Yes! Please Bring Back The KEBAYA.

PWWS President Halida Ali (in white blouse) posing in the 2016 February Calendar

I have a wish, that more Malaysian women would wear the Kebaya that beautiful lace blouse and sarong dress combination our mothers and grandmothers including popular singer Saloma wore regularly in years gone by.

I am totally for the idea especially after reading a report about Lyana Khairuddin’s initiative ‘Bring Back The Kebaya’ movement.

The poster for 'Bring Back the Kebaya' movement.

Lyana aims to put the kebaya into mainstream Malaysian life and questioned why Malaysian women abandoned this previously very common dress to adopt the Arab style jubbah dress instead.

My enthusiasm was encouraged when I came across a 2016 calendar produced by NGO Perak Women for Women Society where all the models were dressed in the sarong kebaya.

Posters of singer 'Saloma' wearing the kebaya

PWWS President Halida Mohd Ali when contacted said the calendar was part of the society’s fund raising project.

“The idea to pose in the kebaya was unanimous” said Halida who explained that the society had held a kebaya promotion event in 2015.

“All our members wore the kebaya during the event so when the fund raising idea came up the members decided to dress in the kebaya.  

“The committee felt that the kebaya should be revived similar to during our mother’s time when the ladies wore the batek sarong and kebaya.

“It was unique and elegant unlike the common baju kurung that does not have a shape and is less attractive”.

Halida said all those who modeled for the calendar wore their own dress while some had one tailored just for the shoot adding that all who participated thoroughly had fun dressing up for the calendar shoot.

Perak Women for Women Society (PWW) is a registered NGO set up in 2003 to enhance the status and lives of women in Perak.

JAG 

ANNOUNCEMENT: VPY2017 Awareness Campaign / Contest.

Submit your entry form (r-l) Perak Tourism Chairman Mohd Kamil, Datuk Nolee, Tourism Perak CEO Zuraida Md. Taib  and Tourism Malaysia Perak Director Talib Ibrahim Seddiqi.

With Visit Perak Year 2017 / VPY2017 around the corner Perak Tourism has initiated an awareness campaign cum contest titled “Celebrating Visit Perak Year2017@My Perak Green & Clean Campaign”

The competition started from October 25 and will close on November 25.

State Exco for Tourism Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi who announced the campaign said the goal was to increase awareness of VPY2017.

“The campaign while emphasizing on the fun and beauty aspect will also create awareness for hygiene and various other aspects in order to foster a sense of community responsibility throughout the state.

This competition involves not only government agencies but also private companies, hotels, eateries and travel products and is open to individuals to ensure a successful competition.

For local authorities their focus will include landscape, cleanliness and beautification , infrastructure and public amenities while the private category will relate to hotels and food places.

Contest entry form. 

There are two categories for Individuals who wish to participate.

Under the ‘Public Best’ category the participants are required to capture photographs of “Interesting Places in Perak” and submit their entries via Instagram or Facebook.

The video category requires individuals to a produce short video ‘Best Story of Perak’ within a maximum length of 60 seconds on interesting topics of Perak on places of interest, food or heritage. Video entries are to be submitted via You Tube or Facebook.

For both categories the entries must be hash-tagged ‘ letscelebratingvisitperakyear2017 ‘ before submission online.  Ten handphones/ ipads await the winners for each public category.

Individuals wishing to participate are advised to register with Perak Tourism at No 22, Jalan Teh Hawa, 30300, Ipoh Perak. A copy of the registration form is attached or can be downloaded from Perak Tourism.

For further details please contact Perak Tourism, Cik Amnani at telephone ref: 05 249 9966.

JAG 

Lonely Planet Nominates Perak As “Top 10 Best Region In The World To Visit In 2017”.

Perak has been nominated as the “Top 9 of 10 Regions in the World” to visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet.

The other regions include Choquequirao (Peru), Taranaki (New Zealand), The Azores (Portugal), North Wales (United Kingdom), South Australia, Ayse´n (Chile), The Tuamotus (French Polynesia) and Coastal Georgia, USA while the Skellig Ring, Ireland was ranked number 10.

Lonely Planet is the world’s largest travel guide publication and had just published its nominations for “Best In Travel 2017’ list.  The list consists of four categories , countries, cities, regions and value.

The dictionary defines a Region as an area, which can be geographic and part of a country and yet is uniquely distinct from another area.

Unlike Lonely Planet’s nomination of Ipoh as the “Top 6 of 10 Asian Destinations to Visit in 2016” in June, this latest nomination covers the whole state of Perak. 

State Tourism Director Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said it was a pleasant shock but also an honour as the nomination would boost promotion efforts for Visit Perak Year 2017.

“The recognition will certainly attract domestic visitors and promote us to foreign tourists” said Nolee.

A flip through Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel 2017’ page describes of Ipoh’s vintage style Old Town and Pangor Island as a sunbathers paradise.

The page described the states adventure locations as majestic landscapes with a tapestry of mangrove swamps, jungles and beaches beckoning one to jump in to swim, hike, raft, and get marvellously sweaty guaranteeing exhilaration. 

It also gave examples of the locations  of the Royal Belum State Park, Gopeng’s Tempurung Cave and Kampar River’s miniature water sport hub as well as Ipoh’s sacred cave Temples.

Adventure at Gopeng, caving and white water rafting 

The nomination for ‘Must Visit Region’ is certainly fitting. 

Perakeans who love food and adventure know well that Perak has a good network of roads which allows for day trips to most corners in the state.

Take a drive to Taiping and stop over at Kuala Sepetang coastal town for lunch 

This could include a round of golf at Taiping and followed by a seafood lunch at the coastal town of Kuala Sepetang or visit the last Tin Dredge at Tanjong Tualang and follow it up with a visit to the Kinta Tin Mining Museum at Kampar with a delicious fresh water prawn lunch in between.

Visit the Perak Man at Lenggong or view cave paintings in Ipoh 

Or if you want to go back in time visit the resting place of the 11,000 years old Perak Man at Lenggong or if time is a constraint visit the 3000 years old prehistoric rock painting at Tambun in Ipoh City itself.

If we include the locations as described by Lonely Planet the list of interesting sites is endless befitting the state’s tourism tagline ‘World of Wonders’.

View the history of Tin via the Last Dredge, check out the Tin Museum at Kampar and have a fresh water prawn lunch (inset) in between. 

The nomination has been made. For sure the influx of visitors will materialize.

 The difference now is instead of Ipoh and specifically Old Town being flooded with visitors the rest of the state will get to share and showcase their lifestyle and cuisine to visitors.

JAG