Official opening of the iconic Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum

Members of the public and also visitors can now visit the newly opened Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum at Jalan Masjid, Kuching which will boost the tourism attraction within our city and Sarawak. The new museum is also part of our Government’s efforts under its Third Sarawak Tourism Master Plan to increase tourist arrivals from 4.6 million to 12.7 million. 

With such visitors’ turnout, we are hoping for the tourism industry to generate an estimated RM50 billion in economic returns by 2035. Thus, the opening of the Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum will certainly further enrich Sarawak’s portfolio of tourism destinations because it is filled with unique and engaging exhibits. The facility itself is over 100 years old and is expected to attract an extraordinary number of visitors, comparable to the impressive record achieved by Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM). 

Such initiative also supports the Sustainable and Responsible Tourism thrust, which focuses on nurturing social values through heritage preservation, encouraging cultural sharing, and promoting data-driven scientific thinking. We hope it will produce a generation of Sarawakians with strong cognitive foundations, ready to face the challenges of the modern world and capable of competing at the global level by the year 2030. 

The transformation of Brooke Dockyard into an industrial heritage museum was a high-impact initiative carried out in phases from 2020 to 2025, involving a total cost of approximately RM46.7 million. It is through this transformation, the well known Brooke Dockyard, which is the oldest and highly iconic shipyard in Malaysia, has taken on a new look in which it has shifted from an industrial site into a living archive showcasing the impact of the Industrial Revolution in Sarawak for present and future generations.

It showcases a collection of heavy machinery and equipment that once powered the dockyard’s daily operations, as well as unique engineering structures found in a dry dock including a replica of His Highness’ Yacht (HHY) Zahora that had previously symbolised the grandeur of the Brooke administration era. We thanked our right honourable Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg for having graced the official opening ceremony.

Possible postponement of the 22nd Malaysia Games (SUKMAXXII) due to Middle East crisis

Recently there were news on the possible postponement of the 22nd edition of the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) and Sarawak will abide by as well as respect of any decision made by the organisers on this matter. Our media friends had seek my comments after the Sultan of Selangor, had called for the games in Selangor to be postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the West Asia. The proposal made by the Sultan of Selangor had involved a postponement rather than a cancellation, taking into account the current uncertain situation.

In Sarawak, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) had not received any official decision from the Selangor Government or the Federal’s Ministry of Youth and Sports on the matter because it was informed through social media and news reports. We will abide by the decision to be made by Selangor even though Sarawak has made thorough preparations for the sporting event, including financial commitments as well as training preparations for athletes locally and abroad, in addition to efforts to inspect accommodation sites.

For the record, the hosting of this year’s SUKMA will involve nine districts in Selangor, so Sarawak have already conducted ground visits to all the locations to assess and determine suitable accommodation, including homestays, for the contingent. Although there would be disappointment if SUKMA2026 is postponed, the priority should be given to a collective decision that takes into account the current global situation.

Of course, we feel disappointed as a lot of effort and preparation has been made, but we leave it to the federal government, the Selangor state government, and the KBS to make the best decision. The Sultan of Selangor had also decreed that postponing the event would also be appropriate until the redevelopment of Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed. The organising of this year’s SUKMA by Selangor Government had required very high allocation

Kuching City to host 50th edition of Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP)

It gives us great pleasure to announce that Kuching will host the 50th edition of the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) on January 19 and 20, 2027. We were given the honour to become host the international programme which will bring youth from across Asia Pacific to our city. 

We welcome the programme which will enable the international participants to take part in local activities and meet our community leaders. Generally, the cruise ship has three ports of call whereby the participants will be taking part in youth programmes and pay courtesy calls to local leaders in the respective locations. In the past, the cruise has stopped at Port Klang in Selangor, Johor, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Kuantan in Pahang. 

Next year, it will be the first time the programme is held in Kuching, Sarawak.  I have announced these to our media friends during the press conference held at Baitul Makmur 2 Building after the courtesy visit by the Director General of Federal Youth and Sports Department (JBS), Puan Azura Abidin.

The SSEAYP is an annual, Japanese government-sponsored exchange programme initiated in 1974 to foster friendship and international cooperation among youth from Japan and ten ASEAN nations. Next year’s cruise will visit three ports — Cambodia, Malaysia (Kuching) and the Philippines — with cultural programmes, youth activities and leadership engagements at each stop. 

The planning of next year’s event is still ongoing, with a year to finalise itineraries, venues, welcoming ceremonies and participation details. We will set up a coordination committee to decide who will attend dinners, who will welcome the participants and which places will be visited by youth leaders from ASEAN and Japan. It will be discussed in upcoming meetings.

We are also expecting 211 youths aged 18 to 30 from 10 ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, to take part with the Japanese government is expected to fund the programme, while logistical costs at the port of call in Kuching will be jointly supported with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS). The organisers had expressed hope for a lively reception in Kuching and look forward to the attendance of Sarawak’s Premier for the official launching ceremony. 

Also present during the press conference were our Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) permanent secretary ,Dzulkornain Masron, SSEAYP International Malaysia (KABESA) president Datuk Che Muhamad Nordin Ismail and deputy president Dato Juhari Janan

Promising prospects of collaboration between Sarawak and FC Barcelona football club of Spain

Sarawak is working towards collaborating with FC Barcelona of Spain on sports development and we are hoping to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the renowned European football club soon. I have mentioned to our media friends that we are working on it, and I do hope that it will end with some kind of collaboration between Barcelona and Sarawak.

They (FC Barcelona) had expressed interest in working with Sarawak when he met the club's management during an official visit to Barcelona last year.  Any potential collaboration would go beyond football, as Catalonia - the Spanish state where Barcelona is located - had an integrated sports ecosystem. It will be about the development of sport, and we like the idea. Coaches, young footballers and young athletes could be sent there or come here from there.

I have disclosed these information when meeting our media friends after the courtesy visit by the Federal Youth and Sports Department (JBS) delegation led by the director general, Puan Azura Abidin who was in Kuching City recently to attend the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSYEAP) International Conference Borneo.

A few interesting matters of mutual interest are being formulated into the proposed MOU and I hope to see it materialise. Entering a strategic partnership with FC Barcelona will bring positive impacts on Sarawak's sports development efforts including alleviating the standards among our athletes, coaches and also officials.

Founded in 1899 FC Barcelona  or popularly known as "Barça") is a Catalan-based club that has become a global football icon, and is actually owned by its supporters. Among the world renown footballers in the football club are Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Pep Guardiola to name a few.

Addressing the issue on athletes' selection for the forthcoming 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) for mutual benefits

The forthcoming 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) will be held in August and many states have already making preparations including athletes’ selection which may include those who are not representing their home states. For our contingent, I have given the assurance that athletes will not face any discrimination or be barred from competitions simply because they choose to represent a state other than Sarawak.

I have mentioned this to the media recently and actually, there are some Sarawakian athletes who have opted to compete for other states due to prior commitments or specific allowances received. If things cannot be worked out at that level, then there’s not much we can do. But we will not victimize or stop any athletes just because they do not want to be with us.

We will not kill off their career. We have to be fair to them. With regards to disputes over athlete representation, the responsibility to resolve these lies primarily with the individual sports associations. I have also acknowledged the challenges we face faces on athletes’ representation because some athletes who were developed and groomed by Sarawak represent other states, while some athletes from other states compete for Sarawak.

We do get feedbacks on athletes who have been with us for a few years. We are the ones who identify, groom, and expose them, but they come from another state.

Sometimes these athletes are already at a level that can guarantee gold medals, and the other states are not very happy about. I have also added that before SUKMA commences, there are usually a period when such issues are discussed and resolved amicably, with consideration given to the welfare and progression of the athletes.

The welfare and progression of the athletes are always taken into account. We look into who developed the athlete, and if it is us who are responsible on it, then the athletes should represent us, even if they are not permanent residents or considered Sarawakians.