Keeping the art of ketupat weaving alive

2026-03-19 - 00:11

Twenty-five-year-old Nur Fatin Yasmin Firdaus picked up the art of ketupat weaving when she was just 10. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR: Kitchens and markets across the country are abuzz in anticipation of Hari Raya – and among the many essentials being prepared are ketupat casings. Yet behind this beloved tradition lies a growing concern: fewer young people today know how to weave ketupat by hand. Nur Fatin Yasmin Firdaus believes the convenience of ready-made ketupat casings has slowly reduced interest in learning the craft, especially among the younger generation. “Many people choose to buy ready-made casings because they are faster and easier,” the 25-year-old told Bernama at a ketupat-weaving workshop recently. “But ketupat is part of our heritage. If no one learns how to weave it, it could disappear one day.” Motivated by this concern, Fatin began sharing the craft through small workshops that allow participants to try weaving ketupat themselves. She is also the founder of Ruang Memoir in Shah Alam, a community space that blends a cafe concept with creative activities and cultural workshops. “People assume ketupat weaving is complicated, but the process is actually easier than it looks once the basic pattern is understood,” she shared. “I hope that even if participants don’t succeed on their first try, they will try again.” Her fascination with the craft began when she was 10. Fatin recalls observing a canteen operator at her primary school skillfully weaving coconut leaves into ketupat casings. Curious about the process and the beautiful end product, she decided to pick up the skill. It took her about two weeks to master the basic techniques for several ketupat styles. Each design requires patience and precision, as even a small mistake can cause the weave to become tangled or unravel. “If you practise often enough, the pattern starts to make sense and the weaving becomes much easier,” she noted. For workshop participant Ashraf Azahan Raisham, learning the craft meant reconnecting with an important cultural tradition. The 24-year-old barista from Shah Alam agreed that young Malaysians should learn the skill to ensure it lives on among future generations.