Baju Raya orders pouring in
Johor tailor gets out-of-state bookings for Teluk Belanga style
JOHOR BARU: It’s still early days but orders have already come in for the baju Melayu Teluk Belanga.
This style is synonymous with the Malays in Johor but it is getting popular with Malay men from other states.
“The toughest part in making baju Melayu Teluk Belanga is cutting the round neck known as bulan (moon) and sewing the tulang belut (which literally means eel’s spine) for the neckline, compared to the stiffer and raised cekak musang collar,” said Teluk Belanga Design proprietor Jamil Sukaimi.
The Teluk Belanga style features a round neck with a slit in the middle that is connected with a detachable single button known as sebuku garam, which is usually made from semi-precious or precious stones.
This differs from the cekak musang style, which has five buttons fixed at the placket. Nowadays, it sports a modern Mandarin-like collar with three buttons.
“Johoreans should be proud of their baju Melayu Teluk Belanga as it carries the identity of Johor,” Jamil said.
Jamil runs a tailoring business at Danga City Mall here.
His clientele includes Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, members of the royal household, Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian, former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and politicians.
According to Jamil, most Malays in Johor still go for the original baju Melayu Teluk Belanga, where the in-seams are hand-sewn and only the hems are done by sewing machines.
Although both baju Melayu Teluk Belanga and cekak musang originated from Johor in the 1880s, the former is more popular among Johor Malays.
According to historians, the Teluk Belanga style was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar Ibni Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim to commemorate the shift of Johor’s administrative capital in 1866 from Teluk Belanga in Singapore to Tanjung Puteri (the present Johor Baru).
Sultan Abu Bakar was the great-greatgrandfather of the present Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim and was known as the Father of Modern Johor, as many historians have credited his visionary leadership for Johor’s development in the 19th century.
Jamil said he has received orders from outof-state customers for the baju Melayu Teluk Belanga. Malays from other states as well as those in Singapore and Riau have taken a liking to the style, he explained.
“For this year’s Hari Raya, the popular colours for baju Melayu Teluk Belanga are military green, rose gold, royal blue and mustard,” said Jamil.