JAKARTA: The broad usage of batik in the community’s everyday activities can help to promote the sense of national identity, said Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Nik Nazmi, who is on a working trip to Indonesia, witnessed how batik was aligned with fashion trends among the community here, at the same time placing batik as a symbol of national identity.
He added, “Sorry, but when we go for Umrah, including myself, we may look like Arabs, but Indonesians wear batik.”
Nik Nazmi gave a speech during a dinner with the Malaysian diaspora at Selesa, where Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, the Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia, was also present.
“So why don’t we have a unique identity that has been adapted to our culture?”
“We must be proud of our own identity,” he emphasised.
He asserts that the recently announced modification to the code of ethics for federal officials is realistic since the wearing of ties and suits is a vestige of colonialism that is no longer appropriate given the environment’s temperature.
“Due to the heat wave, ties are no longer required to be part of their dress code in several European countries,” he said. – BERNAMA
