KUCHING: Some 2,000 registered people have attended the first two days of Sarawak Timber SMEs Expo 2019 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Jointly organised by the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development (MIED), the expo started June 27 and will end tomorrow.
Apart from promoting diversified and the unique timber, non-timber as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)’s products produced by local manufacturers and the SMEs in Sarawak, the expo also featured international participations from Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Japan as well as Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.
One of the main goals of the expo is to promote the utilisation of acacia as an alternative to natural timber through the showcase of House of Acacia.
Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) officer Lelawati Othman, 36, said that the House of Acacia reflects creativity in terms of
presentation.
“Acacia is a planted species which is considered small in size. However, looking at how it has gone through transformation to create such furniture pieces as displayed does reflect creativity.
“This is because acacia wood is usually used as material for the production of paper. It shows that after research and development (R&D), we can finally see how advanced we can go by using Acacia as material in the furniture industry,” she said.
At the same time, physiotherapist Liyana Nabila, 28, complimented the designs showcased in the House of Acacia.
“However, I think the furniture pieces can be considered as a bit outdated when compared to today’s modern designs. Maybe the designers can improve it to be more ergonomic,” she said.
Meanwhile, housewife Madrine, 48, said that the huge expo has provided great exposure for the local timber industry as well as uplifting the local
entrepreneurs.
“STIDC has really outdone itself. I feel like I am in a shopping mall because there are many places to go and things to see here,” she said.
On her favourite part of the expo, Madrine said that she likes the House of Acacia the most because she feels that the furniture designs are impressive and would bring home decoration to a whole new level.
However, she admitted that it was a pity that she couldn’t see more of how acacia wood can be used in other furniture designs.
“For me, taking a stroll at the House of Acacia was amazing but it is a pity because I really expected to see more. I felt like I did not want to see the end of the door when I walked into the real life house,” she said.
Meanwhile, owner of a local furniture store, Hii Leh Yian, 43, gave his thumbs up for the House of Acacia.
“The furniture here is pretty and aesthetic. I came here to look at the designs and see what I could gain from the visit,” he said.
Construction company owner David Voon, 44, also expressed his opinion regarding the House of Acacia.
“I really like the designs over here but I feel like more could be done.
“What I am trying to say is that Sarawak is known for its timbers so I feel like we can actually produce more furniture out of timbers and show it to the world.
“Hopefully they will be able to show more in the future and make us proud of the timbers we have here.”
