“I was only a housewife previously, but after my divorce, I decided to build myself up,” she told Bernama when met at her exhibition booth during the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and related meetings at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) today.

Hailing from Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Rozita is gaining recognition for introducing the clay batik, an eco-friendly alternative to the conventional batik.

“This method hardly uses any fuel, and the materials used are only clay, wheat flour, and even one ingredient used in baking,” she explained.

Compared to the conventional method of batik printing, which uses candlewax, clay batik takes a longer time to dry.

However, the process is less risky, making it especially suitable for small-scale women entrepreneurs.

Aside from the batik fabric, Rozita is also focusing on ready-to-wear garments such as baju kurung Kedah, Riau, Pahang, kebaya, blouses, cardigans, shirts, and blazers.

Most are made with clay batik and priced between RM150 and RM350, depending on design and material, said Rozita.

She added that the demand for her product has been encouraging, underscoring batik’s cultural value as a symbol of Malaysia’s diverse society.

Although still operating on a small scale with limited manpower, the mother of four hopes to expand into international markets with sufficient support and logistics.

Rozita said Riztiney Batik’s products have even made their way to Japan during a Ministry of International Trade and Industry trade mission to Osaka, showing the export potential of the Malaysian batik.

As such, she expressed her gratitude to agencies such as Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Kraftangan Malaysia and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for their support through training, exhibitions, and business guidance.

-- BERNAMA