Involve other groups in craft community programs – Mohamaddin
LAHAD DATU: The Malaysian craft community empowerment programmes should be expanded to involve more target groups across the country.
Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mohamaddin Ketapi said the expanded programme could involve the asnaf group, people with disability, single mothers, housewives and ethnic groups.
He said the programme could assist the targeted groups to increase their income which could contribute to national economic activities.
The ministry, through Malaysian Handcraft, has provided an incentive worth RM100,000 in the form of raw materials, machinery and equipment in a year.
This incentive is among the efforts undertaken by the ministry to boost and motivate the craft community to continue to be active in producing craft products, especially in Lahad Datu, he said while launching the Malaysia Craft Community Empowering Programme, yesterday.
The programme was the initiative undertaken by Malaysian Craft to provide exposure to the local community in empowering their skills in design, production and craft production technology.
According to Mohamaddin, Sabah is well-known for its craft and owned 2,018 craft entrepreneurs with more than RM51.7 million generated income.
The craft industry, he said, had recorded RM333 million sales up to August this year, which is 66 per cent from the RM500 million target.
He added that the achievement was something to be proud of as it involved 5,504 entrepreneurs with 10,251 labor.