Sarawak showcases heritage-based creativity at INACRAFT 2026
- BT
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
JAKARTA, 4 February 2026: Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Jakarta International Handicraft Trade Fair (INACRAFT), which was held earlier today at the Jakarta International Convention Centre (JICC) and officiated by Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsyal.
INACRAFT 2026 is being held at the JICC between February 4 to 8, 2026, under the theme ‘From Smart Village to Global Market: Exploring and Celebrating Womenpreneurs in Craft’, highlighting the role of creative enterprises in cultural preservation, sustainable community development and entrepreneurship empowerment, especially for women artisans.
The Sarawak official delegation was led by Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Datuk Snowdan Lawan and included the CEO of the Sarawak Craft Council, Suriya Charles, Acting CEO of the Sarawak Arts Council, Awang Ikman bin Awang Sepian, Deputy Director of Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara, Rudzaimer Malek, together with Sarawak Craft Council Board members and Kraftangan Malaysia (Sarawak). Consul Jenderal of Indonesia in Kuching Bapak Dr Abdullah Zulkifli and Ibu Irma Zulkifli together with senior officers also accompanied the Sarawak delegation.
At INACRAFT 2026, Sarawak’s artisans showcased their creative and distinctive products at Sarawak’s dedicated booth under the Asia Pacific Craft Alliance Pavilion, which was officiated by Datuk Snowdan Lawan. During the opening, Datuk Snowdan Lawan expressed strong appreciation for INACRAFT’s theme, noting that it closely aligns with Sarawak’s strategic priorities in strengthening heritage-based creative industries.
“Sarawak views creativity and heritage craft as important drivers of inclusive economic growth, heritage safeguarding and sustainable tourism. INACRAFT 2026’s theme reflects Sarawak’s ongoing commitment to empowering creative communities, especially women artisans and local producers, to access wider markets while safeguarding cultural identity and traditional knowledge,” said Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
He also highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation in the creative industry, emphasising that internationally recognised events such as INACRAFT serve as important platforms for collaboration among ASEAN creative hubs, artisans, government agencies, and private sector partners. Such engagements contribute to digital transformation, productivity enhancement, and global competitiveness, which are priorities central to Sarawak’s tourism and creative industry development strategies.
Sarawak delegation also engaged with industry stakeholders and visited curated exhibits featuring traditional and contemporary craft expressions, digital showcases and sustainable design innovations.
