A handicraft outlet not only provides an income for elderly craftsmen but also promotes their heritage
Datuk Suki Mee at the outlet, which provides an avenue for the community to promote its handicraft and heritage.
Visitors checking out the handicraft at the newly-opened Abor Haknuk Kraf. Pics by Ikhwan Munir
FANCY a traditional Orang Asli handwoven mat, a bubu (fish trap) or even a sumpitan (blowpipe)?
At the Abor Haknuk Kraf, which literally means thank you in Semai, customers will get a chance to buy many items, which can hardly be found elsewhere as well as herbs used by the Orang Asli for traditional healing purposes.
The shop, which was opened on Jan 7, is at Ipoh Raya (at the back of the Perak State Secretariat). It is the first outlet in the state set up by the Orang Asli to promote their heritage.
Yayasan Orang Asli Perak (Yoap) chairman Datuk Suki Mee said the outlet is an avenue for the community to promote its handicraft and heritage.
Suki, however, said Yoap knew it would not be a money-making venture.
"Our primary reason in pushing for the setting up of the shop is to protect our community's art and cultural heritage. Monetary gain is far from our agenda," said Suki.
"We wanted to arrest the decline in handmade Orang Asli handicraft before it is too late," he said after the opening ceremony yesterday.
"The shop is a good start towards resurrecting our arts and cultural heritage. It certainly heralds a better future for the Orang Asli community of Perak," Suki said.
He revealed that with the passing away of many elderly master craftsmen among the six Orang Asli tribes in Perak, the foundation realised that its community's traditional art was in danger of disappearing, unless measures were taken to reverse the trend.
There are about 50,000 Orang Asli in Perak from six tribes, namely Semai, Temiar, Jahai, Jahut, Lanoh and Kensiu. Their numbers form the second largest concentration of the community in the peninsula after Pahang.
An increasing number of youngsters are also leaving their villages for greener pastures. Few continue with their ancestors' way of living.
Due to this Yoap members agreed to allocate RM50,000 to set up the shop, which would help preserve the Orang Asli heritage, as well as provide elderly craftsmen income from the items sold at the Abor Haknuk Kraf.
Besides selling handmade items, the outlet will also conduct workshops on making handicrafts.
"Yoap will invite one elderly Orang Asli craftsman every month to impart his knowledge on how to make items such as mat, fish trap, blowpipe, food cover, chek rik roi (a type of game device) and nyiru (thresh basket), among others.
"Each workshop will be a one-day affair. Yoap will start by training its staff first before opening the doors for its over 2,000 members," said Suki.
He said Yoap will also go around the state twice a month to purchase handmade items for the outlet.
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