KENINGAU: Kraftangan Malaysia believes that handicraft woven from bamboo can generate up to RM20 million in revenue annually for Keningau with the right marketing and promotions.
Deputy Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the district’s fine, quality bamboo handicraft, such as bags and containers, had been attracting Asian and European tourists to buying it.
“Bags, especially those made by craftsmen from Kampung Batu Lunguyan using the Dusun traditional motifs, are durable.
“It is not impossible that the village comes to be known as the ‘Land of Bamboo’ as its handicraft is of the highest quality and can potentially penetrate the international market,” she added.
She told reporters this after officiating the state-level Kraf KampungKu programme in Sook, near Keningau here yesterday.
Also present was the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department and Sook State Assemblyman, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin.
Aside from Kampung Batu Lunguyan, Mas Ermieyati said Kraftangan Malaysia would also be assisting 15 other villages in Keningau, also producers of bamboo handicraft, to market and promote their products to achieve the RM20 million revenue target.
Aside from the Tourism and Culture Ministry, 28 other government and private agencies are also involved in the implementation of the state-level Kraf KampungKu programme.
It includes the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority and the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority.
Mas Ermieyati said that next year, Keningau district would be organising the Visit Keningau Year, which would include a large scale promotion of bamboo handicraft.
She also said that as of February this year, 3,960 handicraft entrepreneurs in Sabah had registered with Kraftangan Malaysia, of whom 1,098 are forest product entrepreneurs, with sales totalling RM4.69 million.
Meanwhile, Kraftangan Malaysia Director-General Zuraida Mokhtar said the agency had always emphasised on sustainable entrepreneurial attributes, to ensure that the handicraft business continue and remains competitive.
“The Craft Village project is not just about implementation. It includes a holistic approach, with product laboratories, guidance, quality advisory services, product design and marketing,” she added. — Bernama