16/08/2025

SATURDAY | AUG 16, 2025

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

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Holding on to fragile art of glass crafting

KUALA TERENGGANU: A mat rempit (illegal street racer) in his youth, Rusman Nordin was dismissed as “having no future” by the people who knew him then. But that was four decades ago. Today, Rusman, 57, stands as Terengganu’s sole active traditional glass craftsman, and among the few remaining in the entire country. Learning the art was the best thing that happened to him as it opened the door for him to earn a better living. After nearly 40 years of involvement in preserving this heritage craft, the father of three now wears a proud smile as his delicate glass creations, which he produces under his brand Kumin Kraf, are popular locally and internationally. Met recently at his workshop at the Noor Arfa Craft Complex here, Rusman said his interest in the craft began unintentionally, after being forced into it by his cousin, who did not want to see him wasting time loitering with illegal racers. “I started learning glass crafting in 1989 from a Chinese man at Jalan Kia Peng in Kuala Lumpur. I was forced into it by my cousin because I had no direction and spent most of my time hanging out with my friends,” he told Bernama. “At first, I wasn’t interested at all. But over o Terengganu native keen to pass knowledge to next generation to preserve artisanal heritage

Describing the crafting process, he said he first heats the glass and with the help of special tools, shapes it into sculptures of animals, alphabets and other items. “Pyrex glass is more expensive, but it’s heat-resistant and better suited for detailed work, compared to soda glass, which melts easily and is more fragile. “I have been injured many times,” he said, adding that glass crafting demands a high level of patience and caution as the risk of injury from sharp glass shards is ever-present. Rusman added that while many people know about batik and songket, not many have heard of glass crafting. “When they visit my workshop, only then do they realise glass too can be crafted into beautiful items.” Rusman said the biggest challenge in sustaining glass crafting is the lack of interest. He said most young people who came to learn dropped out as they cannot endure the intense heat involved in the work. “For now, I’m the only active glass craftsman in Terengganu. All over Malaysia, there may not even be 10 of us left,” said Rusman, who once considered quitting but held on out of a sense of duty to preserve this artistic heritage. Hoping more young people would explore this delicate art, Rusman is ready to pass on his knowledge to the next generation as he does not want to see this craft vanish. “I hope the relevant agencies can step in to reintroduce this craft to the community, whether through training, incentives or awareness campaigns. “I’m not asking for anything for myself. I just want to see this art come alive again. In countries like China, glass art is celebrated. But here, we don’t even seem to care,” he said.

Rusman lamented that several youths who signed up to learn the craft gave up and dropped out soon after. – BERNAMAPIC

captivating glass sculptures serving as souvenirs, special gifts or home ornaments. He is able to produce between 20 and 30 small sculptures per day, and also keeps his prices affordable so more people can own a piece of his art. Rusman also said the glass used in his craft is imported from China and Japan.

time, as I got comfortable handling the tools as well as the heat and watched how glass could transform into something beautiful, I fell in love with it. Even more so when visitors admired and appreciated my work. That’s what kept me motivated,” he said. Rusman diligently mastered the craft over time, eventually producing a wide range of

2,000 students in training for Merdeka performance KLANG: A total of 2,000 students from 50 schools across Selangor involved in the human graphic performance for the National Day celebration have spent nearly 300 hours training for the event to be held at Dataran Putrajaya on Aug 31. Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni. He said in the early stages, the students trained at their respective schools using the Training of Trainers concept before being brought together early this month for combined rehearsals, training eight hours a day from Monday to Thursday over two months. performance. Therefore, we need extra time for thorough preparation,” he said when met during a training session at a hotel here on Thursday.

80% complete, and the remaining time will be used to fine-tune the movements and choreography. This year’s human graphic team will feature a variety of movements to the tunes of 12 songs, including a medley of “Wau Bulan”, “Bapak Mek Datang”, “Dia Datang”, and “Sayang Kinabalu”. The team will also accompany Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza for the performance of the event’s theme song. – Bernama

Ahmad Hafiz said the training has also strengthened the students’ physical and mental readiness for unpredictable weather, as the performance will be held on an uncovered outdoor stage. He said preparations for his team are now

Chief coach Ahmad Hafiz Awaludin said the participants were selected in May before training began in July, incorporating various new elements in line with this year’s theme,

“The training period is longer compared with previous years, as the human graphic performance will be complemented by a choir

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