ever since the state government patented this garment as a heritage identity of Negeri Sembilan, I suddenly started receiving many orders.
“Most of the customers ordering this garment are young people, civil servants and even dignitaries who have started to make the Kebaya Setengah Tiang their fashion choice,” she added.
She also said it took her a year to learn its sewing techniques through courses conducted by Persatuan Penggiat Busana Tradisional Negeri Sembilan (Negeri Sembilan Traditional Attire Enthusiasts Association).
Azita Azit, 46, who is also adept at sewing the Kebaya Setengah Tiang, said she made an effort to learn to sew the traditional garment to ensure it does not fade away with time.
“Even though I’ve been a tailor for 11 years, it was not easy for me to master the skills to sew the Kebaya Setengah Tiang. The tough part of it is creating the pattern. If you don’t get the pattern right, it’s really difficult to sew this kebaya. But I managed to learn the skills with the guidance of my skilled instructors,” said Azita, who has so far received orders for 150 sets of Kebaya Setengah Tiang, with her charges ranging from RM80 to RM180 a set depending on the material used.
Meanwhile, Persatuan Penggiat Busana Tradisional Negeri Sembilan chairman Alias Zakaria, 64, said this particular kebaya is called Kebaya Setengah Tiang due to its unique cut, where the front hem of the blouse extends to just above the knee while the back falls below the hips.
Describing its authentic features, he said Negeri Sembilan’s heritage kebaya has flared sleeves and a straight-cut lower section, distinguishing it from other types of kebaya that have a pointed front. The top is paired with a batik sarong,
To preserve the authenticity and uniqueness of this traditional attire, the state government registered it as intellectual property with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) last November. The registration, under the geographical indication category, aims to ensure the original pattern and cut of this traditional attire remain a distinct identity of Negeri Sembilan. — Bernama
