Sabak Bernam artisan Aminah Naim, however, has almost six decades of experience in this craft. As a result, she can laugh and chat as she works, her hands moving with swift, skillful strokes as she weaves a mat.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 16. I picked it up from my late mother, who used to work in the paddy fields. At night, she would cut mengkuang. I didn’t go to school, so I would stay at home and weave while looking after my three siblings,” Aminah, 74, told FMT Lifestyle.
Aminah has made a living most of her life by creating handicrafts such as mats, food covers, and baskets. Her most popular items, however, are wide-brimmed hats, which locals wear while working in paddy fields or vegetable gardens.
“Previously, I used to make handbags, tissue boxes, specially woven hats. We would take them to Teluk Batik in Perak and sell them. They used to sell for very cheap then. People from the beaches would buy them, they said my crafts were great souvenirs,” Aminah reminisced with a smile.
Aminah’s prowess at this craft has earned her the nickname ‘Aminah Mengkuang’. In person, she is good-natured and friendly, answering questions with a smile and natural wit.
Most of Aminah’s crafts are made in her workshop, at her home in the village of Kampung Parit Enam here. Aminah would often spend about four to five hours a day weaving every day. On average, she was able to make RM300 a month.
Customers usually stop by her house to pick up their orders, and her wares are sometimes sold at events. Aminah fondly recalls last year’s Ambang Merdeka event in Shah Alam, where she sold about 60 hats. Occasionally, she is invited to demonstrate her craft to tourists as part of agro-tourism activities in Sabak Bernam.
It’s not the easiest way to make a living, but she has done well for herself. Her crafts have helped Aminah support her eight children through school, especially after her husband, a farmer, passed away in 2008.
Her family is doing well now: one of her children is a factory worker, another is a teacher, and another a lorry driver, she said with pride. Aminah even managed to make it to Mecca with the proceeds of her sales.
This time-honoured skill, however, is in danger of dying out: according to Tourism Selangor, Aminah is the last mengkuang weaver in Sabak Bernam. According to her, none of her children have expressed an interest in following in her footsteps.
“Most people don’t know how to do this nowadays. Even when I invite them to learn it, they turn me down, saying it will hurt their hands, they don’t have the dedication, and so on. Yes, it’s not an easy craft. But for me, it’s a daily routine, it’s how I earn a living,” Aminah said.
Aminah currently has one apprentice under her wing: it will take a while, however, for her to be sufficiently trained.
It’s also currently the rainy season: according to Aminah, this is a difficult time for business, and she has not been weaving much since. While she is still in relatively good health now, age has slowed down her output, and the old woman is unable to make as many products as she used to.
Nevertheless, with the help of her children, and the work she can still do, Aminah is determined to keep on going. She is very grateful to everyone who has supported her over the years.
“Thank you to all the kind people who have bought my products, and helped me make a living. May God grant you long life and make all your affairs smooth and easy,” she said.