The Malaysian Insight

THE graceful curves and intricate carvings on the “labu sayong” were once the pride of Perak, where even today, visitors to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar are greeted by a giant replica of the gourd-shaped earthen water vessels.

But as demand for the hand-crafted pots dips and the cost of production rises, the “labu sayong” is a cause of anxiety, not delight, for its vendors today.

One such vendor, Kamarudin Matani, 39, inherited his “labu sayong” craft shop from his parents but fears he may one day be forced to give it up in order to survive.

“Sales here are really low. Before GST was introduced, the purchasing power was higher. In one day, I could get RM300, now I’m not even sure of RM20,” he told The Malaysian Insight outside his shop at Tepian Sungai Perak. 

“I really hope the authorities give us support, have programmes that bring up the labu sayong industry.

“This is the pride of Perak, especially Kuala Kangsar. 

“Don’t let it die. This is a Malay craft from generations before,” he said.

Modernised, but still a hard-sell

For 56-year-old Hayati Alang Othman, despite modernising the designs and functionality of the clay pots, recent sales are the worst in her 30 years as a labu sayong seller.

“We have modernised the labu sayong, now there’s all sorts. There are lamps, containers.

“But still, no matter how creative, the purchasing power is not in their hands,” she said.

Hayati said the local government should build up the tourism industry in Kuala Kangsar to attract foreign tourists.

“We have a workshop in our own house now, because we don’t need to make many as nobody is buying,” she said.

Zulkifly Amir Hashim, 52, said he tries to employ a modern approach to marketing his wares, such as social media and creating a website for his shop.

Zulkifly even conducts demonstrations at his shop, allowing visitors to see and participate in the process of making the labu sayong.

Still, business has not picked up.

Apart from lamenting the lack of national-level appreciation of labu sayong, he slammed Umno and other Malay leaders for failing to be good role models in the promotion of the pots, which he said is a true Malay craft.

“Labu sayong is not some foreign invention from another Asian country or Europe. It’s a Malay invention.

“Why don’t they take care of what is produced by Malays, when they can say they are fighting for the Malays?” he said.

“I’ll be honest. When there’s the Umno assembly, there’s no labu sayong for souvenirs, I just see them using metal trinkets, or the ‘keris’.” – March 18, 2018