REINVENTING TRADITION THROUGH KELINGKAN EMBROIDERY HANDICRAFT IN MALAYSIA

The art of kelingkan embroidery is a handicraft of the Malay community that is pioneered by women. Due to the uniqueness and complexity of kelingkan embroidery, it is sold at a very high price. Today, the price of a kelingkan shawl can reach thousands of ringgit. The most well-known kelingkan product is the shawl, which is divided in two, the selendang kelingkan and the selayah kelingkan, whch are mainly used for weddings. However, although kelingkan still exists, the number of kelingkan embroiderers is small and it is done on a small scale in the states of Sarawak, Selangor, and Kelantan. Therefore, reinventing local handicrafts has the potential of generating livelihoods in the community. In formulating this problem, two questions have arisen, what is the strategy for reinventing kelingkan embroidery in Kelantan, Selangor and Sarawak to increase the number of embroiderers? And what is the impact of kelingkan embroidery towards the Malaysian community's economy, especially in Kelantan, Selangor and Sarawak? Therefore, this research uses a descriptive qualitative approach through field work such as observations, interviews with embroiderers and library research. Research findings showed that tradition can indeed be reinvented using kelingkan embroidery through three stages, namely creating the potential to expand the community's creativity to produce kelingkan embroidery; strengthening the potential and expanding the community's economy through technological assistance such as facebook ads, websites, blogs, workshops, seminars, competitions, demonstrations; as well as mentorship for the next generation of kelingkan embroiderers. The results also showed that if kelingkan embroidery was continued then the problem of the next generation of embroiderers will be alleviated and it will be able to attract the younger generation to get directly involved. This is because kelingkan embroidery not only provides knowledge to the community, but it also provides a source of income and sustains the heritage of the Malay community. Therefore, more young embroiderers must be encouraged, in order to generate the economy, especially among the unemployed, single mothers and students, so that this Malay heritage will endure. At the same time, this Malay embroidery heritage will be sustained and have the potential to contribute to the nation's economic development