Traditional water pitchers known as labu sayong continue to be loved in this day and age, thanks to constant promotional efforts by the cottage industry. INTAN BAHA writes
WHILE other children their age are glued to the games and videos on their tablets, siblings Iman Nuha Mohd Pareb, 9, and Iman Huda, 6, are perfecting their pottery skills.
Sitting comfortably behind the potter’s wheel at Kz Kraf in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, the siblings amaze visitors as they display their craftsmanship in shaping the traditional water container known as the labu sayong.
“Since I was small, I have watched my father at the workshop.
“He would give me a small piece of a clay for me to play and I would imitate his actions,” said the soft-spoken Iman Nuha.
“I learnt how to use the potter’s wheel under my father’s guidance when I was 4. It took a while, but my father helped me develop my skills in making this handicraft.”
She said visitors who came and watched her giving demonstrations at the workshop included kindergarten children and primary school pupils.
Their father, Mohd Pareb Zamari, said the centre received local and foreign tourists every day.
“Most of the foreign visitors are from Europe. They would come and have a look and some would record videos during the demonstration sessions.
“They find it interesting to see how labu sayong is produced.
“If we receive large orders from customers, we use moulds to speed up the process,” he said.
Pareb said it was during his father, Zamari @ Zamri Pandak Ahmad’s, time that the family’s workshop was recognised by Malaysia Handicraft Development Corporation.
“My father raised his four children with what he earned from making labu sayong.
“He was so popular in the area that he was later appointed as labu sayong ‘guru’ by Malaysia Handicraft and was stationed at Enggor.”
There, his father served as the “guru” or teacher for 19 years, before retiring in 2002.
Pareb said he used to help his father at their workshop when he was 7, especially during the process of “baking” the labu sayong.
From there, he slowly learnt how to make the labu — extracting and pounding the clay, sifting it into fine powder and mixing it with water, before the shaping process begins.
While his late father was busy with his responsibilities as one of the Malaysia Handicraft staff, Pareb perfected his skills by helping his uncle at their old workshop to gain experience and knowledge.
After he married Rafizah A’ilyan Abd Razak in 2006, he decided to open a new workshop to focus solely on the business.
He officially took over the business from his late father in 2000 after he finished school.
Pareb’s work was recognised by Malaysia Handicraft and he would occasionally be invited to trade fairs and exhibitions worldwide to promote his business.
His first international exhibition was at Tokyo Big Sight in 2009 where he brought samples of products and terracotta.
“The exhibition opened my eyes to the business opportunities in the international market,” he said, adding that the other trade fairs and exhibitions he participated in were in France, the United States, Japan and Germany.
Recognised as a legacy company that produces labu sayong and ceramic traditionally, with a technique known as picit tangan, Kz Kraf is now in its third generation.
The family business has been around for more than 100 years.
Pareb has managed to take the labu sayong business to another level now that the company and its products are well-known at the international level.
Apart from labu sayong, the workshop also sells vases, lamps and other clay- and ceramic-based souvenirs.
The latest additions are porcelain products, the first in the village.
“According to my late grandfather, Pandak Ahmad Kulop Ahmad, before the palace moved to its current location at Istana Iskandariah, Bukit Chandan, it was located here in our village, Kampung Kepala Bendang.
“This was the administration centre and labu sayong was the main product in this area,'” said Pareb.
The traditional water container got its name from the area, Sayong.
It was believed that the community was inspired by the shape of a gourd to store water.
As it was made from clay, the water tasted better and could be kept cool.
Its potable size made it popular with hunters and travellers.
Pareb said labu sayong was a popular cottage industry in the area.
In Sayong village alone, there are 99 active labu sayong and ceramic business owners.
“What sets Kz Kraf apart from other family businesses in the village are the demonstration sessions for the tourists,” he said.
Pareb was awarded the Perak Tourism Award in 2012 and named winner for the Ceramic Category in 2014.
At the recent Umno General Assembly in the Putra World Trade Centre, Pareb took part in the exhibition where his products were available for sale.
He hopes to pass the business to his children, having seen their passion and interest in making labu sa-yong from an early age.
“To run the company smoothly in the future, I have to address the challenges now, because a new set of challenges awaits them in the future,” he said.
Pareb urged business owners not to be too complacent in their comfort zone in order to succeed.
“Go out, get more exposure and challenge yourself with different products.
“Never forget Allah and always be grateful for His sustenance. It is important to do your work sincerely.”