Photo credit: Cheminahsayang

THE PINK SHEEN held my attention; I asked myself, “Should I make this purchase?” I looked at it again, took off the clear plastic wrap and felt the slight groove of the gold motif with my index finger. I looked at one of my travelling companions. “Of course you should get it. It is beautiful, and there is only one of these in the world,” she said. I looked at her with a slight grin—who needs enemies when you have an enabler for your impulsive shopping habits.

I made the purchase.

Looking back a decade later—though it might not be a well-thought purchase (I do not encourage spending almost RM400 when earning just above minimum wage on a pink Tenun Pahang Diraja selendang)—I have no regrets.

My prized selendang was formed in one of the looms at Kampung Pulau Keladi in Pekan, Pahang, the birthplace of Tenun Pahang DiRaja (Royal Pahang Silk). The silk threads of my selendang were coloured with natural dyes before being woven strand by strand, interlacing between the warp and weft.[1] A singular motif known as colek[2] is simultaneously dotted sparsely over the fabric.

From Makassar To Pahang

Before the Dutch came to Sulawesi, its peoples were already known for shipbuilding and shipping. They were also one of the largest producers of fabric with many families owning a weaving loom. When the Dutch invaded the Port of Makassar over 300 years ago, where the majority of the population of Sulawesi resided, many locals took flight.[3]

One of the many who escaped was a skilled weaver named Tok Tuan, and he arrived in Pekan, Pahang in 1722. There, he shared his weaving knowledge and skills with his family members and the locals until he passed. After 11 generations, family members and relatives of Tok Tuan still live in the same village, continuing the tradition. Many believe that instead of introducing Makassar’s weaving to the people in Pekan, Tok Tuan had improved on the existing weaving methods; after all, weaving activities had already existed in Pahang before his arrival.[4]

Today, fabric weaving is part and parcel of Makassar’s cultural heritage, and if one were to visit, one might spot fabrics with checkered patterns similar to the Tenun Pahang DiRaja, known as Tennun Sabbe.[5]

Meanwhile, weaving in Pekan evolved. Using spun silk scattered with bunga colek, this came to be known as the Tenun Pahang. The Sultan Abu Bakar Museum in Pekan currently holds more than 100 pieces of Tenun Pahang, some of which are over 200 years old.

Revival of The Tenun Pahang

Originating from a small village, Tenun Pahang was worn by royalty, nobles or the chief of state. It later became the gift of choice for guests of the palace, whether they were locals or from abroad.

In the early 1950s, the British government invited Hajjah Selema Sulaiman, a descendant of Tok Tuan, to exhibit her woven goods in London. Although she couldn’t attend due to poor health, she was honoured with the title “Tenun Pahang Exemplary Weaver” for her skill before her death in 1958.[6]

In 1963, the Rural Industrial Development Authority (now MARA) got involved in the silk-weaving industry and contributed to its growing popularity. This led to the 1964 opening of the Pulau Keladi Silk Weaving Centre in Pekan, Pahang. A decade later, Tun Abdul Razak, Malaysia’s second Prime Minister tasked other government bodies, like the Development Authority for Pahang Tenggara (DARA), with revitalising the industry. In the early 1980s, the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) helped develop weaving training programmes to attract younger people to the craft.[7]

From 1998 to 2000, the Pahang State Muzium began to look into the creation of Tenun Pahang more seriously as a cultural and heritage product. They decided to train more locals to learn the craft. Experts like Nortipah Abd Kadir and Azman Zakaria were roped in to impart the knowledge of traditional weaving to the next generation. By the turn of the millennium, the Tenun Pahang industry saw the growth of several new weaving centres such as those in Felda Chini in Rompin and the Tenun Pahang Development Centre in Kampung Sungai Soi, Kuantan.

The bestowal of the title “DiRaja” (Royal) upon Tenun Pahang was carried out in 2006 by Al-Sultan Abdullah when he was the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang.[8] This reflects the earnest commitment of the Pahang palace to advance the Tenun Pahang industry, while also preserving Tenun Pahang’s status as part of the royal attire.[9]

Characteristics of The Tenun Pahang DiRaja

The current Tengku Ampuan (Queen Consort) of Pahang and former Queen of Malaysia, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah established Cheminahsayang, to drive the commercialisation of the fabric.

I spoke to Zulhani Abdul Kadir, the textile designer for Cheminahsayang, and he explained that Tenun Pahang DiRaja must fulfil three criteria:

1. It needs to be woven in Pahang.

2. Everything must be handwoven without the use of machines.

3. It must meet specific design characteristics, e.g. horizontal and vertical lines or checkered.

Most local fabrics consist of the head (kepala kain), the body (badan kain) and the foot (kaki kain). It is likened to the human body. However, for the Tenun Pahang DiRaja (and all other Tenun Pahang that do not meet the “DiRaja” criteria), there’s an additional part called the sepit udang, which allows the wearer to don the fabric from both directions, top and bottom.

The Tenun is crafted using a series of intricate processes. Each fabric has to be designed first. In this case, Zulhani carefully drafts the patterns and determines the colours to be used to reflect contemporary tastes while displaying traditional elements. He will have to provide the calculations and numbers so that those who prepare the weave will be able to apply the known formula on the loom (which they call kek).

There are usually 10 steps to make Tenun Pahang DiRaja:

1. Melikas (cleaning the silk): The silk threads are detangled, soaked overnight and cleaned to remove excess starch.

2. Mewarna (colouring): Threads are coloured using natural or synthetic dye. Synthetic dye provides a wider range of colours and consistent shade.

3. Menerau (spinning or spooling the silk): Threads are transferred to the weaver’s spools. Yarns of various colours are spooled according to the required design.

4. Mengani (pattern arrangement): Pellets are arranged in the pattern needed by the customer. Threads are then pulled in the exact quantity, following required design.

5. Menyusuk (inserting the thread into the reed): 10 threads are inserted into the reed and pulled through using a tool called penyusuk.

6. Menggulung (winding): Threads are wound and stretched using a rolling mechanism. This extends the threads to reach a maximum length of 20m.

7. Menghubung (connecting warp yarns): The new warp yarns are attached to the heddle eye and placed on the kek. The thread must be manually attached, one by one.

8. Meneguh (firming): Warp yarns are placed on the loom, and each thread is firmed and checked to remove tangles as threads must not break during the weaving process.

9. Menenun (weaving): The master weaver will then create the masterpiece.

10. Menggerus (polishing): Though it is not so common now, polishing using beeswax or resin gives the fabric a nice sheen.

Colek is used to enhance the design, and to give it a touch of luxury; it was usually woven using gold threads. Currently, they are popular amongst those seeking a special attire, especially when it comes to bridal couture. Among the more popular traditional colek still used are the Bunga Cendawan, Bunga Bintang and Bunga Cengkih.

Each colek is accompanied by two “tails” located at the beginning and end of a motif.[10] Zulhani shared that this “tail” was introduced because in the past, many would take the Tenun Pahang and try to pass it off as a songket (although the motifs on the Tenun are smaller and more scattered), in order to sell it at a higher price.

Ensuring Successful Transmission

The Institut Kemahiran Tenun Pahang DiRaja today actively runs two-year courses to encourage locals to pick up weaving. The Institute also supports students by providing food, lodging and a monthly stipend of RM300-400, funded by the Tengku Ampuan herself.

Inmates completing their sentences in Bentong and Penoh prisons are also taught to weave. There are currently approximately 100 to 200 weavers in the prisons. Once completed, the prison department will sell the masterpieces and the inmates will be paid a minimal amount for their work.

According to Zulhani, Cheminahsayang currently hires 15 weavers, of whom three were former inmates. “It is a rehabilitation programme for them; when they are released from prison, they can get hired because they already have the skill.”

Every piece of Tenun Pahang DiRaja is a labour of love; each is custom-made and truly one-of-a-kind. The process to make a 4.5m-long fabric can take more than three months, depending on the complexity of the design. “The weft ikat process is exceptionally tedious, requiring weavers to meticulously arrange and rearrange individual threads before they even reach the loom. That stage alone can take a month, and we pay our workers minimum wage every month. Some other companies pay only after the fabric is completed.”

A 4.5m piece of Tenun Pahang DiRaja can fetch prices starting from RM1,800 for simpler designs to RM6,000 for more intricate patterns.

Approaching The Global Market

Tenun Pahang DiRaja was showcased during London Craft Week 2022 and received good feedback, especially from parties who desired to use the Tenun to make upholstery. However, Zulhani explained that there are systems that need to be corrected and innovations that need to be introduced before the fabric can go international.

“What we use for the fabric is spun silk, but in places like the UK, fabrics have to be fire retardant. We are currently doing R&D on different materials and are trying to make the operations more systematic. If we want to start marketing our fabric overseas, the colours need to be consistent too. My concern is on how we can achieve consistency,” Zulhani said.

Currently, the looms can only manage 30m, but for furnishings, orders might come in for 60m to 100m per order. Therefore, they are looking at upgrading their looms to produce longer fabrics at a faster pace. Zulhani is eager to conduct tests on colour fastness and fire retardancy to get an ISO before starting another round of marketing overseas.

The older looms are called kek Melayu, which are used to make songket. “The modern looms we have now are specially designed by carpenters for Tenun Pahang DiRaja, and the mechanism is inspired by kek Siam,” Zulhani explained.

When it comes to fabric bought to be worn, Zulhani admitted that very few understand the value in these fabrics. “Knowing how much it costs, I know many would prefer to buy branded luxury items instead. But there are those who know how exclusive it is, and will pay to uphold our handicrafts in a world where you can get everything instantly.”

FOOTNOTES

[1] Sulaiman Abdul Ghani, translated from Tenun Pahang Diraja: Warisan, Tradisi & Falsafah by Ahmad Farid bin Abdul Jalal

[2] Small floral dotted ornament on fabric.

[3] Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Sultan Iskandar Alhaj (Crown Princess of Pahang), Ahmad Farid Abd. Jalal, Tenun Pahang Diraja: A Fashion Tradition, pg. 85, 2017, Pahang State Museum Corporation

[4] Ibid.

[5] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342246501SILKWEAVINGASACULTURALHERITAGEINTHEINFORMALENTREPRENEURSHIPEDUCATIONPERSPECTIVE

[6] Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Sultan Iskandar Alhaj (Crown Princess of Pahang), Ahmad Farid Abd. Jalal, Tenun Pahang Diraja: A Fashion Tradition, pg. 87, 2017, Pahang State Museum Corporation

[7] Ibid.

[8] https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/495228/tenun-pahang-di-raja-queen-special-request/

[9] Sulaiman Abdul Ghani, translated from Tenun Pahang Diraja: Warisan, Tradisi & Falsafah by Ahmad Farid bin Abdul Jalal, pg 84.

[10] Abdul Jabbar, H., Hamidon, N. A., Ab Kadir, M. I., & Abdul Jabbar, A. R. (2019). KAIN TENUN PAHANG DAN KAIN TENUN SULAWESI: SATU KAJIAN PERBANDINGAN AWAL. Jurnal Pengajian Melayu, 30(1), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.22452/jomas.vol30no1.3