Kuala terengganu: The songket industry, one of the handicraft sectors closely associated with Terengganu, should continue to be preserved, strengthened and elevated as its value extends beyond the economic perspective to also reflect the richness of the Malay cultural heritage and identity.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, to ensure the sustainability of the industry, several songket entrepreneurs in the state hope that Budget 2027, which will be tabled next month, will give due attention and support to the industry, thereby ensuring that the songket heritage continues to be preserved and does not disappear with time.
Songket weaver from Kampung Pasir Panjang, Gayah Awang, 57, expressed hope that the government could focus on developing songket weaving training programmes to nurture more young talent in the craft. She said that in the 1980s, there were more than 100 songket entrepreneurs in Pasir Panjang, but the number had continued to decline, with only seven weavers reportedly remaining today.
"In the past, almost every household in Pasir Panjang had weaving equipment. Young girls would learn the art of weaving as a tradition passed down from one generation to the next. Now, only seven elderly weavers remain in this area. If we are no longer around, this industry may simply be buried," she told Bernama at her home in Kampung Pasir Panjang recently.
According to Gayah, who is also visually impaired, one of the factors contributing to the lack of interest among young people in learning weaving skills is the complicated production process, which takes a relatively long time to complete. Therefore, she said, providing good incentives could attract the younger generation to learn the art of weaving, while also helping to develop the industry in line with current fashion trends.
"Songket fabric has the potential to be developed just like batik. But it requires patience, precision and creativity. So, I hope the relevant agencies can conduct more research and explore markets to ensure that the songket industry continues to be elevated," said Gayah, who has been involved in the industry for more than 30 years.
Meanwhile, songket entrepreneur from Kampung Rhu Rendang, Marang, Mohd Lukman Haniff Ngah, 45, hoped that the government would continue to focus on small-scale entrepreneurs facing challenges such as rising raw material costs and limited market access, while also taking steps to curb the proliferation of imitation songket products that threaten the sustainability of the local songket industry.
"As far as I know, the government has provided allocations for songket development under previous budgets, but these were more focused on established and large-scale entrepreneurs. I hope that in the tabling of Budget 2027, the government will introduce specific initiatives for small-scale songket entrepreneurs. I think it would also be interesting to establish a songket village in Marang or Kuala Terengganu to attract tourists," he said.