Motif and pattern design in mengkuang and pandan plaiting from Peninsular Malaysia / Noor Hafiza Ismail

Plaiting is one of the crafts that have been passed down from generation to generation in Malay culture and this art brings has brought awareness to anyone for the aesthetic value that possesses. This craft started since the age of Neolithic but it keeps on evolving through time due to the increasing demands and the element of creativity that the individuals who had produced it. However, despite of the fact that the demand for the plaiting crafts is high, it does not mean that we do not need to preserve this valuable treasure from vanishing through the rapid flow of modernization. Continuous effort must be carried out in order to ensure that the youths of today are still able to appreciate the fineness of this art that is originated from their ancestors which money cannot value. The effort put by the precious generations has brought our nation to the eyes of the world which we are known for this art by the world community. This art is also a form of identity to our nation which is very unique and authentic. The skill of plaiting is passed down or taught informally in order to prevent it from being extinct by time. In order to obtain accurate information, the researcher has carried out interview sessions with some of the people that are involved with the plaiting skill directly and indirectly at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Centre and other branches in Terengganu, Kedah and Melaka. The interview sessions for the respective states are vital for the research in an attempt to identify the types of motifs and patterns that have been chosen for the plaiting of mengkuang and pandan that can be found in these three states. This research would lead to discovering new method of plaiting or developed into contemporary design for mengkuang and pandan products for commercialization.