Jago Capal Of Kepala Batas: Six Decades Of Heritage, Choice Of Prominent Figures

By Erma Idayu Mohd Yusop

KEPALA BATAS, March 25 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's style has never failed to steal the spotlight, not only on the political stage but also in his choice of clothing, especially when he is dressed in a traditional Malay attire during official events such as presenting the 2026 Budget and performing Friday Prayers.

Often wearing the work of local people, it not only adds to his authority, but also a tribute to the artisans, including the handmade Jago brand capal (leather sandals) from the small town of Kepala Batas.

However, behind the seemingly simple capal, lies a story of more than six decades of heritage that is now being diligently continued by Badril Shahidan Hashim, 45, in an old shop that is never silent except for the sound of knocking and the friction of knives on leather.

In between rows of shops full of nostalgia, Badril inherited the legacy of the traditional capal from his late father, Hashim Hassan, who ran the business for more than 60 years before passing away 16 years ago at the age of 81.

The name of Jago capal is known because apart from Anwar, the white capal produced by him is also worn by the late former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well as Bertam assemblyman and other dignitaries who are also among his regular customers.

"I have never asked people to promote, people wear them because they are comfortable and durable, like the Prime Minister (Anwar), he is not new to wearing my capal, in fact he has been using them since the time of my late father and at that time he was with the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM).

"Now he will order if there are certain occasions such as the budget presentation last year, I make it myself because I have the size of the capal produced for him," he said in an interview with Bernama at his shop, recently.

Badril Shahidan said the order for the Prime Minister is made based on the colour and pattern request that he wants according to his comfort.

"Each pair of Jago brand capal is almost 90 per cent handmade, in fact I use genuine leather namely cow, goat and buffalo and go through several processes such as cutting, hand stitching and finishing the sole.

"Each capal for the classic model takes between an hour and a half to two hours while the more premium ones take up to 18 hours to complete because it requires more scrutiny," he said.

The youngest of five siblings and father of three said he adheres to the principles of quality, precision and comfort in every pair of capals he produces.

For the two basic designs, the classic model is offered at around RM160 while the premium version reaches RM480 ​​to RM500, depending on the type of leather and finish.

In the world of mass production, Badril Shahidan is still loyal to the old method of using hands because the results are more 'pleasant to wear' and can be made according to the customer's comfort.

According to him, his capals come in seven colour including black, white, blue, brown, grey and red, in addition to accepting special orders according to customer tastes from soft blue tones to floral patterns, masculine elements or batik touches.

Ahead of Aidilfitri, orders have increased to hundreds of pairs, forcing him to close orders early to ensure the quality of each capal is guaranteed.

"Apart from selling at the shop here (Kepala Batas), I also promote and sell on social media and through agents on e-commerce applications," he said, who also shared his knowledge of making capals with school students and higher education institutions at his shop.

Badril Shahidan also did not expect that from a shop in the old town, the handmade capal would now penetrate overseas markets including Melbourne, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines, which started from small orders from tourists who were attracted by the promotion on social media.

Even more proud, the Jago capal is not only popular with the Malay community, but also received a response from Chinese and Indian customers, thus proving that his family's legacy continues to advance from a small shop in Kepala Batas to the international market.

-- BERNAMA