Local Sabah Tea set of several flavours, a better door gift than imported products.
By CC Ping, J.P
Tokoh Wartawan Sabah and FT Labuan
I don’t remember me ever bothered with souvenirs or mementos given me for my miniscule roles in evnts, whether as a guest or as part of the organising.
But I began to doubt the wisdom (or the absence of it) when, despiite calls to ‘support Sabah products’ ringing all over the place, organisers of many activities were still handing out cheap ‘Made in China’ door gifts or expensive pewterware of Malayan origin.
Except for the cash transaction at the point of purchase, little or no part of the supply chain of these products benefited Sabah.
It was in that state of mind that I feel pleased to have received this genuinely Sabahan gift.
It’s a Sabah Tea set of several flavours.
The tea is grown and processed at the tea plantation of the same name located in the Ranau area.
The container the set came in is of a local native motif, made by natives with a kind of dried wild grass.
It’s as native Sabah as you can get. I can savour the tea and use the container for some knick knacks.
It’s value for money. If more event organisers could have more sense, it would mean a lot in promoting local products and in doing so also support and sustain local handicraft and enterprises.
This is one area where I find some dislocation between official pontificating and the allocation of govt resources.
The govt says it encourages micro enterprises but success has been few and far between because nobody but the govt could string together all the links in the value chain from raw materials to tech suppliers to entrepreneurs to market.
Editor: The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of talantang.com
