Penan handicrafts go international

KUCHING, July 31, 2014: A wide variety  of quality handicrafts produced by the Penans in Murum have gone global ever since Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) stepped in to support the community’s artistry skills.

 Picture: Some of the bead-works of the Penan women.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), SEB has taken the initiative to  actively engaged in  developing the community’s potential in handicraft-making.

SEB has recently started purchasing a number of fine crafts and offering them as exclusive gifts for the company's corporate guests.

Most recently, these souvenirs were given to guests from Oman.

Though the production is still on a small scale, this initiative provides an opportunity for the Penans, who are affected by the construction of the Murum dam, to produce handicrafts that meet the market’s expectation and at the same time, earn extra income from the trade.

This encouragement has led to the natives being more active in handicraft making. Other than weaving baskets, they are also skilled at beading, machete-making and even carving the blowpipe and the musical instrument Sape, among others.

SEB realised the potential of these skilled  Penans during a community programme jointly conducted with a non-governmental organisation in Belaga last year. Picture: Penan woman and her Belanyat.

One little basket was all it took to show that the Penan community in Murum possess the artistry to produce handicrafts that is to be admired by many.

The Penan basket or locally known as “Belanyat ” displaying an intricate woven artwork, convinced Sarawak Energy to encourage handicraft making among the resettled community as part of its social investment programme.

The soft weaving of the bemban -similar to the rattan- is also often chequered with a natural dye to give the basket some tribal design, adding to its authenticity.

CSR Manager for Social Investment Joanne Tan said the handicraft of the Penans were simply remarkable and worthy of attention.

"Their work is very fine as proven in their weaving and when they begin, the designs come from within. Best of all, no two handmade baskets are the same for the maker never plans the designs beforehand but does it spontaneously," she said.

"It would be a pity to see these skills go unnoticed. More so, by SEB supporting the craft activities of the community, we are also preserving the traditions and culture by encouraging the young ones to learn the trade from the older generation," she said.

Tan said SEB wants to take this initiative a step further by engaging researchers in design from a local university on how to improve these handicrafts and help the community come up with value added traditional and contemporary designed products.

She said all this is part of the company’s sustainable development plan for the resettled community as well as to provide them another opportunity of livelihood.