BAMBOO BOAT MAKES A SPLASH
Terengganu villagers pool skill to show their love for the country
REALITY starts with a dream. The folk in several villages in Pelong wanted so much to show their love for the country that they pooled their skills to build a boat and draped it with the Jalur Gemilang as a display at the entrance of SK Pelong near here.
The boat, built from bamboo, turned out to be not just an outstanding work of craftsmanship, but could also fit 10 people.
While the idea came from the villagers, its design and construction was the work of a village craftsman Zakaria Yaakub, 54, who translated the design from his own imagination.
Apart from wanting the finished product to look good, the boat, he said, needed to be practical.
He said the boat was made to support at least 10 people, who could dine on the boat.
“Villagers are supportive, especially the youth, who helped me hoist the bamboo on a wooden arch before I shaped them to look like a boat,” said Zakaria.
“We did not expect the final product to be such a masterpiece,” he said, adding that the effort caught the attention of the Setiu district office, which declared it the best work in the district.
Village head Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar said the judging was not based on just the display and practicality, but also on the solidarity of the villagers.
“Everyone chipped in. The villagers collected bamboo in the forest, shopped for construction material, provided the woven nipah leaves for the roof and helped in its construction.
The display was selected to compete in a state-level Merdeka decoration competition.