Razi Batik proud to dress Paralympic athletes

Mohd Shairazi Kadir, 43, or more well-known as Razi Batik did not expect that his talent and determination to elevate the national treasure could become a reality through the National Paralympic Committee.

"I was actually shocked to be called for an interview by the National Paralympic president to help design a suit for the national contingent.

"However, in the meeting I told them that suits are actually already too common. It was on impulse that I suggested the idea of a batik-themed outfit. I did not expect it to be accepted," he said when contacted today.

Elaborating, Razi said the biggest challenge for him was to get all the 150 sets of clothes completed in time which was three weeks before the athletes depart for Tokyo.

He said all the 2020 Tokyo paralympic logos on the shirts of the athletes were hand-drawn and great care was required to ensure they are well-positioned at the centre of the shirts.

He said the shirts he designed were to be worn by the athletes when they fly to and return from the Paralympic Games.

"The other challenges at that time was the difficulty of obtaining materials because most of the shops were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and my workers were not allowed to sew together.

"As such I directed my staff to complete them individually at their respective homes because it was the safest way to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP)," said Razi who is from a family of traditional batik makers in Kelantan.

Razi, who studied in religious schools in Tumpat and Kubang Kerian said, the athletes' clothes he produced were also quite special because the buttons were coloured green, blue and red, which were the colours of the national Paralympics logo and cotton satin fabric was chosen for comfort.

Razi, who is third among 11 siblings, said prior to this he had designed batik patterns on several occasions to make shirts for dignitaries and national luminaries including the Sultan of Johor.

"After my team won the second place at the Seri Endon Cup batik design competition in 2006 under the Penyayang Foundation, I have never looked back.

"My next project is on Aug 31 to dress up all the newscasters at the Media Prima television station in exclusive batik of my design.

"I hope it will be able to revive the splendour of batik," said Razi who currently lives in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur with his wife and three sons.

He said despite falling badly due to the COVID-19 pandemic he planned to open a boutique at Primera Hotel, Kuala Lumpur with the co-operation of MARA.

"Although, my contribution is not much, I feel proud that batik techniques were used in the clothes of the national athletes," he added.