KUCHING: The four-day Sarawak Design Week commenced today showcasing all things design, from furniture and home décor to fashion and handicrafts.
And one of the booths that was immediately noticeable, thanks to its vibrant portrayal, belongs to 59-year-old Abdul Malik Adenan who owns Malek Batek Craft.
Malek, who used to work as an accountant in Miri and Kuching, decided to venture into batik out of his love for batik art.
He explained that the time taken to complete such work would depend on the size of it.
“The larger the piece, the longer it takes. Mostly it would be one to two weeks, and if it is smaller the quickest would be within one to two days,” he said.
Malek said throughout his years of making and drawing the batik patterns, he has received orders from the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia.
He said that prices range from as low as RM200 to RM10,000.
Malek did his training in batik at the Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Malaysia Cawangan Kelantan, a government agency in Kota Bharu.
“That was in 1990 until 1992, after that period of training, I opened a small and medium enterprise (SME) with a capital of RM5,000.
“Today I run two businesses, I have a kiosk in Sarawak Craft Council, opposite the Waterfront here and another in Jalan Merbau, which is in the Miri Handicraft Centre,” he said.
Apart from that, Malek stressed that despite having been in this industry for so many years, the challenge of purchasing materials and being unable to purchase them in bulk is still a cross to bear for him.
“Cost is also an issue, especially when items are sent from West Malaysia, the prices are much higher,” he added.
Nevertheless, Malek said networking is his biggest marketing tool, having made connections with Sarawak Economic Development Corporation and Sarawak Craft Council, among others, to grow his business.
He will head over to Kuala Lumpur in two weeks for the National Craft Day.
