KOTA KINABALU, Oct 13 (Bernama) — Lumat and Jailan, both skilled in weaving and handicraft, inherited their mother’s talent and artistry at a young age, eventually turning it into a permanent source of income for their families.
Lumat Anak Lebong, 64, from Serian, Sarawak, said she was introduced to weaving at 16 when her mother would often take her into the forest to gather bemban reed, bamboo and rattan.
She explained that from these outings, she learned how to collect the bemban reed, which typically grows wild in the forest, along riverbanks or cultivated, before they are processed for their bark.
The mother of four explained that the plant’s bark, once removed, is sun-dried for at least three days and soaked in water to prevent it from curling. It was then dried again before it could be woven.
“After all these steps, there is one more layer of the bemban bark that needs to be peeled off so that the woven material won’t be stiff. If the bark curls while weaving, we spray it with water,” she told Bernama.
Lumat is one of 68 craft entrepreneurs participating in the Borneo Craft Festival 2024, which began on Sept 26 and concludes today (Oct 13) at the 1 Borneo Shopping Mall.
She said some of the woven mats made from bemban bark feature designs such as bunga tisik langit, with prices depending on the pattern and size of the mats, usually ranging from RM500 to RM1,000.
“Other designs include the sangkar perahu, which sells for RM300, as it is easier to weave, while bamboo trays are priced from RM18,” said Lumat, who has been participating in the craft exhibition since 2002.
Jailan Preeh, 49, from Kota Belud, also learned to weave at a young age, inheriting her mother’s skills at 12 before enhancing her mastery through weaving courses at the Sabah handicraft centre.
She specialised in weaving food covers from serdang leaves and mentioned that the preparation of the material takes up to three hours, as they were boiled before being dried.
After that, the leaves are soaked in water to be dyed yellow and pink before the colours are mixed with other colours to create shades of green, purple and red.
“The dyes are specially ordered from the handicraft centre. We sell our crafts at exhibitions and weekend markets, by special order or on our social media,” she said, adding that the food covers are priced between RM15 and RM80.
