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Goodbye batik. Hello songket. The newly unveiled uniform for Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) ground crew has drawn both praise and flak from netizens.
The new uniform consists of a navy-blue suit which features a songket motif on the blazers, with skirt or trouser options for female staff.
It will be worn by ground crew serving all airlines under MAG, which includes Malaysia Airlines and Firefly, as well as foreign carriers flying into domestic airports in Malaysia, MAG said in a release on Jan 10.
Songket, a traditional Malaysian hand-woven fabric, was added to Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2021. The term “songket” refers to the decorative weaving technique used to make the fabric, where gold or silver thread is inserted in between base threads, according to the Unesco website.
MAG said the use of the songket motif was meant as a nod to Malaysia’s cultural heritage.
The new uniform, which was unveiled at a launch event at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1, will replace the batik sarong kebaya previously worn by women and the bright turquoise suits worn by men.
In addition, MAG also launched ground crew handbags and clutches that were repurposed from the previous kebaya uniforms.
Netizens were abuzz after the change was announced.
Many questioned why MAG had to “abandon” the previous batik design, which was “gorgeous”, “elegant” and embodied Malaysia culture.
Many others sang praises for the modern look of the new design.
Facebook user Monisse Sam said: “I actually would love to have one if they sell it. Looks really beautiful.”
Another user Neow Shau Jin said: “The old one was a classic but this new design works for both men and women, so thumbs up.”
User K Yazid Kasron suggested the new uniform should be worn by the flight crew as well.
There were also netizens who questioned the need to “reinvent the wheel”. They said the airlines’ safety and service standards were more important than the uniform’s design.
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