Miss Malaysia to wear songket during pageant

The black 'songket' with a gold flora motif was designed by famed designer Syomir Izwa, who took more than three months to produce the costume called 'The Princess of Perak'.

'The Princess of Perak' consists of three pieces - top, pants and 'samping' and will be worn by Ng during the Best in National Costume category during the competition.

Syomir said he was delighted when Pageant Advisor and Mentor Elaine Daily asked him to be part of the project since he had always dreamt of showcasing the Malaysian culture and heritage to the world.

"I had used 12 metres of 'songket' and the total cost is RM25,000 since some of the 'songket' are vintage while some are custom-made," he told a press conference today.

Syomir said three types of 'songket' were used, 'jalur bunga tanjung songket' for the top, 'bunga tabur songket' (pants) while the 'samping' was made using 'bunga penuh songket'.

He also noted that he was attracted to the Perak traditional costume since Ipoh, Perak is his hometown.

"And if we look at the other states, all the traditional dresses worn by women are made from "kain sarung", and this is different from Perak where the pants are used.

Meanwhile Ng said she was thrilled with the costume, describing it as traditional attire with fashion twist', and is easy to put on.