Yayasan Hasanah, the impact-based foundation of Khazanah Nasional, is bringing Malaysia’s endangered heritage crafts into the spotlight at CIMB Art & Soul Artober 2025. From 26 – 28 September 2025, the public is invited to Hall 1, Booth D9 at MITEC Kuala Lumpur to immerse themselves in living traditions — through live demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and opportunities to bring home lifestyle products reimagined from heritage textiles. Admission is free.
This marks Yayasan Hasanah’s third consecutive year at CIMB Artober, reflecting its mission to champion heritage not just as memory, but as a living part of our daily lives.
“From Kelantan, Sarawak, Terengganu, and Sabah — we bring artisans of Kelingkan, Keringkam, Telepuk and Kain Dastar as a testament to the potential of our heritage in the mainstream: to keep it alive and to reintroduce it to the Malaysian public,” said Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, Trustee & Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah. “Many of us were not familiar with these art forms until we began supporting them. Today, we take pride in sharing these once almost-lost crafts with everyday Malaysians. Arts and heritage live within us; they are part of us — not tucked away in documentation only.”
As part of its broader arts and heritage mission, Yayasan Hasanah — in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance — provides vital grant opportunities through the Hasanah Special Grant (HSG), the Hasanah Social Enterprise Fund (HSEF), and Arts for All Seasons (ArtsFAS), the nation’s largest arts and culture grant. The HSEF, in particular, strengthens the role of social enterprises — positioning artisans not as beneficiaries, but as entrepreneurs who are innovating, building markets, and sustaining livelihoods.
Alongside these, Yayasan Hasanah also contributes to the ecosystem such as the Hasanah Gold Threads Awards (HGTA), which celebrates Malaysia’s excellence in heritage textiles, and fellowship programmes that help artisans expand their horizons and strengthen their capacity on the international stage.
Siti Kamariah continues: “For us, support must empower, not create dependency. Over the past decade, we are proud to have seen artisans and creative practitioners grow with the skills, connections, and capital to stand tall on their own. Our hope is that they not only succeed, but also carry these crafts forward with confidence into the hands of future generations — and we’re already seeing that happen today.”
