Press & Reviews

The Star - Thursday, 25 January 2007

Mengkuang weaving set to be a big draw at market

MENGKUANG weaving demonstrations at Little Penang Street Market on Upper Penang Road on the last Sunday of this month is set to be a hit among visitors.

Little Penang Street Market director Ambiga Devy said mengkuang weaving was a rare trade in Penang.

“Two mengkuang weaving ex-perts from Terengganu are coming here to demonstrate their skills.

“We are confident it will be a hit, we are expecting to attract people by the thousands,” she said, adding that the flea market is held on the last Sunday of every month from 10am to 6pm at Upper Penang Road.

More than 60 vendors will be present at the market.

Delightful items: (From left) Ambiga, Urban Creatures artists Lim Chun Woei and Tan Wei Ming and Paridah showing their pieces to be sold.

Initiated in July last year, the once-a-month flea mar- ket promotes contemporary art and design, cultural diversity, and environment conserva- tion awareness.

“We have also added the kolam (designs on the ground using rice flour) making demonstration in conjunction with Thaipusam,” she said.

Hindu Sangam Gelugor local council secretary Vasudavan Sinaiyah said the free kolam making de-monstration would start from 10.30am onwards.

“Our members will be there to show how to make beautiful and colourful kolam using rice flour and coloured rice,” he said.

Another cultural activity lined up for the day is the writing of Chinese calligraphic spring couplets for Chinese New Year.

Ambiga said a young calligrapher would help those interested in making special calligraphic wishing cards expressing peace, prosperity, and other New Year wishes.

“Visitors can also bring their own cards and ask the artist to write on it for a small fee,” said Ambiga.

The flea market also attracts contemporary artists Urban Crea-tures and pea bag maker Paridah Mokhsin.

Urban Creatures specialise in making weird-looking tiny dolls in cages. They also design T-shirts. The prices of their goods ranges from RM35 to RM55.

Paridah, a housewife, makes colourful handbags made of cloths.

“I have special names of each type of bag. I have designed a bag named after the late artiste Saloma.

“Why go for fake branded bags when you can have original Malaysian-made pea bags?” she said, adding that the bags cost between RM40 and RM50 each.

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