Abstract:

Songket, a rich luxurious ceremonial fabric woven at one time for the exclusive use of the royalty, is today the fabric exclusively for use at weddings and state functions. As a traditional cultural heritage, the hand-made crafts of the Malays is now at stake with the wave of technological innovation embraced around the globe. The industrial machine made songket is widely sold and could hardly be differentiated by the end customers. The government is struggling for perpetuating this aesthetic heritage so that it stays to be relevant. This article reports a study on the role of a government agency in the development of songket  industry in Malaysia. It focuses on the various assistance and support programs held by the agency in helping to uplift the social and economic status of woman-dominated cottage industry in a Terengganu, Malaysia. Utilising qualitative case study methods, the research provides an understanding of issues the entrepreneurs faced in producing and marketing songket and offers insights on the role of government agency in helping thriving this long standing cottage industry. The findings of this study showed that the factors which contributed to the success of the cottage-based entrepreneurs include individual factors, strong sense of passion for the unique songket art and support by the government. A number of government support programs have been identified and discussed in the light of sustaining this unique art of Malay heritage.