Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Indonesian batik better than Malaysian, Chinese : Minister

Pekalongan (ANTARA News) - Indonesian batik is superior to similar products from Malaysia or China, and therefore the country`s batik producers should not worry about the competition, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said. Pangestu made the statement at a function to open International Batik Week (PBI) here on Thursday.

"We don`t have to worry about the competition from China and Malaysia because our batik designs are superior and difficult to emulate by other countries," Pangestu said. She said Indonesian batik was more oriented to painted and printed batik and thus its superiority was difficult to match by China and Malaysia.

Commenting on Malaysian batik, the minister said its motifs and colors were less competitive than the batik work from Indonesia.

"Malaysian batik is completely different from Indonesia`s because it has bright colors with one or two flowers on it but ours has a lot of flowers on it," she said.

Asked about the number of batik prducers who had been registered as patent right users, Mari said the Trade Ministry still did not know the exact number.

"I still don`t o know the exact number of batik producers who have been registered because it is an affair of the Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI) Directorate General at the Law and Human Rights Ministry," Pangestu Said.

But she said her office would trace the number of batik makers who had been registered as patent right users.

The minister also said the International Batik Week in Pekalongan was expected to increase the number of international buyers of Indonesian batik commodities.

"The important thing for the PBI which is held for the second time in Pekalongan is that it can attract as many foreign buyers as possible to come to Pekalongan," she said. (*)

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