National Craft Day 2022 Gathers And Help Local Artisans Income-Wise

The Johor Craft Complex hosted the National Craft Day (HKK) 2022 event from 15th to 27th of March after Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex, making Johor the second of the seven states where the programme was held. This event was also marked as the first-ever organised by the complex this year. 

According to Johor Craft Complex’s director, Mohd Ridzwan Misran, twenty entrepreneurs have participated in the programme that was held at AEON Mall Bukit Indah in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru, offering goods such as baju Melayu, songket, samping, baju kurung, baju batik and more.

The programme sees artisans from Tangkak and Pagoh involved as well as single mothers who have been part of HKK’s Skills Apprenticeship Development Programme (PPPK) and have started their craft shops.

“All of them are excited as this is a chance for them to recover losses suffered during the various lockdowns.” he reportedly said. 

Aside from local artists, traders and creatives from Sabah, Kelantan, and Terengganu were also present.

According to Mohd Ridzwan, the complex intends to reintroduce the Johor Craft Festival at the end of the year, after it was not hosted for the previous two years.

“We hope the HKK will be the first step towards a bigger event, which is the Johor Craft Festival, and a step towards helping local entrepreneurs generate income,” he added.

A total of 13 residents were chosen for the PPPK initiative, which aims to increase the number of highly skilled practitioners in the state.

Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation chose the participants as part of a career training campaign for those who were laid off as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since October of last year, he explained, they’ve all been assigned to six craft companies for six months.

PPPK, according to Mohd Ridzwan, also aims to assist practitioners in marketing their products.