The parang (machete)?both weapon and a working tool?has long been hand-made by the Bajau of Kota Belud for generations.
Malaysia is a country consisting of various cultures and traditions yet to be explored. The local people in Malaysia are especially particular with their preservation of their local traditions, in which many of these traditional skills are being passed down to the future generations. Due to the fact that Malaysia is currently a developing country, it might be tricky for one to locate the exact place to witness for him/herself the uniqueness of these traditional skills.
Sabah is a state in Malaysia which consists of various traditional skills which are still well-preserved by the local people. If you are interested with some of the traditional skills practiced by the local people in Sabah, perhaps you can head on to the Kampung Siasai (aka Siasai village) in Kota Belud to witness the whole process of parang making for yourself.
The art of parang making had been implemented by the local people for a very long time. For them, parang is not only a weapon, but it is also a working tool to help them ease their workload in their daily lifestyles. Thus, the importance of parang making is emphasized by the local people to ensure that the quality of the parang being crafted is able to help them achieve what they want in the end of the day. Upon visiting the Kampung Siasai, you will obtain the opportunity to learn more about the ancient and unique skills used by the local people for parang making.