KUANTAN, Feb 19 — The East Coast Textile Craft Festival (FKTPT) 2022, which involves 60 sales lots of craft entrepreneurs, is targeting a sales value of RM1.5 million, said Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Santhara J.P.
He said this year marks the third time of the festival’s organisation, after the success of the first one which was held in 2019 and recorded sales of RM660,000, followed in 2020 with sales of RM870,000 with both were held in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Textile crafts, according to Santhara, are synonymous with the east coast states such as Pahang, with Tenun Pahang products, songket for Terengganu, and batik for Kelantan, all of which are national assets and major contributors to the sales value of craft products in Malaysia.
“Congratulations to Kraftangan Malaysia, which is committed to developing and empowering entrepreneurs and the craft community through programmes that can enhance their skills and abilities in producing, marketing, and promoting craft products that meet the tastes of today’s consumers.
“This is very important to ensure that the products of local craft entrepreneurs are comparable to international products,” he said while officiating FKTPT 2022 at a shopping mall here today.
Also present was Kraftangan Malaysia director-general, Aididah Ibrahim.
Santhara added that textile craft entrepreneurs also need to ensure that their products have their own unique characteristics and identity to be the speciality and strength of Malaysian craft products.
Meanwhile, Aididah said apart from textile craft products, the festival, which lasts for 10 days from Feb 17, with the participation of 30 entrepreneurs, also highlighted various other craft branches such as forest products, clay, and metals.
The festival is also aimed at assisting entrepreneurs and the craft community to increase sales, as well as production of craft products after having been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although the country’s borders have yet to open, the marketing and promotional activities of craft products must be further intensified, especially among domestic consumers, as well as responding to the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign which indirectly helps strengthen the domestic economy,” she said.
