DARO,SARAWAK,MALAYSIA: Sunday.
Attempts by our government to expand the base of Sarawak’s micro industry is fast becoming a reality.
After years of unrewarded effort, several groups of ethnic entrepreneurs are set to market their product via trade fairs and tourism promotional events.
At the village of Gedong, about 80kms from the city of Kuching, several housewives are tutored on the basics of business. Haslini bt Hj Bujang, one of the housewives who ventured into the business, said that demands for Songket are on the rise. So much so that she had hired several assistants to do some of the basic works such as dyeing, drying and preparing the looms.
"I did the intricate works myself," she told our reporter. She reiterated that it is because she wanted to make sure the high quality of her product stays.
Songket is a type of woven cloth, sash or Sarong which is the most intricate of all traditional Malay woven materials. It is woven by skilled craftsman who inherited the skill from the older generation. To ensure the survival of the craft, the Malaysian Authorities namely our Tourism Board, decided on a systematic teaching of the craft to those who are interested.
‘"Songket is part of the Malay Culture. It must not die out," says Halimah, Haslini’s friend.
Nowadays, Songket is one of the main items exhibited at various Cultural Fairs and Catwalks across the country.
The rise of Songket for the state of Sarawak means the expansion of the base of its micro industry. With it, some ladies are already saying goodbye to poverty.
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