Awang Tengah (fourth left) presents a memento to Abang Johari after the launching ceremony at BCCK. — Photo Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Feb 14): The inaugural ‘Sarawak Design Week’, going on now at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), is a timely event to promote designs for business and enrichment of creativity in society.

Themed ‘Design for Tomorrow’, the four-day exhibition is showcasing designs for furniture, home décor, fashion and handicrafts, all seeking to ignite the aspiration of how creative works and design can contribute to the betterment of Sarawak economy, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

“Sarawak has a rich culture with diversified ethnic groups, which is beneficial for creative design.

“It is timely for Sarawak to embark and focus on the design of creative products from Sarawak to penetrate international markets,” he said at the official launch of Sarawak Design Week yesterday, where Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg officiated at the ceremony.

The exhibition is run by Sarawak Design Centre (Saradec), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), in collaboration with the Minister of International Trade and Investment Sarawak and Institut Teknologi Bandung of Indonesia.

Other strategic partners for the event include Sarawak Timber Association (STA), Sarawak Furniture Industries Association (SFIA), STIDC, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Miri Community College, Centex Commercial and Tun Jugah Foundation.

Awang Tengah, also the Minister for International Trade and Investment, added: “This event is indeed a strategic platform for designers and local producers to build and enhance Sarawak product image through creative design.”

Explaining the history of Saradec, Awang Tengah said it was established together with the STIDC Chair at Unimas.

“The objective of the STIDC Chair is to carry out more research and development on high value-added timber products, particularly those related to furniture.

“In addition, it also aims to identify and select young Unimas graduates to become professional designers and researchers in this field.”

On ‘Sarawak Young Designers’, Awang Tengah said the two-year programme was enhanced through the collaboration between STIDC and Institute Teknologi Bandung, a prestigious university in Indonesia that had produced many reputable designers.

The prototypes of the design students from the programme are also on display at the ongoing Sarawak Design Week.

“I hope that the young designers would take this great opportunity to expand their networking, and discuss with renowned and established designers who are present and invited by Saradec to speak and share their experiences,” said Awang Tengah.

He also expressed hope that the Sarawak Young Designers programme would produce 100 furniture designers by 2030.

Moreover, the Deputy Premier also thanked the industry players from South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia for attending the ‘Sarawak Design Week’ here.