Heavy-duty dressing

By Tan Siok Choo

Two recent incidents threw the spotlight on one major issue - the appropriate outfit that Malaysian women should wear when they may be said to represent the country overseas. On such occasions, should they wear an outfit that is Malaysian? But what constitutes a Malaysian outfit?

Why can`t a Malaysian woman wear whatever outfit she chooses - whether it is the baju kurung, cheong sam or sari - because it makes her look good? Why must a woman`s outfit do heavy duty as a standard bearer of national identity?

Although the incidents in question may appear trivial, this issue should be taken seriously for two reasons.

First, this issue has been frequently raised in the past and is likely to surface again and again. Second, these two incidents also underscore the capacity of some Malaysians to turn anthills into Gunung Tahan.

The first incident involved radio deejay Linda Onn`s non-appearance in Hollywood on Oscar night. Instead of interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, Linda found herself carpeted. Her offence - refusing to heed a directive requiring her to wear a sarong kebaya designed by Malaysian designer, Radzuan Radziwill, newspaper reports say.

Linda had already chosen another outfit to wear - a one-piece black and white kebaya designed by Jovian Mandagie, according to columnist Dzireena Mahadzir. (The Star, March 13, 2007).

Radzuan`s glamourous outfit was commissioned at the last minute and flown to the US for a fitting with Linda the day before the Oscars. Staff were on standby to make any necessary alterations.

Incident number two was Malaysian Youth Council president Shamsul Anuar Nasarah`s comment that the uniforms of AirAsia`s stewardesses don`t reflect Malaysian culture.

As columnist Amir Mahmood Razak asked in his column: "Dude, what is Malaysian culture? And before you say baju kurung, I`m referring to a culture that denotes all the races that make up the fabric of Malaysian society."

"Skirt-clad stewardesses may not be a cultural representation of Malaysia, but neither is it wrong. Should other Malaysian brands be tasked with promoting local culture? Should Protons have songket-woven interiors? Should the KLIA be shaped like a mosque?" Amir asked in his perceptive article in theSun (March 13, 2007).

One assumption underlies these two incidents - that Linda and AirAsia`s stewardesses should wear an outfit that reflects Malaysian culture. But what kind of outfit reflects Malaysian culture? Was Jovian`s outfit for Linda rejected because it was not the traditional two-piece sarong kebaya and therefore deemed un-Malaysian?

Or was Jovian regarded as an inappropriate designer because of his parentage? His father is a Malaysian, but his mother is Indonesian and he was born in Indonesia. Is the fact that he grew up and studied fashion design in this country irrelevant in determining his Malaysian-ness?

Why is there a persistent obsession with what Malaysian women wear? Instead of judging Linda and Air Asia`s stewardesses on how they do their work, they are judged on what they wear. Treating women as clothes horses, rather than as individuals able to think and decide for themselves, is an insult to all Malaysian women.

Furthermore, why wasn`t Linda`s male counterpart, Dominic Lau, judged by the same criteria? According to news reports, he was planning to wear an Armani suit. Is Armani a Malaysian designer? And why wasn`t Dominic asked to wear a Malaysian outfit - whether this is a Malay traditional outfit, a Chinese-style gown or the Indian kurta?

Why is the task of projecting Malaysian culture solely that of women? Why aren`t men asked to shoulder this burden too?

Some may argue that women should wear a Malaysian outfit as a marker of national identity. This argument is flawed.

Take the Japanese. On a day-to-day basis, few Japanese women today wear the kimono. Yet, no one suggests the fact that Japanese women prefer wearing western-style suits instead of the kimono is the cultural equivalent of hara-kiri.

Furthermore, even if a Japanese woman is wearing a Western-style suit, she is still identifiably Japanese through her mannerisms - moving about in groups and bowing to her compatriots.

Similarly, Malaysians, too, are identifiable through our distinctive mannerisms - our tendency to use the word "lah," our lifelong passion for food as well as our openness and friendliness. In other words, it is how we speak and what we do that identify us as Malaysians - and not what we wear.

Source: www.sun2surf.com (20 April 2007)
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