The Sarawak Craft Council Bill (SCC) 2023 plays a crucial role in safeguarding the intellectual property rights of Sarawak’s craft products, including traditional designs and motifs, according to Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“We are going global right now, and we want to register them as intellectual property, as we have seen the motifs in our songket and pua kumbu, which are very special and integral to our identity,” he said during a press conference following the second reading of the bill at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
Abdul Karim added, “We do not want Sarawak’s products to be plagiarised by individuals from other places.”
The minister also stated that over RM22 million worth of crafts were sold last year, and further revenue growth is anticipated.
Responding to suggestions to enhance the promotion of Sarawak abroad, Abdul Karim agreed to the proposal of constructing additional craft centres throughout the state.
Regarding tourist arrivals, he said that despite the initial target of three million tourists for this year, he believes the state will surpass this goal.
“Since April of this year, 1.2 million visitors have come to Malaysia, and this is not the end of the year yet. I believe we can achieve at least four million visitors by December, which means an additional one million from our initial target.”
