Munica Liwan is a Kelabit originally from the indigenous tribe in Long Seridan, a settlement in the Miri division of Sarawak. Never did she imagine that one day she would be invited to Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla.
Eyeing the bigger market
Munica Liwan is a Kelabit originally from the indigenous tribe in Long Seridan, a settlement in the Miri division of Sarawak. Never did she imagine that one day she would be invited to Buckingham Palace.
On February 1, she did and here she shared her experience with us her meeting with the Royals and the people she met there. The evening reception given by King Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace was to celebrate the contributions that the British East and Southeast Asian Committees made to Britain.
“It was a wonderful and exciting experience to be given the opportunity to be with the King and Queen Consort,” said Liwan, who turned up wearing her resplendent culturally inspired attire. She added, “I spoke to the Queen Consort, who seemed fascinated with the beads and accessories I was wearing. I told her I am from Sarawak in Malaysia, and it’s all handmade beaded work.”
A photograph taken of Munica Liwan with the Queen Consort Camilla and other ladies is featured in the February 13 issue of Hello magazine.
Her husband, Dr Laurence John, managed to have a conversation with King Charles, sharing his experiences as a social entrepreneur. The King encourages innovative ideas for the country, especially in medicine.
Guests were from various sectors of the media, business, fashion, arts, and health care. Amongst them was the Crown Prince of Selangor, Malaysia.
“Three years ago, we met the Raja Muda of Selangor during a festival promoting indigenous people. He still remembers that and was impressed that we focus on opportunities for the minority group. He asks why not look at the bigger picture besides Sabah and Sarawak,” said the couple.
Since their final move to the United Kingdom in September 2019, Liwan and her husband have been helping to develop sustainable social entrepreneurs. According to this socially active couple, the world has changed in whatever you can think of, be it politics, education, jobs etc.
“We can’t be waiting for customers to come to us, so we must move around to identify the people and give support. ”
As their children completed their studies in the UK, they have also developed their own business in layer cakes.
As to where they are promoting in the UK, they explained, “We are moving around the UK with the festivals. This cake is new in the UK and needs to move around for promotion. To have a better impact, we have events at Cheltenham, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Cirencester, Gloucester, and other places in the UK. This year we are planning more events.”
The cake resembles our local Kek Lapis, but according to Liwan, her cake may taste different as it is made of UK ingredients.
“We have our own registered trademark as J’s Layer Cake UK. There is a message in the colours and layers. They represent the unity of humans, animals, and nature. This is the message we would like to send across the world, “explained Liwan, who was a teacher in Malaysia for 25 years.
Her husband is a member of the Conservative Party, and in one of the events organised by the party, they met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and were to highlight talented international students.
Prior to their move to the UK, they were also involved in the International Borneo Festival Pageant in Kuala Lumpur with the final in London. This year the pageant final will be held in London in November. When COVID hit, it was stopped for two years.
“The event is to promote Sabah and Sarawak, which are known for their diverse range of indigenous cultures. After all, culture is a sustainable economic product,” they conclude.
