MULU: Once abuzz with local and foreign tourists purchasing authentic Penan handicrafts to bring home as souvenirs, the Batu Bungan Craft Market here has been rather quiet since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Rows of rattan and plastic woven bags, keychains, bracelets and necklaces made of beads among other things remain on display awaiting potential buyers.
The Penans in the Batu Bungan settlement who mostly rely on sales from the handicraft market as the only source of income are hoping for better days when tourists seeking adventures at Gunung Mulu National Park would make a stop here.
One of the local handicraft makers and sellers, Valerie Peter, disclosed that the community did not make any sales at all when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak.
“Everyone was having a hard time then because there were no sales at all. Most of us just stayed at home and relied on our respective small plot of land to grow food crops. Unfortunately, there were times when the crop yield was not so good,” she said.
On life before the pandemic, the 30-year-old recalled that when there were tourists around she could easily earn an income of RM200 per week by selling intricate keychains made from colourful beads.
Valerie who learned how to make keychains from her mother and older sister said it usually took her between one and two hours to complete a keychain.
She noted that the more complex the design and colours used, the longer it would take to make a keychain.
“The prices for my keychains are between RM4 and RM40 depending on the sizes and designs. Visitors usually prefer bundle purchase such as three keychains for RM10,” she said.
She hopes more tourists will come and visit the craft market so that the community can have a fairly consistent source of income to fend for themselves.
Similarly, another handicraft maker and seller Melissa Ngot shares the same hope as Valerie given that her family relies solely on sales from the craft market to financially sustain them.
In disclosing this, the 34-year-old admitted that the community indeed went through tough times when the pandemic first hit.
Explaining further, she said the lively craft market went from having frequent visitors to completely silent when strict movement restrictions were imposed and the Gunung Mulu National Park temporarily closed its doors.
“Both my husband and I are unemployed, so we depend entirely on sales from the handicrafts I make to sell at the craft market.
“During the peak of the pandemic with no tourists coming in, we stayed at home and grew our own food to get by,” she told.
Melissa who is originally from Long Lilin said she learned how to weave bags out of rattan and plastic strapping from her mother at the age of 14, adding that her younger sister also shares the same talent.
According to her, it usually takes a week to produce a woven bag and the price depends on the design, size, colour as well as material used.
“We would usually look for the rattan ourselves in the jungle. It is originally red in colour and we must process the rattan to make it become black in colour.
“The price of each woven bag ranges from RM10 to over RM100 depending on how long and complex the process involved,” she said.
With the pandemic subsiding and encouraging number of visitors gradually coming, Melissa stated that sales is slowly picking up.
However, she pointed out the community is still uncertain about when tourism in the area will boom once again.
“I believe all of us share the same hope of wanting to see Mulu having more visitors coming in to enjoy the beautiful nature.
“These visitors would naturally stop over at the craft market as part of their itinerary,” she added.
