Minister promotes Sabah’s textile designer in Singapore

News Date:  August 11, 2024

Media : The Borneo Post

SINGAPORE (Aug 11): Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew was literally on the ground to promote Sabah’s Chanteek Borneo and its award-winning founder.

She did exactly that during the recent inaugural Borneo Fest 2024 held at the Marina Square, here.
“I am proud to introduce Anne Antah, Sabah’s very own textile designer who founded Chanteek Borneo.

Chanteek Borneo is a household word in Sabah. It produces a variety of textiles featuring Sabah’s ethnic motifs.

“We have brought Anne all the way from Sabah to showcase her exclusive fashionable wear and accessories for ladies and men. These are made with textiles designed by her,” Liew told the Singaporean audience.

Sabah, the second largest state in Malaysia, is home to 35 indigenous ethnic groups and 217 ethnic subgroups, she said.

Entrepreneurial Antah, a Sino-Kadazan, was pleasantly surprised and visibly shy when the minister called out her name, asking her to rise and be recognised, while delivering her opening speech.

When interviewed at her exhibition booth, she said: “Chanteek Borneo’s participation in this Borneo Fest was my maiden attempt, and I was not sure what to expect. So I brought a few fashion products like the cardigan, necktie and scarf but what became a hit among the visitors was the twilly.”

The multi-purpose twilly (or mini scarf) is a long and narrow scarf made of 100 per cent silk.
Antah demonstrated how versatile the twilly can be, showing that one can wear it in more ways than one.

“You can use it as a neck scarf or a hair accessory (hair band, hair ribbon, hair scarf or a hair tie). Some people use it as a bracelet or even as a wrap. Singaporeans call it bag tie because the scarf can be tied to the handle of a handbag,” she explained, adding that the twilly was selling well at the Borneo Fest.

According to the textile designer, the feedback from visitors to her booth was that the twilly is very colourful and vibrant.

“Singaporeans love the colours and presentation even though the textile prints are ethnic motifs. They were asking enthusiastically where to get the stock in Singapore and whether I would be coming for the next expo,” Antah said, while thanking the Sabah minister for her encouraging support. “I have yet to find a Singapore distributor for my products.”