SIBU: A total of 27 students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) , Kuala Lumpur visited the Sibu Dayak Sape Club Centre (KSDS) in Jalan Kampung Datu here on Thursday.
The students from the Applied Arts and Design Department were accompanied by two lecturers, assistant professor Dr Sharifah Tahirah Syed Kamarulzaman and Interior Designer professional technologist Ismail Jasmani.
According to Sharifah Tahirah, the visit was part of the Kupuo’ Baleh Melulum Cerita Bumi Kenyalang tour series which aimed to conduct research and study for the university’s students’ learning in their subjects.
“We are in Sibu for two days to conduct research and study on sape through KSDS. Sape is one of the topics in our learning involving art and design.
“Therefore, we feel very honoured by the cooperation provided by KSDS to make our tour to Sibu a success this time,” said Sharifah Tahirah, who led the delegation during her welcoming speech on the visit.
She said that apart from visiting the KSDS Centre, her delegation also visited the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) campus, a longhouse in Bawang Assan and several other locations here.
After the visit to Sibu, she said, their tour will continue to Miri before returning to the federal capital this Sunday.
Meanwhile, KSDS chairman Anthony Abong welcomed the delegation from IIUM and described it as the first such visit to their centre.
“Clearly, KSDS is always ready to provide any cooperation with any party that wants to know about sape, not only how to play sape but also about its history.
“Apart from learning about sape, our centre also keeps various forms of the origin of sape, whether written, pictured and real sape which are suitable for study and research purposes,” he enthused.
During the visit, members of the delegation were given a talk session on the origin and history of sape besides a demonstration of making sape, sape exhibition and met with sape players. They were also treated to a performance of the traditional Iban musical instrument ‘Betaboh’.
