Abdul Karim: Ministry to provide funding for International Serian Bike Week

March 3, 2019

Abdul Karim sits astride a big bike, flanked by Riot on his left and John, and others at the launch of the 1st International Serian Bike Week.

SERIAN: The cost of organising the International Serian Bike Week will be included in the budget of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports next year.

Its minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he would allocate some fund for the event, hoping to turn it into an annual activity in Serian.

He believed that the International Serian Bike Week deserves some funding from his ministry because it has something to do with tourism, youths and sports.

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He said although the organiser did not come to see him to request for funding, he would give them RM30,000 from his ministerial grant to cover the cost of organising the inaugural event this year.

“It is my fervent hope that this event will become an annual activity in Serian because I believe it can attract not only locals but also foreigners to Serian.

“I suggest that the organisers come early next year to meet me with their working paper so that I can include this activity in our budget.

“I will take into consideration your request for funding to organise this event,” he said at the launch of the 1st International Serian Bike Week at Lake Danu here yesterday.

Abdul Karim said the bike week was not new in Sarawak, having been held in other parts such as Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Sibu and Miri, to name a few.

He added that some of them had been made into an annual event.

“Samarahan, for example, had conducted it for four years, if I am not mistaken. This sport has a lot of followers among the people, especially the youths in Sarawak,” he said.

Serian MP and patron of the event Dato Sri Richard Riot and Bukit Semuja assemblyman and event advisor John Ilus were among those present at the launching ceremony. -TheBorneoPost