You read that right, tangankraf is now an authorised reseller of Noor Arfa. For those who didn’t know, Noor Arfa has been a household brand for batik in Malaysia since 1980. We are honoured to have been given this opportunity to carry some of Noor Arfa’s products on our website. Below is a brief history of Noor Arfa and how it became the renowned brand it is today.
Noor Arfa was founded by a dedicated husband and wife team about three decades ago. Despite starting with limited knowledge of batik and business, they consistently worked to improve and build the company into what it is today.
Wan Mohd Ariffin Wan Long, affectionately known as Encik Wan, was born into an entrepreneurial family, making him well-acquainted with the business world from a young age. He received his early education at Sekolah Rendah Sultan Sulaiman 1 and continued at Sekolah Menengah Tengku Bariah in Kuala Terengganu.
Living with his grandmother during his childhood, Encik Wan often helped her sell traditional kuih, giving him early exposure to business. After gaining some experience in the batik business with his late mother, he applied for a Lab Assistant (Batik) position at Pusat Kemajuan Kraftangan Kuala Terengganu after high school, as he was unable to pursue higher education. This job marked a turning point in his batik journey.
As a batik lab assistant, Encik Wan delved deeply into the batik craft, learning every aspect from production to creating beautiful, aesthetic products. His passion for batik led him to become an instructor there after a few years.
Encik Wan’s dedication and love for batik have been pivotal in Noor Arfa’s success. As the saying goes, behind every successful man is a great woman, and for Encik Wan, that woman is his wife, Noor Hijerah Hanafiah.
Noor Arfa started with just RM1000 in capital and was initially registered under the name Noor Hijerah Hanafiah. The company later changed its name to Noor Arfa Batek, with Noor Hijerah Binti Hanafiah as the sole trader. In its early days, the couple manufactured hand-drawn batik on a small scale at the back of their house.
In September 1982, Noor Arfa Batek transitioned into a partnership with Wan Mohd Ariffin Wan Long and Noor Hijerah Hanafiah as registered partners. The business was then incorporated as Noor Arfa Batek Sdn. Bhd. in January 1991. Despite facing economic downturns, such as the one in 1997, Noor Arfa remained resilient and continued to grow, eventually becoming Noor Arfa Holdings Sdn. Bhd. in 2010 to diversify into various business fields.
Thank you for reading. Pictures courtesy of Noor Arfa. Browse some of Noor Arfa’s products here. More will be added from time to time. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates and blog posts.
