Showcasing our unique indigenous culinary heritage and cultural identity at the "Serumpun Sarawak" event in Osaka, Japan

It is heartening to see the encouraging response to our “Serumpun Sarawak” event which was held at the “World Expo 2025” of Osaka, Japan on August 5 to 8. The event is aimed to showcase our indigenous culinary heritage and cultural identity on the global stage including at the international expo with the visitors’ experience there is curated by international chef and indigenous gastronomy advocate Chef James Won in collaboration with Alas Collective.

The World Expo itself is a good avenue for us to organise the “Serumpun Sarawak” because visitors from all over the globe because it is being held every five years in different global locations with Osaka, Japan becoming the host for this year’s edition that runs from April until mid-October. The event is held at Seaside Studio Caso as part of World Expo 2025, where visitors are invited to try out Sarawak’s indigenous cuisines and participate in the various activities which include food tasting, storytelling and cultural performances.

We record our appreciation to those who had supported the organising of the inaugural event namely the local collaborators, including Earthlings Coffee Workshop, Tanoti Crafts, The Tuyang Initiative and Culinary Heritage & Arts Society Sarawak (CHASS). Apart from the unique experience the visitors can look forward to, the event will also leave good impressions among the foreign guests on indigenous ingredients, our multi-ethnicities which promote Sarawak as a leading cultural and culinary destination for tourists.

Sarawak's participation in the "World Expo 2025" in Osaka, Japan

I am leading a delegation from Sarawak at the “World Expo 2025” in Osaka, Japan which had attracted the participation of many countries worldwide including Malaysia. The World Expo itself is unique because it is being held every five years in different global locations with Osaka, Japan become host for this year’s edition that runs from April until mid-October.

Throughout the “Sarawak Week” event held at the Malaysia Pavilion, visitors from many countries were treated to a series of cultural showcases, including live demonstrations of “Buri weaving”, a traditional Iban craft, alongside renditions of the famous Sape music performances in which the activities showcase the cultural highlights of the our local indigenous heritage and diversity.

One of the key focus of our delegation’s engagement at the expo was also on the promotion of ‘Sarawak Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme that is well known to offer long-term residency options for foreign nationals who are interested to reside in our state popularly reputed for its peaceful environment, affordability, and multicultural charm. Our Government had chosen to participate in the expo which can serve as a good avenue to raise awareness and generate interest in the programme among global visitors and potential investors. 

Through Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts (MTCP), we had set up the “Sarawak Pavilion” at the Malaysia Pavilion which had attracted the attention of visitors including the local as well as international communities. I had also led our delegation visits to several international pavilions, including our ASEAN neighbour Indonesia, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. We hope together with the mentioned countries there are areas for us to explore tourism partnerships and cultural exchange opportunities. 

We hope to leave the foot prints of commitment to Sarawak’s sustainable tourism, creative industry development, and global collaboration and our participation in this year’s world can reflect the a significant step forward in Sarawak’s mission to become a globally connected, culturally rich, and investor-friendly destination in Malaysia as well as the Island of Borneo.

Supporting our Federal Government's proposed tourism investment zones under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP)

Recently I was asked to comment by our media friends on the proposed tourism investment zones announced by the right honourable Prime Minister under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and our Sarawak Government will fully support such efforts but the important thing is that there is no overlap in the undertaking. This is because is the tourism investment zones mentioned shall include areas like Mulu National Park, Niah Caves, the Kuching Geo Delta Park and the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF)…then we are indirectly on the same track. 

I have also mentioned that we have not been formally briefed on its implementation and is awaiting clarification from the Federal Government over the proposed special tourism investment zones that would be located in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Sarawak. The zones are also said to be jointly developed by the respective state governments and private sector in conjunction with Visa Malaysia 2026.

But we are ready to cooperate and I have mentioned that Sarawak’s current tourism strategy had already been proven to be successful, with tourism receipts have exceeded RM1 billion every month with the targeted 5 million visitors had more or less achieved by end of this year. Sarawak on its part had already been actively promoting many of its destinations even without the “imaginary zoning” and we will continue it as part of our state’s current tourism strategy this year.

Thanking ASEAN Foundation and Maybank Foundation for having Kuching as their destination of this year's "Youth EdXchange Programme 2025"

We thank both the ASEAN Foundation and Maybank Foundation for having selected Kuching as one of the destinations for participants of this year's "Youth EdXchange Programme 2025" under their "ASEAN Empowering Youth Across ASEAN (EYAA)" programme. 

A total of 60 delegates from all 10 ASEAN countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are taking part in the two-day programme in Kuching.

While in the city, they were exposed to Sarawak’s environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, and youth-led innovation in sustainable development. I was given the honour to represent the right honourable Premier of Sarawak at the closing ceremony of the programme. 

At the closing ceremony, I have mentioned that our young generation is the nation's most important asset for the future and also for the present days.We hope the participants had enjoyed experiences throughout the exchange programme from local community immersion to sustainability workshops and project pitching.

Their active participation are proof that when young people are empowered and given the platform, they will rise and lead with a purpose. We welcome the organising of the international programme which provides a platform for young people to connect with ASEAN youths through environmental education, sustainability, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Celebrating Sarawak's Women Day 2025 on modest scale

This year’s Women Day celebration in Sarawak was held on a modest scale and it was launched by our right honourable Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg who was joined by over 4,500 guests who attended the ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of State Legislative Assembly Building at Petra Jaya in Kuching. 

During the launching ceremony, our Premier had announced that Sarawak will be the first state in Malaysia to set up a diversity, equality and inclusivity unit known as “D2EI” in short for Department of Diversity, Equality, Equity and Inclusivity under the state’s Department of Women and Family Development. Our Premier had mentioned that the D2EI principles are in line with his administration’s post-Covid-19 development strategy, which emphasises inclusivity in our multi-racial communities.

Among the highlights in this year’s celebration had included the Premier of Sarawak Awards that had acknowledged the recipients for their commitment to inclusive leadership and gender equity in the workplace. Sarawak Energy Berhad had received the Special D2EI Responsive Organisation Award its leadership in fostering diversity, equality, equity and inclusivity through their Sarawak Energy Leading Women Network (SELWN), which supports women’s advancement into leadership and decision-making roles.