KUCHING, Dec 11: The Murum Penan artisans have produced a new range of hand woven handicrafts with new and contemporary designs.
These rattan products comprising tote bags, clutch purses, men’s briefcases, coasters, platters, lampshades, headbands, bracelets and seminar bags featuring contemporary accents and accessories were on display for sale at the Menara Sarawak Energy.
“Sarawak Energy embarked on this initiative to enhance commercial viability of these authentic handicrafts, expanding their market and providing for a more sustainable form of economy for the Murum Penan community,” Sarawak Energy executive vice-president for corporate services Aisah Eden said at the launch today.
The designs are the outcome of a partnership between the Murum Penan weaving community, Sarawak Energy and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) which begun in 2016 as an effort to diversify and elevate the commercial viability of the already well received traditional handicraft of the community to expand their sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Proceeds from the sale of these products go back to the community.
Representing UNIMAS were Professor Dr Narayanan N. Kulathu Ramaiyer, Director for the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations and Associate Professor Dr June Ngo Siok Kheng from the Department of Design Technology and Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts.
“As part of our commitment to corporate social responsibility, our prime objective was to work together with these relocated communities on sustainable livelihood programmes to ensure that their standard of living after re-relocation would be raised.”
Sarawak Energy’s initiatives with the Murum Penan community go back to the early years before their relocation in 2013 to the resettlement at Tegulang and Metalun with the construction of the Murum Hydroelectric Plant.
Other than handicraft development, Sarawak Energy has helped set up schools and rolled out its flagship literacy programme which have since enabled some 400 Penan adults to read and write. The company also contributes to the Bakun Charitable Trust to support the education needs of the Penans in Belaga as well as the resettled community there.
In addition, it also has the Youth Development programme in partnership with the Society for the Advancement of Women and the Family Sarawak and the extension of the “Literacy for Social Inclusion” programme carried out together with the Dyslexia Association of Sarawak.
Currently, there are about 70 artisans who are actively producing handicrafts in the Tegulang resettlement, including beadwork.
A number of training workshops were organised at Long Wat and Long Malim to broaden their range of products, in partnerships with Sarawak Craft Council and Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation Sarawak Branch since 2014.
Furthermore, the artisans were given the exposure to promote their crafts and showcase their skills at both international and national platforms. These included the Festival Kraft Sarawak held in Miri and Bintulu in 2015, 2016 and 2017 National Craft Day in Kuala Lumpur and recently, at the 2017 Rainforest World Music Festival. — DayakDaily
