(Photo credit: BERNAMA Facebook)
by Dr Rahim Said
Every year, as August arrives, Malaysians prepare to celebrate the nation’s independence. The Jalur Gemilang appears everywhere — flying proudly from government buildings, swaying on school fences, pasted onto car windows, and even fluttering from motorcycles weaving through traffic. It is a familiar sight, and one that stirs pride.
Yet this year, one young Malaysian showed us that patriotism is not only about displaying the flag but also about creating it with imagination, tradition, and love.
Muhammad Darwisy Mustafani, a 24-year-old Kelantanese from Kampung Pulau Panjang, chose to celebrate Merdeka in a way that is both deeply personal and powerfully symbolic.
He stitched together the Jalur Gemilang using kain pelikat — the humble chequered cloth woven into the daily lives of generations past.
For him, it was more than an art project. It was a tribute to Malaysia’s heritage and a reminder that patriotism can be rooted in the ordinary things we often overlook.
The kain pelikat, or “pulikat” as it is sometimes called, has long been part of our shared cultural landscape. To the Malays, it is inseparable from home life — worn in the evenings, during prayer, or in the quiet comfort of rest.
To Indians, particularly those of Tamil heritage, similar patterned cloths were worn as veshti, especially in temples and ceremonies.
Chinese migrants, too, adopted the sarong-style cloth in earlier decades, appreciating its practicality in the heat of Malaya.
In other words, the kain pelikat is not just Malay heritage, but part of a wider story of how fabric bound our forefathers in simplicity and survival.
By transforming this cloth into the Jalur Gemilang, Darwisy has done something extraordinary. He has taken an object of daily use and elevated it into a national symbol. He has shown us that patriotism does not need to be bought from the shelves of a hypermarket in the form of plastic flags and mass-produced decorations. It can be handmade, stitched with patience and sincerity. It can be born from heritage.
In his choice of material lies a lesson for all of us. Independence is not merely about waving flags during parades or shouting slogans. It is about recognising the threads that hold us together as a people.
The kain pelikat represents comfort, humility, and community. When cut and sewn into the shape of the Jalur Gemilang, it reminds us that Malaysia’s unity is not abstract but woven daily in the fabric of our lives.
At a time when Merdeka celebrations can sometimes feel like rituals repeated out of obligation, Darwisy’s creation breathes new life into the spirit of independence.
His flag is not loud, yet it speaks volumes. It tells us that love for one’s country can be expressed quietly, through creativity and respect for tradition. And in doing so, it resonates more deeply than the blare of fireworks or the flash of parade lights.
Young Malaysians like Darwisy are the hope of the nation. They remind us that imagination is as important as history, and that innovation does not mean abandoning heritage but reimagining it for the present. His flag is not only a piece of art but also a symbol of how cultural memory can be preserved and celebrated.
As we look toward the future, let us take inspiration from this young artiste. Let us find our own ways of expressing love for Malaysia — not just in August, but throughout the year. It could be through music, through food, through stories, or through simple acts of kindness and solidarity. Merdeka, after all, is not about a date on the calendar but about living the values of freedom, unity, and resilience every day.
The Jalur Gemilang stitched from kain pelikat is more than cloth. It is a story, a memory, and a dream woven together. It tells us that Malaysia is not just lines and colours on a flag but a patchwork of lives, cultures, and communities bound by choice and by love.
This Merdeka, as we salute the Jalur Gemilang flying high above stadiums and buildings, let us also remember the one stitched patiently in a kampung house. For in that quiet act of creativity lies the true spirit of independence — a spirit that will continue to carry Malaysia forward, stitched firmly into the fabric of our future.
WE