Batik With Dayak Motifs Making Great Inroads

Sarawak, Malaysia - Despite venturing into an already crowded field, Edward Augustine is lucky to emerge as a leading Iban batik manufacturer in Sarawak in just a short span of four years.

His bold, artistic and colourful batik with traditional Dayak motifs already have many VIP fans, including Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas and a long list of other politicians and business tycoons.

Augustine, 62, started his business only after retiring from the Education Department as a school headmaster.

A native Iban of Betong, 210km south east of Kuching, he was persuaded by Kraftangan Malaysia Sarawak branch director Mohd Latif in 2004 to take up the production of batik.

“The director had come to look for my son Vyner Kassin Edward who had trained in the art of batik-making at the Kraftangan Malaysia Johor Baru branch. But while waiting for Kraftangan Malaysia to offer him a job, he started working at a hospital,” said Augustine.

“The director instead asked if I was interested in making batik since he knew I had been doing it as a hobby,” he added.

The rest is history.

Augustine took up the challenge, and under an incubator scheme, he received training and assistance in cash and kind from Kraftangan Malaysia over two years.

“Kraftangan Malaysia also established its Betong branch in 2004 and I was given space to operate in its premises,” Augustine recalled.

Augustine had always done well in art in secondary school. He also loves to design and draw Dayak motifs, not only of his own race, the Iban, but also the Bidayuh’s and Orang Ulu’s.

It is this artistic talent which he nurtured since his school days that quickly propelled him to success and fame.

“I was worried at the beginning because the batik industry established in Terengganu and Kelantan was traditionally famous for its fine batik. And there is so much inexpensive batik imported from Indonesia,” said Augustine.

The breakthrough came two years ago when Tan Sri Alfred Jabu introduced his batik at a dinner in Kuching.

The state Deputy Chief Minister, who was wearing a batik shirt made by Augustine, was impressed by the unique and exquisite batik hand-made by a fellow Iban from an interior longhouse.

He suggested that this batik should carry the label Batik Betong to reflect its place of origin.

“It was a brilliant idea, and from that moment onwards, all my batik works have been promoted and marketed as Batik Betong,” Augustine said.

He believes he is one of the few successful Malaysian batik designers and manufacturers of Iban origin.

He runs the business with his wife, Mackenna Samuel, a retired teacher.

“She is very business-savvy, especially skilful in marketing,” he said.

The husband and wife team does not miss any opportunity to showcase their works at trade exhibitions all over Sarawak.

At the recent Buy Malaysian Products Expo in Sibu, I became acquainted to them.

“Batik Betong is marketed by our company Edmac Craft Enterprise which carries the abbreviations of our names Edward and Mackenna,” explained 61-year-old Samuel.

She stressed that, through the exhibitions, she had been successful in promoting Batik Betong to many government departments and agencies as well as corporations.

“We receive many orders for uniforms from government departments annually,” she said.

“Batik Betong is now making inroads into Peninsular Malaysia and overseas markets. We are excited about this, although the orders from overseas are still small,” said an elated Samuel.

The selling point for Batik Betong is that it stands out prominently with the incorporation of Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu motifs.

“Kraftangan Malaysia director Mohd Latif always advises me not to follow the designs used by others. He strongly encourages me to establish designs which are unique and special to Sarawak,” said Augustine.

“I also understand that I can’t compete with batik from Kelantan and Terengganu which have at least 150 years of history,” he added.

Asked about how he got inspiration for his designs, Augustine said, the moment he had an idea, even if it was in the middle of the night, he would scribble it down on paper.

“When the inspiration comes, I can’t afford to miss it,” he explained.

When a new design is ready, it is traced onto the textile, usually a piece of high-quality silk with light colours. The rest of the process is carried out manually by the workers. All the workers have undergone three months of training in basic batik-making.

“Most of our designs are original and exclusive. All are hand drawn by me and my elder son, Vyner, who helps out in the family business although he is not working full time,” Augustine said.

Lately, the company has received orders from the Chinese community which requested special designs of the dragon and auspicious Chinese characters on the batik.

All items which carry the label Batik Betong are printed on the finest silk using quality imported ink.

They are sold at between RM150 and RM600 a piece, depending on the material and design.

Besides customised batik shirts, dresses and textile, Augustine produces batik pareo and wall decorations.

His modest factory is located in front of the couple’s longhouse, just 1.5km from Betong town.

They employ eight workers, including their daughter and daughter-in-law.

The factory and showroom is located at 20, Kampung Lempaong, Betong, Sarawak. Call 019-469 5085 or 019-468 0390 for more information. Philip Hii

Source: http://thestar.com.my

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