BY NUR HUSNINA RAMLAN
KUCHING: Traditional handicrafts have withstood the test of time despite the breakneck march of progress.
Such works of art have won their own niche in the ever crowded marketplace and the coming together of a large number of handicraft entrepreneurs from several states for the Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia programme just serves to demonstrate their potential.
According to Sainis Jomom, 43, who hails from Kudat, Sabah, the relevant agencies should therefore do more to help handicraft entrepreneurs promote and further develop their businesses.
“This is owing to the handicraft industry’s stalled development as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we require assistance from the appropriate agencies,” he said.
Sainis who runs a costume jewellery-product business revealed that he has been in this line of work of handicrafts for more than 10 years.
“It started when I took over my mother’s business at Segamat Bridge, Kota Kinabalu and since then, I have been continuing the business,” he explained.
Sainis said, so far, he has six employees to craft costume jewellery such as necklaces and bracelets made from beads.
“They usually produce the costume jewellery in the village and after completing it, they will send it all to me,” he said.
On the differences in jewellery patterns in Sabah and Sarawak, he said the patterns produced were based on the culture of their respective states.
Sainis said sometimes the products are also ordered by travel agencies to be used as keepsakes.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Abdul Razak, 46, is partaking in the handicraft exhibition to promote her product, the Sarawak pattern collection.
“What I want to highlight today is face masks with several native patterns such as ‘pua kumbu’ and ‘ulu’.
“Since we are still in the Covid-19 pandemic and the use of face masks is mandatory, this face mask merchandise with ‘pua kumbu’ and ‘ulu’ pattern highlights something different,” she said.
Jasmine, who has been involved in handicrafts for more than 20 years, also has other products including batik shirts, scarves and money pouches.
“We also have a two-metre scarves apt for everyone.
“Other than that, we also have batik shirts that we made ourselves while the money pouches are sent to the bag makers using our own materials,” she explained.
The high demand for Sarawak-pattern goods among people from the peninsula has prompted Jasmine to produce a collection of products inspired by cultural patterns in Sarawak.
Jasmine said she wants to focus on producing hand-painted batik as the demand is good.
