By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Feb 19: The next time you see a bicycle on the road, take a closer look because chances are the two-wheeler could be manufactured from bamboo.
Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datu Hashim Bojet revealed that it is planning to produce bamboo bicycles on a commercial basis this year.
“We made our first bamboo bicycle last year and have trained our locals to make this bicycle from the bamboo we planted.
“This was made possible through our collaboration with Brooke & Breeze, a Shanghai-based company from China.
He revealed this during the STIDC Media Appreciation Night 2023 gathering in conjunction with their Golden Jubilee this year at a leading hotel last night (Feb 19).
Hashim hoped the people of Sarawak would use bamboo bicycles made by a local manufacturer.
He added the manufacturer of this bamboo bicycle would be located in Kota Samarahan.
Hashim also disclosed that STIDC has been given the mandate by the Sarawak government to develop a new industry based on bamboo as it has huge potential.
“Given the task to develop a new industry using bamboo, STIDC had made much effort in research and development with universities and research centres in Malaysia.
“STIDC would also have a bamboo community project in the future (where bamboo is) produced by the rural community and not sourced from the usual industry players,” he revealed.
He pointed out that all this is just one of the government’s recovery plans post-Covid-19, to achieve three cores objectives — to make the economy prosper, to develop potential human capital, and to add value to environment management and sustainability efforts.
“Therefore , one of the way is that we could use our timber and bamboo industry to achieved these objectives,” he said. — DayakDaily
