Current state + solutions from the challenges

 Nowadays, everything is online. Including buying and selling labu sayong. Easy. 

    However, the process of packing, making sure it does not break during the shipment process is so hard and it takes a lot of time. As well as faith (during the shipment). During the interview session, Cik Nor told that there are still a lot of people who came by his shop to peep or see and sometimes buy the labu sayong. Roughly about 15 labu sayong is sold in a month. But in this pandemic situation, less of that was sold. It is mainly because no freedom to travel between states.

    There are some organizations that currently help to preserve the labu sayong knowledge which is the Pusat Kemajuan Kraftangan Negara and Institute Kraf Negara.

Pusat Kemajuan Kraftangan Negara helps the seller by promoting labu sayong not just by locally but onto a national level. They encourage progress, commercialize it through the bigger markets and help entrepreneurs by providing online skills as nowadays, everything is online.

                                                       Pusat Kemajuan Kraftangan Negara 

              While Institut Kraf Negara provides various skills for the youth. They can pursue studies on pottery making if they are interested. For example, they can take a Diploma in Seni Kraf Seramik, Seni Kraf Batik, and other arts as well. Efforts to preserve this heritage knowledge should be continuously done so it would not be forgotten especially by the younger generations.

Challenges on preserving labu sayong knowledge

While researching and interviewing Cik Nor, the Adiguru Kraf, there are mainly 2 challenges that he addressed. Firstly, the lack of public awareness and publicity. The second is the younger generation is not aware of this indigenous knowledge.

Lack of public awareness and publicity. We know that labu sayong is used to store water on a daily basis by the older people in old times. However, in this globalization era, the number of users is decreasing because its functions have been taken over by modern solutions such as refrigerators which can keep any food and drink cool all the time, with the help of electricity. Also, the aesthetic value of traditional pottery now is less appreciated by the public thus resulting in less demand for this product.

Besides that, it is difficult to pass on this traditional knowledge to the younger generation as they are becoming more interested in Western culture. Labu sayong is considered outdated. Not only it considered as outdated, but the thought of its process where it requires high skills has also made youth show disinterest in the knowledge. The process is true, a tedious job. This could jeopardize its continued existence. 

Importance of preserving labu sayong knowledge

These are some of the importance of preserving Malay indigenous knowledge, Labu sayong. This knowledge should be safeguarded as it is very unique and special.

1. TRADITIONAL HERITAGE

It is believed that pottery-production has started by the Malays thousand of years ago. This traditional heritage must be kept alive as it is one of the evidence from the history of Malay civilization. It is irrefutable evidence of the origins of the primal communities referred to as the Malays.

2. NATIONAL IDENTITY

As we all know, a pottery-making was introduced by Tuk Muluk, a “migrant” from Sumatra. This means we should understand that the people of Sumatra, which is Sumatra Malays shared a common identity, ancestry, and ethnicity with the peninsular.

3. REDUCE INVENTION OF PLASTICS

Nowadays, the usage of pottery products has been declining due to the increase of plastics products. We should attract back the society in using the pottery products, such as labu sayong. It can reduce the invention of plastics which is good.