MORE GOVT R&D TO DIVERSIFY SONGKET PRODUCTS

KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), Jan 17 (Bernama) -- The Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry will intensify research and development to diversify the products and uses of the songket (gold-thread) fabric, Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said Friday.

He said that besides being used for clothing, songket could also be
commercialised as a product of decoration at functions, offices and tourist
resorts.

"The commercialisation of machine-woven songket products is also important
to increase customer demand besides making the products affordable," he said.

"The ministry will set up more training centres to enable more young people
to enter the songket-weaving industry so as to keep the industry viable," he
told reporters after presenting incentives to songket-weaving entrepreneurs at
Kraftangan Malaysia in Chendering in this capital city of east coast state of
Terengganu.

Shafie said songket products would be exhibited at a textile craft fashion
show at Harrods in London in conjunction with the Malaysian Craft Promotion from
Feb 25 to March 28 this year.
-- BERNAMA