KUALA LUMPUR: The Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, has called on relevant parties to elevate Malay weavings and textile which have not received the due attention so that they can become design inspiration for textile designers, to preserve the identity and the community’s nuances.

Tuanku Zara said that a comprehensive effort needs to be implemented with the involvement of various parties so that the benefits of research and the privilege of weaving can be highlighted to more people as well as continue to evolve and not be swallowed up by time.

“The efforts of the museum to display and document the limar collection it owns is a commendable effort.

“Limar fabric is one of the Malay weavings from silk that uses the ikat technique that has received less attention than other Malay textiles such as songket and batik. Generally limar is made in the Peninsula and many can be found in Kelantan, Terengganu, Patani and North Perak,“ said Tuanku Zara at the ‘Forgotten Heritage’ Woven Limar Exhibition at the University of Malaya (UM) Asian Art Museum.

Meanwhile, Tuanku Zara said its production is complex while the use of luxury materials such as high-quality silk, imported dyes and gold threads caused this art to be marginalised.

Earlier, Tuanku Zara launched the ‘Forgotten Heritage’ Woven Limar Exhibition at the UM Asian Art Museum, tonight.

Tuanku Zara’s arrival at 8.30 pm was received by UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman and the university’s board of directors chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar.