Tradition and patriotism trending for National Day

LOCAL tanjak makers are noticing an increase in demand for the traditional Malay headgear for men.

Tanjak maker Mohd Iskandar Abd Rahim, 47, said the Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak had gained popularity among Malaysians to become a trend in the last few years.

“Women have Jalur Gemilang-themed scarves which is one of the most sought-after items during the National Month.

“So I came up with the tanjak using the same scarves that are sewn together over stiff cotton cloth to make it sturdier,” he said when met at his workshop in Perkampungan Kraf, Kompleks Kraf Johor, Johor Baru.

He said he came up with the idea in 2019.

Mohd Iskandar, co-owner of Wandarisnor Kompang Baldu, said making the tanjak used to be his family’s side business that had continued to expand due to its growing demand.

“My family’s main business is making kompang but since the tanjak is now a best-seller, we now focus on both the kompang and tanjak,” he said.

He added that his brother Mohd Ismail Abd Rahim, 45, handled the business of making the kompang, or traditional hand drum.

“Besides making the tanjak, I have expanded my skills to tailoring traditional Malay clothes for men,” said Mohd Iskandar.

“I plan to take a class on making traditional Chinese and Indian attire for men too.”

Mohd Iskandar said demand for Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak came mostly from schools and government agencies.

Mohd Iskandar says making tanjak has grown into one of the family’smain businesses.

“So far, I have readied 50 pieces of headgear, all of which were pre-ordered.

“Each piece takes about one hour to complete and is priced at RM50 each,” he said, adding that some had been sent to Kuala Lumpur and Terengganu.

Songkok Masood Hussin owner Zahedy Zakariah, 45, also makes tanjak.

He has sold 200 pieces of the Jalur Gemilang-themed tanjak since Aug 1.

“Our sales record for last year was 400 pieces,” he said, adding that each piece was priced between RM90 and RM100.

“Each piece is custom-made and hand-sewn.

“Luckily, I have my wife, Nur Dalila Abdul Ghani, 43, helping me out with the process,” Zahedy said, adding that they made around 30 pieces a day.

Zahedy says he and his wife make about 30 tanjak a day.

Their tanjak is also made from stiff cotton sewn together with a piece of cloth bearing the colours of the national flag.

“We are not using the Jalur Gemilang flag to be turned into a tanjak but we use different coloured materials to get the similar effect.

“Our biggest clients are government agencies,” Zahedy said, adding that they were expecting demand to be higher this year, and for public interest to pick up in the weeks leading to National Day.

Zahedy also said he was making a limited-edition Jalur Gemilang-themed songkok at his shop in Jalan Majidi, Muar.

“Making songkok is our family’s main business, but we’ve decided to make tanjak as a side business due to popular demand,” he said.