Kota kinabalu: Forty women in Sabah are turning traditional ethnic motifs into a source of income after completing training as Mama JaRum (seamstresses) under an SME Corp Malaysia initiative.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, SME Corp chairman Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok stated that the project, which falls under the Inclusive Business Value Chain Development (IB-VCDI) initiative, was conducted from April 15 last year until May 14 this year. The initiative aimed to elevate micro-enterprises to a higher level. Dompok highlighted that this effort not only creates jobs but also strengthens the rural economy. These remarks were made during the closing of the Inclusive Business Sabah Ethnic Design Project, which was also attended by SME Corp CEO Rizal Nainy.

Through a collaboration with Chanteek Borneo, the women’s handiwork is set to be marketed for the tourism sector. The first batch of participants has already earned RM112,103 in sewing wages. Anne Antah, managing director of Chanteek Borneo, mentioned that the participants, hailing from Tuaran, Tamparuli, Penampang, and Kota Kinabalu, will continue working with the company for another four years. The aim is to introduce Borneo’s culture to the world through innovative, world-class crafts.

Antah emphasized that with Mama JaRum, they are not just preserving Sabah’s ethnic patterns but stitching their identity into products that reflect their cultural heritage.