From Bintulu, it takes about 10 hours by four-wheel drive (4WD) to reach the deep interior of Lusong Laku, a Penan resettlement in Sarawak’s Belaga district.
For this writer, who was among four other local media representatives participating in the ‘Turun Padang’ media programme in Sarawak from June 27 to 30, the 200-kilometre journey organised by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia), was exhilarating and a lifetime experience.
Starting from Bintulu town to Simpang Murum, Bakun, the three-hour drive was smooth, without including five hours of traversing 'off-road’ routes.
The real challenge began as we were heading to Lusong Laku. While the distance is only 35 km away, it took us around five hours to reach our destination as we had to navigate logging trails that were not only muddy but also potholed and rugged, as well as riverbanks and steep areas.
Throughout the journey, we were occasionally whipped by tree branches and sometimes had to hold on to the seats to avoid falling due to the strong jolts of the vehicle as we traversed the difficult roads.
The Director-General of Kraftangan Malaysia, Datuk 'Ainu Sham Ramli, also joined the delegation to observe the development of the Penan ethnic rattan weaving craft community.
Despite having to endure a journey that tested mental and physical endurance, the staff of Kraftangan Malaysia continued to diligently engage and drive various efforts to uplift the rattan weaving craft, enabling the Penan ethnic group in Lusong Laku to generate income through the Community Skills Development Project (PPKK).
PENAN ETHNIC TOUCH
The media programme began the next day (Saturday, June 29) when we were taken on a visit to a longhouse in Lusong Laku with 73 doors, inhabited by 600 people from the Penan ethnic group.
We were later taken to the rattan weaving craft workshop and gallery, known as Rumah Kraf Tangan Lusong Laku. It is an upgraded project under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture through Kraftangan Malaysia, developed in 2022 to enable this community to produce their products.
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As soon as we entered the workshop, our eyes were captivated by the various rattan weaving products produced by Penan women, who creatively made backpacks, sling bags, blowpipes, and mats.
In one corner, a group of Penan women, each elegantly dressed in kebaya and wearing headbands woven from rattan were seen diligently weaving their products.
Mangorit Lingoi, 30, when met by the writer, said she had been learning to weave since childhood and now produces products such as small-sized bags and later on to larger sizes.
The housewife, who is one of the 25 PPKK participants, said they do not only weave but also need to go to the forest to obtain rattan supplies.
"After obtaining the rattan, we need to remove the skin, wash, and then rinse it. The rattan also needs to be dried and boiled, where this process alone will take a few days. Only after that can weaving begin," said the mother of two, who takes one day to produce a bag.
In a month, Mangorit can complete about 20 traditional baskets (Bakul Ajat), and after receiving guidance from Kraftangan Malaysia, she can also produce contemporary types of bags.
For Nyutai Awi, 45, the product that presents a challenge is undoubtedly the mat, as it requires three weeks to complete due to the large amount of rattan used.
However, the mother of six is fortunate to have three daughters who are interested in the art of rattan weaving and who also assist her.
She is also grateful for gaining more knowledge about producing various products and designs through Kraftangan Malaysia, thus helping Penan women in Lusong Laku generate additional income.
Nyutai said the Penan residents' woven products are also sold in the surrounding areas and are favourites among tourists visiting Lusong Laku. They also receive orders from teachers and nurses working in the area.
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In 2021, Kraftangan Malaysia provided skill assistance services in three phases to the Penan community in Lusong Laku.
The first phase, from Aug 16 to 19, 2021, provided basic exposure to rattan weaving techniques using wooden moulds. The second phase, from Oct 13 to 16, 2021, focused on advanced skills in the process of dyeing rattan strips using dyes and weaving techniques combining coloured strips, while the third phase, from Feb 14 to 16, 2023, focused on weaving coloured rattan strips.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Longhouse in Lusong Laku, Tingang Jati, 43, expressed appreciation to Kraftangan Malaysia for helping the Penan community sell and promote the craft products produced by the community.
"We are very proud and satisfied with the assistance provided by the government. The residents here mostly work on their own, managing farms, hunting, catching, and selling fish to meet their daily needs.
"With the initiative from Kraftangan Malaysia to train the Penan community here, the residents do not only rely on hunting but can also expand their potential in the handicraft, thus helping their finances," he said.
MARKETING CHALLENGES
Elaborating on PPKK, 'Ainu Sham said the programme aims to enhance the basic skills of Penan ethnic PPKK participants so that the goods produced are of higher quality in terms of design patterns, shapes, neatness, and refinement.
PPKK, she said, was incepted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort by Kraftangan Malaysia to help target groups among housewives and unemployed youth to generate family income through craft skills.
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According to her, there is a high demand for rattan weaving products abroad, adding that the Lusong Laku community can benefit from the skills and exposure provided by Kraftangan Malaysia.
"Since this project started, Kraftangan Malaysia has also monitored the participants’ income based on report records. Impressively, their average monthly income has increased from RM1,100 last year to RM1,600 this year," she said.
She said that until last May, Kraftangan Malaysia had established 140 PPKK across the country, including 14 PPKK in Sarawak.
The main objective of Kraftangan Malaysia, she said, is to increase the income of the Penan community while commercialising their high-value handcrafted products.
Acknowledging the difficulty for the residents to market their products due to the remote location and the long journey required, 'Ainu Sham said her agency is aware of this issue, noting similar difficulties faced when Kraftangan Malaysia staff were heading to the area.
"This is a challenge for us (Kraftangan Malaysia). The problem is that this community is located far inland, and it takes a long time from Kuching (Kraftangan Malaysia Sarawak Branch), then to Bintulu, and finally to Lusong Laku, requiring a long journey.
"However, it is not a barrier for us to enter this area and bring out all the products they produce," she said.
She added that her agency takes the initiative to go to Lusong Laku twice a year to bring out all their weaving products or according to the completion date of the products coordinated by community representatives and Kraftangan Malaysia.
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This initiative is undertaken by the agency's subsidiary, Karyaneka, which will market the community's woven goods.
In addition, she said, Kraftangan Malaysia also helps promote through online platforms with the Kraftangan Malaysia Sarawak Branch office in Kuching as the hub for collecting products from the Penan ethnic group for marketing.
Furthermore, 'Ainu Sham said Rumah Kraf Tangan Lusong Laku has become a landmark of the government's ongoing efforts to enable the Penan community to gather their weaving works and provide tourists with the opportunity to purchase these products.
Recently, 'Ainu Sham said that with Tingang Jati's approval to transport Lusong Laku ethnic products to Simpang Murum, her agency is now better positioned to market Penan ethnic rattan weaving products beyond Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
FROM COMMUNITY TO ENTREPRENEURS
According to 'Ainu Sham, it is also the main goal of Kraftangan Malaysia to create entrepreneurs who can stand on their own, on par with other entrepreneurs, even though they live in remote areas.
Therefore, the agency strives to support this group by offering packages that include marketing opportunities, the production of quality products with unique designs, and the potential to penetrate international markets.
On future plans for the Penan ethnic group, Kraftangan Malaysia will continuously provide guidance so as to fill the entrepreneurship vacuum among the community.
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"Under this project (PPKK), after they have mastered the skills and produced beautiful products, we will bring this community to conduct business simulations at festivals and physical promotion programmes by providing sales booths for them to market and sell their products face-to-face, thus enhancing their entrepreneurial skills," she said.
She is also confident that this ethnic group can become resilient and competitive entrepreneurs once equipped with technical and entrepreneurial skills.
"Kraftangan Malaysia will also continue to provide guidance in product development so that more quality rattan weaving products that meet market demands can be produced, besides implementing initiatives in human capital development to produce more successors in a bid to sustain the local handicraft industry, "she added.
Translated by Salbiah Said
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