Image by Adidas
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Employees of state-owned companies and government institutions have for years adhered to a tradition of wearing batik on every Friday of the week.
But this Friday (October 2, 2009) is special because President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on all Indonesians to wear batik on that day to celebrate UNESCO`s decision to include batik in its list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" items.
"Batik is regarded as a cultural icon with its own uniqueness. It conveys certain symbols and a profound philosophy, including man`s life cycle, and it has been touted by Indonesia as a non-material element of its cultural heritage," Coordinating Minister for people`s welfare Aburizal Bakrie told a press conference at Bogor State Palace on Sept. 7, 2009.