VISION

We would like to see that traditional Sarawakian craft survives this generation; so that the next generation will be able to reap enjoyment of, and benefit from, the craft of their forefathers.

MISSION

For whatever remnants of artisanal skills which remain with us today, these are to be nurtured and progressed so that craft shall have the opportunity to thrive again.

  • For rural and remote villagers to be activated by craft, and skills within these communities be monetised.
  • For viable careers to be developed and vibrant ecosystems to be established around heritage craft.
  • For the local craft industry to have the opportunity to contribute to the economy and to international trade.

Our Story

Tanoti Sdn Bhd is a congregation of Sarawakian women weavers and artisans dedicated towards the production, promotion and proliferation of hand-crafted fabrics. This continuously-growing community of craftswomen had its origins in a research and development workshop set up by a foundation established by Her Royal Highness the Queen of Malaysia in 2008, the Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

The workshop was privatised in 2012 pursuant to a restructuring exercise undertaken by the foundation. Tanoti aims to make good the vision of the foundation, that is to improve lives and livelihoods of womenfolk and rural communities through the ancient art of songket weaving.

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Our Logo

  • Tanoti’s logo embraces our core value, of doing the best work we can in honouring the purity of craftsmanship of our ancestors. The gold and silver are hallmark colours deployed onto fabric, expressed as crossed arcs facing each other. By our logo, we mean that whatever you see in the front of the cloth, the same beauty is experienced on its back

Atelier History

2012

Assumed the songket weaving workshop of the former Queen of Malaysia, with 13 artisans.

2014

First collaboration with UNIMAS to develop the basketry craft of Long Lamai. Coilings, a product from this project, was recipient of the World Craft Council Award of Excellence in Handicraft 2016

2016

Extended reach with remote communities through collaboration with WWF-Malaysia, undertaking our Penan craft development initiative on 18 Penan villages in the Kubaan Puak area. In 2019, these Kubaan Puak settlements were acknowledged as an Emerging Craft Community For Basketry Craft by the State Government.

2017

Engaged with further remote villages to develop their crafts potential and access further markets.

2018

Commenced export of craft products to Europe (Germany) and USA

2019

Accredited as a Social Enterprise by Ministry of Entrepreneur Development Malaysia, and approved by Ministry of Finance Malaysia.

2020

COVID19 lockdown presented an opportunity for Tanoti to step up. Tanoti raised funds and initiated a large scale crowd-sourced PPE sewing project to supply PPE to COVID19 centres and health facilities, to address the issue of critical levels of PPE stocks across Sarawak and Sabah.

2021

The rising cost of living in remote communities and the unregulated disposal of household wastes in rural and remote locations had led Tanoti to undertake a Cloth Diaper Project to address both issues. Tanoti designed and prototyped our own cloth diaper product and had it certified as safe for use. Thereafter, our network of 87 home-sewists collectively produced a total of 40,000 cloth diapers which we had distributed to 5,000 underserved families in remote settlements throughout Sarawak. We followed through with a Cloth Maternity Pad project where 4,000 pads were produced and delivered to maternity wards across Sarawak for distribution to postpartum mothers in need.

2023

Launched the inaugural Hasanah Gold Threads Awards, a nation-wide competition which celebrates excellence in Malaysian heritage textiles. Tanoti produced the second edition of the awards in 2024, with a total of 38 prizes been awarded across 6 categories of textiles.

2024

Produced Dreamweaver The Musical, a live musical production about weavers, incorporating handwoven songket as props and in the costumes, and featuring actual weavers in the ensemble. The musical was staged in Kuching with an unprecedented 20-show run. On the back of positive reviews, an improved version of the musical travelled to Kuala Lumpur in 2025 and performed 3 shows at PJPAC.

2025

Initiated Project Craft Connections to introduce co-creation between professional designers and community artisans. Received the Cultural and Heritage Legacy Excellence Award at the Malaysia Social Enterprise Awards 2025 by KUSKOP, in conjunction with World Social Enterprise Day. Our Founder Dato’ Jacqueline Fong was conferred the Sarawak Premier’s Award For Women Social Entrepreneurship.

2026

Launched the inaugural Borneo Interwoven, a five-day gathering of stakeholders of material traditions.

The Tanoti Community

The Tanoti community stands rooted in our pursuit of heritage preservation, women empowerment and rural community building. From our core team at Tanoti House to all our partners in the various communities across our work areas, we share a common mission – which is to ensure that traditional methods continue to thrive and their owners be continuously empowered to elevate their lives with these ancestral knowledge and skills.

Impact Area

Kuching · Ulu Tutoh · Ulu Baram
Belaga · Ulu Kapit · Mukah
Jagoi · Samarahan · Lundu
Serian · Asajaya · Padawan · Bako

Accreditations

  • Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperation

    Tanoti Sdn Bhd is an accredited
    Social Enterprise under the Malaysian Ministry of

    Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives.

    Ref No.: 2022/00003

  • Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation

    Tanoti Sdn Bhd products are accredited as

    Malaysian Craft Products.

    Community ID: 13-1-272