Serao gallery to be constructed at Kg Tanam, Dalat

Fatimah (front row, centre) and the residents pose for a group photo during the Christmas gathering held at Kampung Tanam in Dalat on Dec 28, 2023.

KUCHING, Jan 1: A serao gallery is set to be constructed at Kampung Tanam, Dalat, with an allocation of RM750,000 under Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) 2024.

Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) Sarawak Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, who is also Dalat assemblywoman, said that the project will be built on the site of an old school with the aim of becoming an attractive destination for visitors to Dalat, reported Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas).

“ ‘Serao’ means, in the local Melanau Dalat dialect, a ‘Terendak’ (a Melanau traditional woven hat).

“The gallery will be used to showcase the already handcrafted ‘Serao’ and also for several shops to operate,” she was quoted as saying while attending a Christmas gathering at Kampung Tanam last Thursday (Dec 28).

Fatimah further stated that along with the area’s natural beauty and the presence of Belanga, a small structure or hut located at the riverbank for sago production, the gallery surely will transform the landscape of the village overall.

Additionally, the minister highlighted that, despite differences in race, religion, and culture, Sarawakians mutually respect each other especially at times of celebration.

“People of various races and ethnicities will come to celebrate together a joyous occasion in Sarawak with such harmony and unity as a community especially in Dalat,” she added, as reported by Ukas. — DayakDaily