SERDANG - What began as a hobby has surprisingly become the main source of income for a former graduate of Kolej Yayasan Pahang, who started by helping his mother-in-law produce small-scale creative sewing crafts.
Mohd Firdaus Kamaruzzaman, 35, a Diploma in Business Management graduate, said his interest in pursuing the craft industry seriously grew after noticing the potential in his mother-in-law's batik fabric and fibre products.
"I used to work in a tourism company, but I would always help complete orders during my free time. In 2017, I decided to quit my job to expand the business after seeing the potential of the products," he told Bernama.
He was interviewed at the Rural Entrepreneurs Pavilion of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2024 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here recently.
Firdaus said that their products, such as desktop wrist rests, baby pillows, and cushion covers, are made using batik fabric that they produce themselves, replacing wax with clay as an alternative material.
However, it wasn’t as easy as expected. Firdaus, one of the 170 entrepreneurs featured by KKDW at the exhibition, admitted that there were many challenges, especially in expanding the market for his mother-in-law's business.
"Under the guidance of Lembaga Kemajuan Johor Tenggara (KEJORA), my mother-in-law and I received various training, including product packaging and marketing. As a result, our products are now sold not only in Malaysia but also in Japan and the United Kingdom (UK).
"In those countries (Japan and UK), our products are well-received because they cater to the needs of both workers and parents, and they are reasonably priced, ranging from RM35 to RM50," said the native of Felda Air Tawar 1 in Kota Tinggi, Johor.
KKDW secretary-general Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar said that this was the first time the ministry brought the Rural Entrepreneurs Pavilion to MAHA, providing a platform to help rural entrepreneurs promote and market their products.
He said that most of the entrepreneurs featured were under the guidance of KKDW agencies, such as Majlis Amanah Rakyat, the Community Development Department, the Department of Orang Asli Development, the Central Terengganu Development Authority, the South Kelantan Development Authority, KEJORA and Giat Mara.
Meanwhile, another entrepreneur at the exhibition, Wet Bakil, 59, said she started producing rattan-based crafts about 10 years ago, selling them in her local community at Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Chuai in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan.
"Since I can’t read or write, the orders I received were limited, just enough to make a living. Only after my daughter-in-law moved in did she help me take orders, but we still struggled due to a lack of market connections.
"It wasn’t until JAKOA (Department of Orang Asli Development) stepped in and encouraged me to participate in carnivals like MAHA so that more people could recognise my products," said Wet, whose product prices range from RM15 to RM200.
Among her rattan-based products sourced from the forest are bags, pen holders, water bottle holders, cooking spoons, and rattan lampshades.
Wet explained that crafting with rattan is a challenging process that requires precision in weaving, as well as the use of hands and small knives.
"A small mistake can injure your fingers due to the sharpness of the rattan when weaving, but I’ve told my daughter-in-law about this as she will carry on this crafting tradition when I’m no longer able to," she said.
MAHA 2024, which runs for 12 days until Sept 22, is expected to attract over three million visitors, with a focus on elements like the MAHA Go Global segment, which aims to elevate the exhibition to an international level with participation from various countries. - BERNAMA