The National Craft Institute (IKN) is planning to develop an e-market system to promote and sell various Malaysian handicraft products, complete with information on their history and making process.

Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Ibrahim Ismail said the e-market system is vital to enable the Malaysian handicraft to compete with other handicraft products in the market.

“It is also hoped that the system will lure more people, especially among the younger generation to venture into handicraft-making industry and hence, bring the Malaysian handicraft to greater heights and into global markets,” he said when appearing as a panellist in Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme which discussed efforts to empower skilled and creative human capital.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim said that the IKN not only sells Malaysian handicraft products but also offers exposure to the public on the importance of the preservation and conservation of the products for the future generation.

“To encourage the public to appreciate and be proud of the Malaysian handicraft products, I think they could also be commercialised according to the current market demand.

“Maybe our handicraft entrepreneurs can come out with new designs for their products that could attract more people to buy it,” he added.

-- BERNAMA