Timely launch of book on #RWMF-A Journey of 25 Years"

I was given the honour to launch the book on “A Journey of 25 Years” which had showcased our world famed “Rainforest World #music Festival” or fondly known as the #RWMF Kudos to the publishers and their team members who came up with delightful coffee table book on Sarawak’s iconic music festival. We welcome such publication and initiatives simply because it will serve as a good record as well as reference to all music fans among local folks and those from abroad. 

Our young generation will also appreciate the book which tells them on the unique features of our #RWMF which had been around the past quarter of a century. The well documented the festival's growth from humble beginnings with just 300 people in attendance to become a renowned and sought-after event is something which makes us proud. The 170-page book also commemorates the collective achievement of those involved in creating this iconic festival and in keeping the indigenous music of Sarawak alive. Thus, it is good that we continue to keep our festival alive through documentation so that readers will know and appreciate Sarawak's efforts in preserving our cultural heritage for future generations to enjoy.

Harbouring hopes for a full fledged sports school in Sarawak

We harbour high hopes to turn SMK Demak Baru in Petra Jaya into a full-fledged sports school in view of its proximity to our Sarawak Sports Complex and Village which have adequate facilities for talented student athletes to train and prepare themselves for future events. Back in 2018, we had consulted two federal ministries namely the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and Ministry of Education (MoE) on the matter and both had previously agreed to make SMK Demak Baru as a sports school as it is in the vicinity of our Sports Complex. 

One of the reasons for such support is because if the school has no dormitories facility, the nearby Sports Village can cater for such requirement because the whole Sarawak Sports Complex itself has the facilities for training and dormitories. But we still need to follow up on this. As we know that after 2018, there was a change of government and the idea was thrown out, and now we have to start from scratch. But deep inside me, I’d still love to see a proper sports school to be set up there. It is also ideal for the setting up of Centre for High Performance at our state's sports complex so that Sarawakian athletes can be properly trained and to ensure they are motivated to become champions.

Our heartfelt thanks to supporters of Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 and Borneo Jazz Festival

It is heartening for us to see the keen support given by the private sector for the forthcoming Sarawak's Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 (RWMF2022) in Kuching on June 17 to 19 and Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF2022) in Miri. We welcome their contributions that will help Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) in fulfilling its vision of bringing the world together through music. The synergy from a united front will ensure the success of this year’s event that will be held at Sarawak Culture Village (SCV) in Damai, Santubong on June 17 to 19. The public–private partnership collaboration is also a show of confidence and trust in Sarawak’s mission to make a positive and lasting difference in the local and world music community.

We give our heartfelt thanks to our list of sponsors for RWMF2022 and BJF2022 who comprise of Malaysia Airlines, the official airline partner, Karuna Sarawak, the official ticketing partner, Canard Media, the food and beverage mart partner, Society Atelier Sarawak, the village mart partner, GRAB PETROS, Rip Curl, Watsons, Coco Cabana Miri, Mid Valley City (Kuala Lumpur and Johor), Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre and The Waterfront Hotel, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), SKS Airways, Smart Leisure Travel, Gurney Plaza Penang, Hardwood Timber, Hornbill Skyways, Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), MyCar, Sarawak Timber Association and Trienekens Sarawak.

Giving our Responsible Tourism agenda a boost in this year’s Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 and Borneo Jazz Festival 2022

I take my hat off to Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for their commitment to “Responsible Tourism” which is also embedded in this year’s Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 (RWMF2022) and Borneo Jazz Festival 2022 (BJF2022). For this year’s event, STB have received a sponsorship of at least 2,000 plants sponsored by companies for their “ecoGreenPlanet” programme.

Through this greening initiative, members of the public can pay their part in the programme where RM10 for each RM25 virtual RWMF or BJF ticket sold will be donated towards the tree-planting activities that will be held after the festivals. We are also delighted with STB which had also debuted its first AR mascots, Sara an Orang Ulu girl dressed in traditional attire, and Wawa, a Rhinoceros hornbill and Sarawak’s State emblem.

It is STB’s first foray into AR technology in line with the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS2030) and Sarawak's Tourism Master Plan’s goal of embarking on virtual tourism.

Such mascots are delightful and can be deployed in strategic locations with Internet connectivity to welcome our visitors and also provide them with a fun and innovative tourism experience while exploring Sarawak. I am convinced that this latest development from STB will certainly bring the tourism industry to greater heights and increase Sarawak’s visibility worldwide. We look forward to more exciting AR and virtual reality (VR) tourism initiatives that are also in the pipeline.

The International Journal of Business Events and Legacies (IJBEL) gets endorsed by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

Kudos to Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) for having established the global collaboration with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) on the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies (IJBEL). It is the first journal in South East Asia that covers business meetings and events as a whole. It is also the first in the world to merge business events and legacy topics under one roof having the objective to widen the knowledge capacity of the global industry, ranging from practitioners and researchers to consumers and policymakers. 

The journal aims to address real-world issues on business meetings, tourism, and legacies. The synergy between BESarawak and ICCA will certainly take our business event legacies to another level because the association is the global expert in international association meetings. I am proud to have witnessed the signing ceremony which was held at the sideline of IMEX2022  in Messe, Frankfurt Germany that was held on 31 May to 2 June. It was also a pleasure to have met President of ICCA, James Rees who spoke and supported the journal that was recognised by the association as supporting its education goals which are aligned with ICCA's objectives. For us, the journal can be seen as a learning tool and a platform for every destination in the world to innovate, improve and inspire the international meetings sector. I have also mentioned that our Ministry of Tourism Creative Industry and Performing Arts is serious about business events flourishing in Sarawak. This is why this sector was included in our Post Covid19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS2030), a 10-year policy formulated by the Sarawak  Government to achieve its high income status state by 2030.