(From left) Sadia Academy trainer Victoria Jimmy, Susan, trainer Yvonne Johnny and Mabong try the engkerurai.
KUCHING (Nov 16): The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), through the Malaysian Design Council (MDC), together with the Sarawak Culture Department (SCD), is looking to collaborate with the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) Academy to promote the revival and production of the engkerurai — a traditional Iban gourd flute crafted from forest-based materials.
Sadia Academy head Mabong Unggang said the engkerurai is among seven Malaysian traditional musical instruments the academy aims to revive under its cultural preservation efforts.
He said federal and state agencies have reached out to explore ways to support, commercialise and revitalise the craft, signalling a growing national interest in indigenous heritage products with sustainable economic potential.
“We welcome the authorities’ intention to assist Sadia Academy in promoting the engkerurai. This recognition not only uplifts Iban craftsmanship but also opens avenues for community-based economic empowerment,” Mabong said in his welcoming address at the academy’s graduation ceremony for its 2025 traditional arts classes held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre here last night.
The academy will begin formal training sessions on engkerurai production next year to ensure the skills and knowledge are preserved and passed to younger generations.
The programme is expected to offer rural artisans opportunities in regulated production, branding and quality enhancement.
The engkerurai is traditionally crafted using ‘buah genuk’ (gourd), bamboo, ‘engkelulut’ (stingless bee) resin and ‘aping’ (palm) fibres — a combination that also gives the instrument its distinctive natural fragrance, reflecting the Iban community’s deep relationship with the forest.
Mabong said the revival effort goes beyond cultural appreciation, noting that heritage-based entrepreneurship could create meaningful, sustainable income for Dayak communities.
“This is more than just craft production — it is about safeguarding heritage while creating meaningful economic opportunities rooted in tradition,” he said.
The academy will announce further details of its 2026 training programme in the coming months.
Representing Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan, political secretary to the Sarawak Premier, Susan Clement, commended the academy’s efforts since its establishment in 2013.
“It has contributed greatly in elevating the native customs of the Dayak community, especially the Iban, ensuring that these traditions do not disappear with time,” she said.
Susan noted that with continued support, including Snowdan’s, the academy has strengthened its cultural revival work — citing the successful revival of the Belikan in 2018 as a benchmark achievement.
“For 2025, as requested by Mabong to be conveyed to me, the academy will introduce a new initiative — the engkerurai revival.
“The engkerurai is one of the Iban musical heritage items that is no longer commonly seen. Many of the younger generation no longer know what an engkerurai is.
“Therefore, I truly hope that this initiative will uplift, revive and reintroduce the engkerurai to our young people,” she added.
She also expressed gratitude to MDC and SCD for recently conducting a two-week engkerurai-making course, and urged SCD to continue supporting initiatives that preserve and promote Dayak cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, Uggah pledged RM30,000 and Snowdan RM10,000 in government grants to support the academy’s annual programmes and activities.
Also present were SCD deputy director Boniface Babai and Sadia leaders Ruekeith Jampong and Nicholas Mujah.