Enduring allure of Penan’s rattan-weaving

FROM Bintulu, it takes about 10 hours via four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD) to reach the deep interiors 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 recent ‘Turun Padang’ programme in Sarawak organised by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia), the 200km journey was an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Starting from Bintulu town to Simpang Murum in 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. Even with the distance being only 35km away, it took us around five hours to reach our destination as we had to navigate along riverbanks and over steep areas, as well as logging trails that were not only muddy, but also potholed and rugged.

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.

Kraftangan Malaysia director-general, Datuk ‘Ainu Sham Ramli, also joined the group 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).

‘Ethnic touch’

The media programme kicked off during the group’s visit to a 73-door Penan longhouse in Lusong Laku, home to 600 villagers.

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 Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MoTAC) through Kraftangan Malaysia, developed in 2022 to enable this community to produce their products.

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 weaving since childhood and now, she makes products such as bags – starting from small-sized ones, and later on, to larger sizes.

The housewife, one of the 25 PPKK participants, said they did not only weave, but also needed to go to the forest to obtain the 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 takes a few days.

“Only after that can the weaving begin,” said the mother of two, who takes one day to produce a bag.

In a month, Mangorit can complete about 20 ‘Bakul Ajat’ (traditional baskets), and after receiving guidance from Kraftangan Malaysia, she can now 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 also interested in the art of rattan-weaving and have been assisting her throughout.

Nyutai is also grateful for gaining more knowledge about producing various products and designs through Kraftangan Malaysia; thus, helping the Penan womenfolk of Lusong Laku generate additional income.

According to her, 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 the teachers and nurses working in the area.

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 colouring the rattan strips using dyes and also the weaving techniques combining the coloured strips.

The third phase, from Feb 14 to 16, 2023, focused on weaving coloured rattan strips.

Meanwhile, the chieftain 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 was meant to enhance the basic skills of Penan PPKK participants so that the goods produced would be of higher quality in terms of the design patterns, shapes, neatness and refinement.

The PPKK, she said, was incepted in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic as an effort by Kraftangan Malaysia to help the target groups, namely housewives and unemployed youths, generate family income through craft skills.

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.

‘Ainu Sham said until May this year, Kraftangan Malaysia had established 140 PPKKs across the country, including 14 in Sarawak.

“The main objective of Kraftangan Malaysia 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 was aware of this issue, noting similar difficulties faced when the Kraftangan Malaysia team was 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’s not a barrier for us to enter this area and bring out all the products made by the community.”

‘Ainu Sham added that her agency had taken the initiative to go to Lusong Laku twice a year to bring out all the community’s woven products, or according to the completion date of the products coordinated by community representatives and Kraftangan Malaysia.

“This initiative is undertaken by the agency’s subsidiary, Karyaneka, which will market the community’s woven goods.”

Moreover, ‘Ainu Sham said Kraftangan Malaysia had also been helping to promote the crafted products via online platforms, with Kraftangan Malaysia Sarawak branch office in Kuching as the hub for collecting the products from the Penans for marketing.

She added: “Rumah Kraf Tangan Lusong Laku has become a landmark of the government’s ongoing efforts in enabling the Penan community to gather their woven works and provide tourists with the opportunity to purchase these products.

“Recently, with Tingang Jati’s approval to transport Lusong Laku ethnic products to Simpang Murum, our 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 the 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 would continuously provide guidance so as to fill the entrepreneurship vacuum among the community, said ‘Ainu Sham.

“Under this project (PPKK), after they have mastered the skills and produced beautiful products, we would 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.”

‘Ainu Sham expressed confidence that this ethnic group could become resilient and competitive entrepreneurs once equipped with the 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. — Bernama