Malaysian batik is famous for flowers, leaves, butterflies, peacocks and swirly patterns inspired by nature. The colours are bright and joyful - hot reds, sky blues, tropical greens and sunny yellows. Each artist has their own style, a bit like handwriting.
The wax is drawn on with a special tool called a canting - a tiny copper cup with a long thin spout on a wooden handle. The artist scoops up hot wax and draws fine lines with the spout, the way you might use a fountain pen. It takes a steady hand and a lot of practice.
Sometimes, instead of drawing line by line, artists use a copper stamp called a cap. The stamp is dipped in hot wax and pressed onto the cloth, like a giant biscuit cutter. Cap batik can make repeating patterns very quickly. Most fancy batik uses both - the cap for the background pattern and the canting for the detailed bits.
Batik shirts and dresses are a big part of life in Malaysia. People wear batik to weddings, big festivals and important meetings. Many schools have a 'batik day' once a week or once a month when everyone comes in wearing colourful batik. UNESCO has named batik a treasure of humanity that should be protected forever.