The Malaysian Batik Extraordinaire

Batik painting on ceramic tile

My journey through the jungle trail of Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve two weeks ago brought me to the Malaysian Timber Board Craft Center which is located at the end of the trail at the foot of Bukit Nanas. It was raining quite heavily so I made up my mind to browse around the center slowly.

The craft center has many interesting stuffs mostly derived from Malaysia's rainforest timber and plants. You will be able to find Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) root and chipped root, a traditional medicine which can be used as remedy for fevers, fatigue and high blood pressure, or as it is famously known for to overcome impotence, kind off the traditional viagra. You will also find many beautiful wood carvings at the center.

However, the thing which got me interested was the application of batik on wood and other stuffs that batik is not usually painted on. As I looked at the artwork intensely, I was spoken to by this guy in a nice batik shirt who introduced himself as Aziz. So I asked him why do batik on wood? He said it has not been done before in Malaysia (perhaps not in Indonesia as well) so why not take the challenge. In the spirit of Malaysia Boleh I couldn't agree more!

Aziz during our conversation

Aziz talked a lot about batik as a form of art and fashion. He was obviously very enthusiastic and passionate about batik and his new form of batik experiment. I ask Aziz what got him started. He told me that he was working for a business organization for too long. Work became too routine and boring. He had his own food business before but that too became less and less interesting. So a few years ago he decided to quit the boring stuffs and went to Indonesia for a few months to learn batik painting. He had also learned the art from two award winning batik artist in Malaysia.

Another batik on ceramic

Today, apart from experimenting batik painting on different kinds of tropical wood, Aziz is also busy conducting batik painting classes for the locals and tourists visiting Kuala Lumpur. According to him, not many Malaysians appreciate the art.

Aziz has appeared in local newspapers and television so some may have known him already. But what many may not know is that in pursuing something which he is so passionate about, Aziz had taken on the 'road' many of us dare not take. When asked if he is making more money now than before, his answer was "No but I am much much happier in life now than before". I can certainly relate to that.

Happy 51st Merdeka to all Malaysians.

A Journey into Rain Forest

Last Thursday my work took me to the jungle trails of Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve. The forest reserve was established in 1906 as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve. So it has remained untouched for at least 102 years. If you have not been on a jungle trail before then this one you should not miss. My task was to find out if the constituents of the forest including it's man-made facilities fits the criteria of an outdoor activity which I am proposing to a client.


I started my journey into the forest from Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower) which is located on top of Bukit Nanas (bukit means hill in malay). So from where I started, most of the trails were downhill trails. To get to the bottom of the hill at the point where the Malaysian Timber Board craft center is located (near the junction between Jalan Ampang and Jalan Sultan Ismail) I had two options. Follow a jogging trail all the way down (about 600m) or follow the jogging trail half way down and then take the natural forest train (either the Jelutong Trail or Merbau Trail) to the foot of the hill. I took the second option through Jelutong Trail.

Pokok Limau (Citrus Tree)

So did I find anything interesting? Well, I found this lime tree (pokok limau) which looks exactly like the lemon tree at the back of my mom's house except that it is huge, at least 30 meters tall. I never knew a lemon tree can grow so big! The other is a tree which has fruits on its bark (above). I have seen it before in pictures but not in real life.


If you have not been on a jungle trail before, as I said earlier, then this one you should not miss. This rain forest reserve is probably the most accessible to you especially if you are staying in Kuala Lumpur. Although it is not very dense, there are a plenty of flora and fauna for you to see, touch and appreciate. There are walking and jogging trails, activities field, lookout platform, huts as well as toilets. I was also informed that there are guided tours at 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm subject to weather conditions.


The best way to get to the forest is through KL Tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur). There are plenty of car parks there and if you are a tourist staying somewhere near KLCC or Bukit Bintang then you are within walking distance to the forest. From KL Tower you can enter the forest through two different gates. There are maps available at KL Tower for you to use as guide. From thereon, will be walking all the way downhill.

Enjoy you journey into the rain forest...

Happy Belated Birthday - Nor Hafizah

Happy belated birthday to Nor Hafizah who is currently doing her internship at Danau Digital. You have the same birth date as Anwar Ibrahim!

Graduan Baru

Tahniah diucapkan kepada Thony, Azmin dan Azim yang telah menerima ijazah Sarjana Muda Sains Komputer daripada Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) pada hari Ahad, 10 Ogos 2008. Tahniah juga kepada Shahrir yang pernah menjalani latihan industri di Danau Digital pada tahun 2006.