• The Mandarin term “峇迪” is the transliteration of the Malay term batik. It is widely believed that the word batik is related to the Malay word titik, meaning “dot”.
• The art of batik first appeared in Java, Indonesia, but has also appeared in China, Japan, India, Thailand, Europe and Africa.
• Batik is made by drawing patterns onto plain cloth using melted wax. The cloth is then dyed and boiled to remove the melted wax, so as to reveal the finished design.
• Before the 20th century, batik was mainly used for clothing, such as sarongs or dodot worn by royalty, brides and grooms. Today, batik is also made into accessories such as wallets, scarves and hats. Batik designs are also a source of inspiration for paintings and furniture.
• Batik designs are rich and varied, and imbued with various symbolisms. For example, a parang motif represents power, a hen laying eggs represents good luck in business, while a goose represents purity.
• Batik clothing and accessories can be worn by people from all walks of life, and are suitable for all kinds of occasions. For example, during the 2019 National Day Parade, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wore a red-and-white shirt with the motif of the Vanda Miss Joaquim that was hand-painted by well-known Singaporean batik artist Sarkasi Said.

Batik was a favourite of mine in the 1980s. Whenever I travelled to Indonesia, I would bring back batik shirts as gifts for relatives and friends. (Lianhe Wanbao, 27/8/2018)