This initiative had been driven by the aim to preserve ayam teleng symbolism as a Malaysian culture by designing a cutlery product inspired by the ayam teleng. The objective of this initiative is to proclaim on how ayam teleng inspired the keris maker to form the haft of keris. To promote the ayam teleng symbolism in order to sustain the culture in Malaysia. To innovate the ayam teleng symbolisme into a custom-commercial product which is cutlery.

To preserve this philosophy of ayam teleng, an initiative had been taken by designing a product using this philosophy. The implementation of this initiative is carried out by a various procedure starting with doing a research towards the culture existence and identified the input from the culture. This process is to understand what is the important message from the ayam teleng philosophy so that the information that had been dissect is from the message relatable to the product development. Second, the approaching of design process will be used in order to adapt the concept of ayam teleng and turn it into other product. Function follow form process will be introduced from ideation of form, development of idea, finalise the design and mock up development. Third is the production process. From the final design, the design will be revise with technical input such as, the production capabilities and efficiency of production and after that the product will be produce. Last process is acknowledging and promoting the product into the market. A cutlery product will be made using the ayam teleng culture and an experimental between culture and creative process will be made through this project. Cutlery is a product that related to food and etiquette and I choose cutlery because when ayam teleng is turning into a product, it become a keris which is the product that using hand in order to control the product. So cutlery is the nearest product to be developed and people using cutlery almost every day. With this type of behaviour, choosing cutlery is the best way to preserve the culture because the frequency of usage the volume in production. The expected outcome from this initiative is to provide the user an acknowledgement of Malaysian culture and how the philosophy of culture can be an inspiration to provide a product. From this project, exploring the potential culture and turn it into a commercial or gift product can sustain and preserve the culture from faded by the digital era.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) is an education institutional that provide subject-matter expert in preserving the ayam teleng as a Malaysian culture by initiate a project to innovate and designing the culture into a high value next promoting into commercial product. As the initiator of the project, UiTM collaborate with Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and Bentuk. Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is a technical expert in forest product including the choosing a suitable wood material for custom-made product, type of finishing and initiate the product to turn into a sustainable product. FRIM also provide the usage of waste sawmill wood material. Bentuk is the product executer in terms of planning for market research, market positioning and promoting. An industrial player is important because to ensure the product that had been produce is human- centered design.

This project is not an individual project. There some strategic integration had been done in order to finish the project. The supporting agencies for this project is Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam (UiTM), Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and Bentuk. Firstly, the strategic integration will giving a clear vision from the holistic view which come from the education, research institute and industry view and come out with the realistic method associated to research, develop and commercialise the product appropriate with the governmental agenda towards enhancing Sustainable Development Goals towards 2030. Secondly is to voice out the need of approach and develop Malaysia culture into a tangible product with the contribution element of creative and science, so that the national heritage can be reach out by product usage and at the same time can acknowledge the Malaysian about maintaining the culture as a national heritage hence increasing the production of valuable product from Malaysian culture. Thirdly is, giving an opportunity for the Malaysian culture to keep grow even in the modern era and open the government eyes for bringing Malaysian culture as a focal point so that the roots of Malaysian culture are preserve and sustain. The strategic integration will show how serious the project so that the culture can be promote as a Malaysian culture and show to the world the richness of Malaysian culture.

Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam (UITM), Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Bentuk