My comments on the proposed plans to attract more visitors to Sarawak

Our media friends had recently had seek my comments on proposed plans to attract more visitors to Sarawak from any location including from China through direct flights to Sarawak. I have mentioned to them such plans are very much welcomed but in order to implement this, our Kuching International Airport (KIA) as well as domestic airports in Miri, Bintulu and Sibu are in need to be upgraded, in addition to adding members of the Immigration Department.

Such upgrade to the airport facilities is necessary due to the increasing number of visitors to Sarawak and as of April, Sarawak had received 1.6 million visitors. However upgrades can only be made through the Federal’s Ministry of Transport MoT) because the airport management is under Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).

We can see that those who come to Sarawak through KIA have increased in number but the facilities are not up to par. But alhamdulillah, I understand that in June the tender for upgrading at KIA including toilets and so on will be released. I was also asked to comment on the proposed plans for direct flights from China to several locations in Sarawak including to the KIA.

Recently, the Federal’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had informed that a feasibility study is being done to see the possibility of establishing direct flights from several locations in China to Sarawak. It includes a flight that will start a direct flight to Sarawak which is from Yunnan to Kuching while the Xiamen Airlines flight from Fuzhou to Sibu is said to be in the final study.