March 14, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – He’s an old hand at making songkok, having inherited a family business which began about 80 years ago.
This also means that the weeks leading to Hari Raya will be a hectic time for Roslan Sarbaini, 65, whose stitching skills are exceptional.
He is working diligently to fulfil orders for the traditional black songkok and the increasingly popular tarbus, or fez, with requests coming from Sabah and Sarawak too.
However, he’s also received his share of unique requests.
For example, he said one customer from Sabah asked for a 35.5cm-high songkok lipat.
“Such songkok can range from 8cm to 15cm but this client asked for a much higher songkok.”
His brand’s reputation precedes him, attracting clientele that includes royalty, politicians and artistes.
“One artiste asked for a unique tarbus to start a trend,” he said.
“We’re happy to oblige as long as we can provide a quality product.”
On average, he can produce about 10 songkok a day.
Roslan said orders for the songkok began about two months before Ramadan.
Some of the requests came from non-Muslim businessmen, he added.
As for the types of songkok, he said: “Previously, orders during Ramadan were mainly for the black songkok but these days some customers prefer the tarbus and songkok baldu crown which is made out of high quality velvet imported from Germany, Japan and South Korea.”
“Then there is also the songkok made out of jeans and corduroy material which is increasingly popular among the youth,” he said at his shop in Senawang.
Roslan, who has been making songkok lipat for decades, said songkok songket and songkok batik were in high demand, especially from foreign tourists.
He said he places emphasis on preserving the good name of the “Sarbaini Jamil” brand.
According to him, he inherited the business from his late father Sarbaini Jamil who used to operate from a pre-war shophouse along Jalan Yam Tuan.
Sarbaini left Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra, at a young age to help his ailing uncle, who was also a songkok maker, to run the store after the Japanese occupation in 1945.
Sarbaini was still learning the art of songkok making when his uncle died three months of his arrival.
The family brand relies on word-of-mouth. “I don’t advertise my products on social media as I am too old for this,” said Roslan.
“Our brand spreads through satisfied customers who appreciate our fine, artistic hand stitching.” However, he does accept orders via WhatsApp.
Roslan’s wife, Lindawati Syamsir Jamil, 60, assists with the surge of orders during Hari Raya.
When they become overwhelmed, their three children, who have other careers, pitch in.