Empowering local artisans and their craft - The Malaysian Reserve

Each year, artisans and craftspeople from all over the country would converge at the KL Craft Complex to showcase their spectacular products and artwork from colourful batik clothes to beautiful wood works

By AZALEA AZUAR / Pic By RAZAK GHAZALI

SINCE its inception in 2003, the National Craft Day 2020 (HKK 2020) has been celebrating Malaysia’s finest and most talented artisans.

A unique handmade necklace which reads ‘Lahad Datu’ available at the exhibition

Each year, artisans and craftspeople from all over the country would converge at the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Craft Complex at Jalan Conlay to showcase their spectacular products and artwork.

One would find a variety of crafts from colourful batik clothes to beautiful wood works.

Now entering its 18th edition, the HKK 2020’s theme is “Socio-Economic Empowerment of People through Craft”. It managed to put together 680 craft entrepreneurs from all over the country.

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture secretary general Datuk Dr Noor Zari Hamat said this year’s theme is in line with the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV2030).

“In line with SPV2030, crafts have long been considered one of the cultural inclusions that generate income to the socio economy, as well as those involved in the craft industry,” he said.

Noor Zari said this time around, Projek Kraf Komunitiku has been further enhanced, an initiative that focuses on the stabilisation of community-based entrepreneurship.

Skills in producing, distributing and marketing craft products are honed via the programme which, in turn, would increase both active and passive income.

“This project also indirectly increases the standard of living of a community in an area or district,” Noor Zari said.

He added that some 174 Kraf Komunitiku products would be on display. The target is to have some 17,474 community-based crafts that will be developed by 2030.

Innovating Sago-based Batik
Lamin LD Sdn Bhd (Lamin Dana) MD Diana Rose has been working on the conservation and preservation of Melanau culture for 20 years by running a homestay lodge.

The process of weaving the gold-beaded embroidery involved 100% stitching by hand and has been incorporated into more practical goods such as clutch bags and keychains

Through activities that are organised at the homestay, she is able to share her Melanau heritage and cultural intelligence with the world. She also provides a variety of customised holiday packages tailored to suit the needs of her guests.

This year, Lamin Dana decided to expand to a different platform which is producing batik linut, a new project that started only six months ago.

“We are actually innovating a new craft for the country. We are using sago flour, which is our staple food, to create the materials and we find that it works well with organic materials,” said Diana.

In her view, the potential for the new product to be well accepted in the market is huge.

“I think craft has a very good communitybased potential, and we can also look at it from a business perspective. I think it is a good opportunity to sell as well.”

The reception for the company’s product has been very good. In fact, Lamin Dana’s tudung and shawls are their best-selling items.

“Our intention is more for market testing to see which one people are more interested in — what kind of colours, what kind of products and pricing. We find that people are very intrigued by what we have and that is what we want to achieve here,” said Diana.

Based on her observation, most visitors at her booth are professionals and craftspeople from Kraftangan Malaysia, as well as ordinary housewives.

Apart from locals, Diana was also visited by a group of Japanese customers who saw the uniqueness of batik linut.

“We just had a group of Japanese who bought it. They seem to like it because it is organic — a 100% cotton and sago…”

Aiding the Penan Artisans
As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, Sarawak Energy Bhd has been empowering the Penan community through community development programmes and events, such as educational projects, social and sports, as well as traditional celebrations.

In line with SPV2030, crafts have long been considered one of the cultural inclusions that generate income

For instance, the company supports the community during the annual Batu Tungun Bungan ritual which was also joined by the Murum Penan Development Community chairman Labang Paneh.

Education incentives from an annual revolving fund of RM200,000 under the Bakun Charitable Trust were recently presented to the 340 students from SK Metalun and SK Tegulang in Belaga, Sarawak, for their excellent academic performance.

Artisans from the Penan community have also been given the opportunity to promote their crafts and showcase their skills at both international and national platforms, including the Festival Kraft Sarawak and the Rainforest World Music Festival.

According to Sarawak Energy assistant officer Florida Havit, the Murum Penan handicrafts are all made from rattan.

“Most of the artisans from the Penan community that we bring here are women from two generations. We bring them to show their homemade products here,” she said.

Last year, their sales almost reached RM20,000, more than their earlier target of between RM10,000 and RM15,000. The group of Penan artisans is hopeful that they could repeat the success.

“This would help the Penan community because the proceeds from the sales will go directly to them. We only help them when it comes to interacting with visitors and also recording the sales,” Havit said. Through HKK 2020, the Penan artisans also learn how to communicate with outsiders and get direct feedback from their customers.

“The feedback from the customers was very good. We also get some comments that we need to increase the variety of our products…”

A Fabric Fit for a Queen
Last year, the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah was awarded the 2019 Craft Icon of the Year by the World Crafts Council.

Her Majesty was honoured for her contributions in keeping the Tenun Pahang Diraja heritage alive in which she has actively promoted since 2006.

The fabric looks simple but elegant, and it was worn by Tunku Azizah during the installation ceremony of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The Queen was the driving force in setting up the Tengku Ampuan Besar Meriam Tenun Diraja Pahang Skills Institute in Pekan back in 2010 in order to sustain the craft.

It can cost more than RM300 a piece for a samping which measures less than 3m.

Realistic Attraction Sdn Bhd has been in the Royal Tenun Pahang industry for quite a while now.

“We expect the sales this year to increase since the Queen has become our patron in Tenun Pahang Diraja. So, we hope that it would be more popular,” said Realistic Attraction operating officer Nurul Syuhadah Md Yusoff.

Realistic Attraction’s best-selling product would be its sarongs.

“Usually, customers can order ready-made sarongs, but we are also open to bookings if they want to customise them. They can choose any colour they want, or any patterns,” Nurul Syuhadah said.

A Skill Passed on for Generations
As for Azydar Enterprise founder Azizah Adam, the art of making gold-threaded embroidery has been passed down to her for generations.

Azizah has been making embroidery for 43 years and she has even taught the new generation in her family, namely two of her daughters.

Skills in producing, distributing and marketing craft products are honed via the Projek Kraf Komunitiku programme

“The process of weaving the gold-beaded embroidery involved 100% stitching by hand. The process of weaving involves an embroider ram which is shaped like a table. A white cloth is wrapped around it. The velvet will be stuck onto the white cloth. Then, we will attach the design on top of the velvet,” Azizah said.

The process continues with the weaving of the velvet using gold thread.

Usually, the objects that are woven with the gold thread are bed sheets and wedding decorations, but now the art has been incorporated into more practical goods such as clutch bags and keychains.

Azizah said gold-threaded embroidery might be as popular, but it is still a unique art.

Since the process takes a long time to complete, Azizah does not sell her embroideries through online platforms.

“When our customers want to make bookings, such as for weddings, and say they want to get married in October, they will start booking as early as January,” said Azizah.

All the vendors are still showcasing their fantastic crafts in hotels, shopping malls and tourist hotspots all over KL until March 31.

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