Sarawak needs more guides who speak Mandarin

Mar 21. 2018

Abdul Karim in a press conference after chairing the Sarawak Tourism steering committee meeting.

KUCHING: Sarawak is in need of more Mandarin-speaking tour guides to cope with the rise in tourist arrivals from China.

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said his ministry is looking at various plans to meet the shortage including hiring individuals who can converse in Mandarin as temporary tour guides.

He added that tourism players and stakeholders were told to tackle the lack of Mandarin-speaking tour guides by also sending their employees for courses.

‘Investigate no-case decision’

November 2, 2017

Minister wants MACC to probe release of logs, vehicles seized during raid on illegal logging

SIBU: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah calls for a thorough investigation into the ‘no case’ decision by the investigation committee on the alleged illegal timber logging in Bintulu.

Smelling a rat, he said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should also look into this matter to investigate whether there is any case of officials acting beyond their powers.

He was responding to The Borneo Post front page article headlined ‘Puzzled over release of seized logs, machinery worth millions’ dated Nov 1, where the director of Forest Department Sapuan Ahmad had confirmed the release of the logs and vehicles seized during the raid on alleged illegal timber logging.

Karim agrees to idea of arming enforcement officers

September 26, 2014

KUCHING: A lawmaker agrees with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s idea of arming enforcement officers of the state Forest Department.

Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the idea was good as it would give confidence to the enforcement team in their daily work. He said that providing the enforcement team with guns did not mean they could shoot at anything.

Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development, said this in response to Adenan announcement Wednesday that Forest Department enforcement officers would be armed in the face of rampant illegal logging in the state of late.

Among others, Adenan said he had received many reports on timber smuggling, illegal logging, illegal sawmills and evasion of timber royalty which happened in broad daylight, adding that providing guns to the enforcement team would give them more confidence when carrying out their duties.

Abdul Karim said there were standard operation procedures (SOP) to be followed by the enforcement officers before they could discharge their weapon.