KUCHING: The Sarawak Heritage Innovation: Songket and Keringkam project aims to help develop an ecosystem that provides job opportunities.
Deputy State Secretary Datu Dr Sabariah Putit said the ecosystem encompassed many aspects – to produce more weavers and embroiderers, to increase the income of premium legacy products and also product innovation through Centexs Commercial, connecting and strengthening the supply network chain between local communities and international producers, develop talents, expand promotion and visibility and enhance research and development with relevant parties in textile sustainability.
Sabariah said this at the opening ceremony of Songket and Keringkam Gallery here on Monday (March 28).
“In June 2019, the idea of the songket project in collaboration with the Prisons Department (Puncak Borneo) was inspired by Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
“In August 2019, the Sarawak government through Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE) allocated RM50,000 as a start to develop the Sarapride Weaving Workshop of Puncak Borneo Prison as well as buying the equipment needed for weaving. For the purpose of heritage skills development, OKSHE collaborated with Centexs to train instructors at Puncak Borneo Prison.
“Recently, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the state government and Prisons Department, marking a milestone in the songket industry development joint venture in Sarawak.”
According to Sabariah, the state government with Prisons Department
through the OKSHE Heritage Project-Puncak Borneo Prison were now in the process of constructing a new 2.5-acre songket weaving workshop that could accommodate 100 weaving houses.
“Construction is expected to begin in June 2022 and set for completion in December 2023.
“As of now, there are a total of 366 embroiderers and weavers in Sarawak – 120 songket embroiderers and 246 keringkam weavers.
“From the 120 songket embroiderers, 37 are from Kuching, Gedong, Rajang, Kota Samarahan, Limbang and Lawas, 38 from Puncak Borneo Prison and 45 from Centexs.
“For keringkam weavers, 32 are from Kuching and Padawan and 214 from Centexs.”
On the gallery, she said it served as a platform to sell songket and keringkam-related products, including Songket Sarapride Puncak Borneo, and would be managed by Centex Commercial Services.
“The gallery has four sections. The sales section includes original songket and keringkam, Ready To Wear, clutches, shoes, ladies bags and souvenirs. The second section includes songket weaving and embroidery demonstration. Third is the gallery section and history of songket and keringkam, and lastly, the pictorial section.”
Also present were the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tengku Datin Puteri Marina Tengku Ibrahim, Premier of Sarawak’s wife Puan Sri Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Dato Doreen Mayang, Datin Sri Zuraini Abdul Jabbar and Datin Siti Shorgayah Ahmad Zaidin.
