KUCHING: The Sarawak songket woven by the Puncak Borneo Prison inmates will become the state’s new textile product when it debuts next month.
According to state Prisons Department director Ajidin Salleh, the first songket production, woven by 15 selected prisoners, will go under the brand SaraPride (Sarawak, Prison Department).
“For the first phase, a workshop containing 10 weaving houses has been built in Puncak Borneo Prison.
“Today, we have launched a weaving workshop called SaraPride as an identity for prison products.
“This is our initiative to grow and empower the songket industry in Sarawak,” he said in an interview in conjunction with the visit of the Chief Minister’s wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang to the SaraPride songket workshop here yesterday.
Ajidin hopes the project will be expanded so Puncak Borneo Prison can become the largest songket industry hub in Borneo.
To realise this, he proposed that one block of unused buildings in the prison be restored and used as a permanent SaraPride workshop as it could hold at least 100 weaving houses.
However, he said this would only be achieved with the full support of various parties including the state government.
“There are 3,517 inmates in prisons across Sarawak while in Puncak Borneo Prison alone, there are 1,317 prisoners.
“However, for this first phase project, only 15 inmates are involved and I believe many are interested and want to get involved in this project,” he said.
The Puncak Borneo Prison SaraPride songket workshop is part of the Sarawak Heritage Innovation ― Songket and Keringkam project ― between the state government and state Prisons Department.
