LAURA ASHLEY KEEN ON MARKETING M'SIAN HANDICRAFT

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama)-- International retailing chain Laura
Ashley is keen to market Malaysian handicraft, said Malaysian Handicraft
Corporation's Promotions and Marketing Development director Ibrahim Ismail.

He said two representatives from the company, which is listed on the London
Stock Exchange, were in Malaysia to explore prospects of retailing some 300 new
handicraft items produced by 19 local handicraft entreprenuers.

"They are very impressed with our handicraft made from ceramics, forest
products and also our batik," he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Handicraft
Centre here Tuesday.

Malaysian handicraft are already being sold at Harrods of London.

In other developments, 84 handicraft items produced by 16 local
entreprenuers have also been selected to be exhibited at the Interior Lifestyle
exposition in Tokyo from June 3 to 5.

-- BERNAMA