The Perak Crafts Festival 2023, which began on August 25 and will conclude on September 3, has set a goal of generating RM1 million in sales with an expected attendance of around 75,000 visitors. Being held since 2014, the festival aims to promote and commercialize local crafts to both local residents and tourists while increasing awareness and knowledge of Malaysian crafts.
The festival, themed as ‘Ini Kraf Malaysia’, is showcasing a wide range of Malaysian craft products from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak in order to encourage the integration of craft art into people’s daily lives. The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s deputy secretary-general (culture), Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusoff, shared this information after attending a walkabout session at Dataran Menara Condong on Sunday (August 27). Also present during the session were Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Ainu Sham Ramli and Kraftangan Malaysia Perak branch director Mohamad Rizan Mohamad Nordin.
In the walkabout session, Mohd Yusri distributed 1,050 participation certificates and craft kits for activities such as batik dyeing, rattan basket weaving, and making decorative vases to seven schools from the state. He expressed hope that the festival’s organization would boost the economy of entrepreneurs and the craft community and offer direct benefits to the tourism sector’s value chain, particularly in Perak.
Furthermore, Mohd Yusri added that the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, along with Kraftangan Malaysia, would continue to support craft entrepreneurs in Perak and encourage them to produce high-quality products for tourists, especially in preparation for Visit Perak Year 2024.
The festival is also offering several other interesting activities throughout its duration, including sarong batik tug-of-war competitions, martial arts contests, folk sports games, and Malaysian batik zumba. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
