KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) is hoping to commercialise its bamboo bicycle by January next year.
Its general manager, Datuk Hashim Bojet said STIDC will fall back in its strategic cooperation with Brook and Breeze from China to produce the bamboo bicycle for commercial ends.
“We are doing the preparations this year, as now we have 15 skilled trainees who have already produced four bamboo bicycles during their three months training.
“We hope everything will run smoothly so that we can start our production for the bicycle commercialisation next year, in January, in conjunction with our 50th anniversary,” he said after the closing of a Bamboo Bike Training of Trainer programme here.
He said with the successful production of four bicycles, all the trainees will continue to produce at least 15 bicycles until the end of 2022.
“This is to ensure that our competency in manufacturing the product is of high quality and we will also cooperate with SIRIM for its approval and competency certification,” he added.
He said when STIDC obtains the certificate, it will market the bicycle locally and also in other countries.
“I see that the potential of this bamboo bicycle is huge and we really hope to expand its production, thus we will conduct more training throughout Sarawak using our own local bamboo.
“This bicycle will be priced between 1000 to 3000 USD for the export market and we will look into the price for the local market soon.
“We will be naming the bamboo bicycle from Sarawak after our engagement with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg later,” he added.
The 15 trainees received training from a company from Shanghai, the Brook and Breeze, through hybrid as well as physical training here.
