Thursday August 18, 2011
By SHARON LING sharonling@thestar.com.my
KUCHING: Sarawak’s traditional beads have the potential to be a tourist attraction besides boosting the rural economy.
Tourism and Heritage Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state’s bead-making industry, mainly found in the northern region, had yet to reach wide exposure beyond local shores.
“I feel it is time for us to expose the value of our beads in terms of their heritage and potential economic value,” he said when announ-cing the second Borneo International Beads Conference yesterday.
Johari said his ministry was currently in the planning stages of developing the rural economy through ecotourism, and that beads could play a part.
Interesting: Sarawak Museum honorary curator of beads Heidi Munan showing Johari pictures of beads at the press conference. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star
“One of the economic activities in rural areas is making beads. If we add value to bead-making, such as ensuring quality and good design, it can be an attraction that will lure tourists to visit the rural areas. The community can participate in rural economy by producing high quality beads that have a certain value,” he said.
As such, Johari said the conference from Oct 7 to 9 was a platform for the ministry to work with bead enthusiasts in promoting and developing the local bead industry.
“They can do research on the economic potential of beads and whether beads can become a designer item. A lot of research also needs to be done on bead making itself.
“Ultimately, if we have the infrastructure, Kuching or Sarawak will be known as a regional centre for bead research. That is the long-term plan,” he said.
Themed “Beads and Heritage”, the conference aims to showcase Sarawak’s bead culture to an international audience, preserve the state’s bead tradition in a commercially viable manner, encourage the production of quality beads, promote competent modern design in beads and beadwork and improve the earning power of cottage workers in the state.
It is also a platform to facilitate creative interaction between Sarawak’s bead craftsmen and internatio-nal counterparts and to share knowledge and expertise with international bead scholars and researchers.
Malaysia’s Heritage Commissioner Datuk Dr Zuraina Majid-Lowe will deliver a keynote address titled “Protecting our Assets and Pride”.
Papers will be presented by international speakers from the United States, India, Australia, Canada and South Africa as well as local speakers. About 200 participants are expected to attend the conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment