By Ling Hui
KUCHING, May 16: The Sarawak government has proposed formalising the Sarawak Craft Council as an authority in Sarawak for the regulation and development of related craft matters.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah tabled the Sarawak Craft Council Bill, 2023 at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
“The Bill is important as the craft industry has grown since then and it is very important to formalise SCC as the lead organisation responsible for the successful development of the Sarawak craft industry,” he said when he read the Bill for the second time in the august House.
Abdul Karim said SCC was first mooted on Dec 14, 1995 and its formation was approved by Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri through the MMKN paper dated April 25, 1996.
SCC started operations on Jan 2, 1997 with the Ministry of Tourism as its secretariat under the chairmanship of then Assistant Minister for Rural Development Datuk Gramong Juna.
In 1997, SCC recorded less than 300 registered producers statewide with a small range of products and of poor quality.
Today, under the Sarawak Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS), Abdul Karim said, the sales target for 2030 is RM183.6 million, involving 1,800 producers with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent.
Meanwhile, the global handicraft market was estimated to be worth USD752.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to USD1,296.6 billion in 2028 with a CAGR of 9.5 per cent.
Kuching City was declared as a “World Craft City” by the World Craft Council while the Sarawak government approved RM65 million for the construction of the Sarawak Arts and Handicraft Centre.
“The craft industry has grown since the formation of SCC. The expectations and needs of the industry, stakeholder, public and the government render the need to formalise SCC into a body with a legal framework through the Sarawak Craft Council Bill, 2023.
“We believe that the SCC will be a key enabler in realising the full potential of Sarawak’s craft industry and contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the state,” said Abdul Karim. — DayakDaily
