“Samarahan Food and Cultural Festival 2025 (SFCF2025)” will be held from 21 to 29 November at Desa Ilmu Market Place in Kota Samarahan

The much awaited “Samarahan Food and Cultural Festival 2025 (SFCF2025)” will be held from 21 to 29 November at the Desa Ilmu Market Place in Kota Samarahan and the organisers are optimistic for it to become a signature tourism event which is capable of attracting visitors from across Samarahan and other divisions including Kuching. I have mentioned this to our media friends during the recent press conference held at Majlis Perbandaran Kota Samarahan (MPKS) and for a festival of this scale, the organisers may achieve around 250,000 visitors which is possible since it is bringing together Samarahan’s rich food and cultural heritage in a 10-day showcase.

The annual event would feature various traditional dishes and cultural elements from Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Bugis, Jawa and Chinese communities which will be a crowd puller considering Samarahan’s position as a residential and education hub. 

The festival is aimed to introduce the uniqueness of food and culture found in Samarahan. With so many ethnic groups here, the festival can feature traditions rarely seen elsewhere. Thus, the event also offers families a chance to enjoy different dishes without needing to cook at home throughout the festival period.

With support from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and local agencies, we believe the event will reflect Samarahan’s local identity and strengthen community participation. There will be nightly cultural performances would include Malay ‘bermukun’, ‘bertandak’ and ‘kompang’, Iban ‘gendang pampat’, Bugis cultural items and Chinese traditional arts. Cultural groups from Kelantan, Kedah and Melaka under UNIMAS’ cultural units would also be featured throughout the festival. Popular singers from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia — including Baby Shima, Baggio Damasutra, Mawat, Rickie Andrewson and Winnie Albert — would further enliven the event.

The public are invited to join the event which will enable them to see cultural elements beyond Sarawak through the participation of groups from Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. These cultural performances will help broaden cultural appreciation and strengthen Samarahan’s role as a gathering point for different traditions.

There are a number of exciting side activities which include Samarahan Idol, Fun Run, Cooking Competition, Pineapple Arrangement Contest, Aerobathon Challenge, Battle of the Bands and a three-hour Non-Stop Zumba session. The festival would also provide business opportunities for local food vendors and young entrepreneurs to expand their business exposure and develop their interest in food-based industries.

Thumbs up to the "Kamek Prihatin, Kitak Penting" outreach program organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Sarawak (KPWK)

Last weekend I had attended the "Kamek Prihatin, Kitak Penting" outreach program organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Sarawak (KPWK) which is part of our Sarawak Government's commitment to go to the ground with strategic partners to ensure that various services can be channeled directly to the local communities.

Our heartfelt thanks to Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Sarawak together with KPWK and Sarawak's Community Welfare Department and various agencies for organising the program in Asajaya district with the launching at Kampung Sebandi Ulu Community Hall.

Through the program, the various government's assistance and essential services are delivered directly to our local folks, thus fostering a spirit of togetherness and supporting the aspirations of Sarawak's Post-COVID-19 Development Plan (PCDS 2030).

The program also symbolizes our Sarawak Government's philosophy of going to the ground and reaching out to the local communities at large simply because it is more effective and have far reaching effects.

Our local folks are important and thus, it is important to bring services and information directly to them and such efforts are being done so that those who previously did not know about the assistance or services provided by government agencies and ministries can find out about it.

All eyes on the "Festival Seni Sarawak 2025 (FSS2025) held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)

This year’s “Festival Seni Sarawak (FSS2025)” had received overwhelming attention and supprt from our local folks. Many had come from throughout Kuching division, Samarahan, Serian, Sibu, Miri and Mukah just to attend the fusion, contemporary dance competition and traditional Malay songs contest. The event is at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) was organised by Majlis Seni Sarawak (MSS). Kudos to the organisers who had successfully curate another exciting cultural and performing arts event that had captivated the attention of our local folks including secondary school students and those from institutes Of higher learning.

The event is much welcomed by our Sarawak Government because it is important for sustaining rich cultural traditions in Sarawak while providing appropriate platforms for the preservation, talent development, community unity, and also tourism promotion. It is also good for our Cultural Preservation because it provides a suitable environment to practice, perform, document, and pass on traditional knowledge and art forms to younger generations, ensuring they are not forgotten to time. Such initiatives also help to keep the heritage alive and relevant in a modern world. 

The promotion of such events will also unearth new, young talent and offer emerging artists a platform to showcase their skills, fostering the next generation of performers and cultural ambassadors while fostering Cultural Appreciation and Identity among the target groups especially our young folks. By actively involving the various participants and audiences, it will deepen our society’s appreciation for the complexity and diversity of Sarawak's heritage. Thus, it will strengthen our rich cultural identity and a sense of belonging among the communities from various background.

It is also heartening for us to see the audience comprised of local folks coming from different ethnicities and background. The Sarawak Government through Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak will continue support the organising of cultural festivals and competitions that bring together people from diverse backgrounds, fostering unity, mutual respect, and understanding among Sarawak's multiracial society. They serve as social gatherings where communities can interact and share joy. 

These potential of organising colourful events such as the “Festival Seni Sarawak” will also attract the attention of both local and foreign visitors which in return has the potential in generating economic opportunities for local artists, practitioners, and the hospitality sector. Tourists are more attracted to visit us here to experience our local hospitality, culture, making these events valuable assets for the tourism industry.

Opening of "Sarawak Pavillion" at this year's World Travel Market (WTM) 2025 in London, UK

Once again, our  Sarawak Pavilion is expected to capture the attention of international visitors at this year’s “World Travel Market 2025 (WTM)” held at the ExCeL London Exhibition & Convention Centre, United Kingdom (UK) from 4 to 6 November. I was given the honour to grace the opening ceremony of the unique pavilion which also featured two of our major international initiatives, namely the “Gateway to a Sarawak – Guinness World Record” campaign and the “UNESCO Borneo Site Package”.

Through the “Gateway to a Sarawak – Guinness World Record” campaign, we are actively working to create a world record to attract global attention while celebrating the heritage and diverse attractions of the Land of the Hornbills. Through the “UNESCO Borneo Site Package” campaign, we are actively collaborating with our neighboring state through Sabah Tourism Board, which features natural and cultural treasures including Gunung Mulu National Park in Miri, Niah National Park and Sarawak Delta Geopark. 

A word of gratitude to all strategic partners who have also contributed to success of our Sarawak Pavilion which was also geared towards celebrating the forthcoming “Visit Malaysia Year 2026” (VMY2026) where together we can play a major role in shaping a notable international tourism narrative.

Sarawak to host the “International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference 2027”

It is truly an honour for us in Sarawak to host the “International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference” for the first time in 2027. Our appreciation to the International Council on Archives (ICA) for giving us  the hosting rights on behalf of the state during their recent “ICA Congress 2025” closing ceremony that was held in Barcelona, Spain. This will also be the second time for Malaysia to host an ICA event and the first time for Sarawak. 

Through the hosting of “ICA 2027” conference, Sarawak is set to showcase our commitment towards heritage preservation, cultural diversity, and digital transformation. The ICA Conference 2027 will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on November 1 to 5, with over 1,000 delegates from around the world, including government agencies, archival institutions, associations, policymakers, and academic leaders are expected to participate.

The prestigious international event will be co-organised by the Sarawak State Library, the National Archives of Malaysia, and the ICA. I was given the honour to receive the flag in a symbolic handover ceremony and it is an honour for us to contribute towards ICA’s mission is about carrying legacies forward. We hope the forthcoming conference will open new opportunities to develop more national and local collaborations on archives, so that the legacies we preserve today continue to inspire generations to come.

Through BE Sararawak efforts last year, Malaysia had succeeded in its bid to host the conference in Kuching backed by a strong multi-agency collaboration led by the Sarawak State Library and the National Archives of Malaysia, with the firm backing of both federal and Sarawak government agencies and universities.

Those contributing to the success were the Premier of Sarawak’s Office; Ministry of National Unity; Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts; BE Sarawak: Sarawak Tourism Board; Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau; Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarawak; Universiti Malaysia Sarawak; University of Technology Sarawak; and Sabah State Archives.