Batik – The South East Asian Industry
Published August 3, 2010 | 
The art of Batik printing has long retained a key presence in south east asia. Most nations in the region have some sort of batik producing capability resulting from its long tradition here. Few countries however, have had such prominent influence on the trade as Malaysia does. This is usually done as a means of promotion as well as growing the prestige of its own goods. The ultimate goal is of course to create an international batik hub right here in this country.
Some parties have claimed that batiks from India in addition to Indonesia are better but that does not mean Malaysian goods are bad by any stretch. It has a deep root in local culture as well as can be seen in almost all government events. It is standard practice for all government officials in Malaysia to don a batik shirt for all official events. However, such practices started from the onset of Malaysia’s independance under our first prime minister, Prince Abdul Rahman.
In spite of its popularity, batik goods are mostly produced in the north east Malaysian states. Kelantan along with Trengganu are the two states that have traditionally been heavy producers of batik prints for local as well as international markets. The trend lately has been making for the international market as opposed to the local ones. Younger local generations do not look too favorably upon batik as they are mostly seen as clothing to worn by older folk.
However, this may seem like a blessing in disguise as foreigners tend to appreciate batik a lot more than locals do. After all, it is something very foreign culturally and can add a touch of the exotic to any wardrobe. Combine this fact with the accessibility that the internet gives its online customers. Nowadays, buying online is an very viable option that opens up markets previously unaccessible. With the developing international market for batik scarves, dresses, wraps and shirts, the Malaysian government has actively been promoting its local batik goods.
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As a result, a number of major events have been organized and funded by the Malaysian officials. The Kuala Lumpur International Batik convention is by far the one that draws the most attention locally and internationally. Persons that are very relevant to the industry are all invited. Booths that sell such items like the batik scarf and other products are made available to interested parties. In the end, an occasion such as this benefits the batik trade tre
