KWJF to be staged annually — Abdul Karim

September 14, 2017

Abdul Karim (centre) receives the KWJF t-shirt from Soedirman witnessed by Mok (right), Gracie (left) and Edwin (second left).

KUCHING: The Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) is set to become an annual event in the state starting this year.

This was revealed by Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who pointed out that Sarawak will now boast two jazz music festivals in a year, in Miri (Jazz Borneo) and Kuching.

“We have the Jazz Borneo festival which is held in May in Miri and now the KWJF in Kuching.

Sweeping Sarawak schools clean

13 Sep 2017

KUCHING: The National Association for the Prevention of Drugs (Pemadam) will carry out more random checks at Sarawak schools to combat drugs misuse among students.

State Pemadam chairman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the agency was collaborating with the police and other authorities in the operation that would include random drug test on students.

Abdul Karim, who is also the Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister, added that in the past year, 247 students were tested positive for drugs from the urine samples taken during the spot checks.

Galeri: ‘BrandLaureate Industry Champion Brand ICON Awards 2017’

September 12, 2017

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (centre) accepts the award on behalf of Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) from Asian Strategy Leadership International chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Michael O.K. Yeoh (second right), witnessed by (from left) APBF chairman Tan Sri Rainer Alhoff, SCB chairman Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah and BrandLaureate founding president Dr KK Johan.

State govt has no plan to impose Heritage Tax, Sarawakians assured

September 11, 2017

KUCHING: The state government has no plan to impose the Heritage Tax on Sarawakians as it does not want to add to their burden.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who confirmed this yesterday, said the state government could do it but chose not to burden the people further.

“We can also do it, but then we don’t want to burden people more because when they see the bill, there would be so many taxes – GST (Goods and Services Tax), Tourism Tax, services tax, Heritage Tax. It’s not really good for the industry,” he told reporters after launching the ‘Paint The World (PTW) Concert 2017’ at the civic centre here yesterday.

‘Govt in process of getting all lodging houses registered’

September 11, 2017

KUCHING: The government is in the process of getting all lodging houses registered following the implementation of the Tourism Tax effective Sept 1.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said “a lot of them (lodging houses) now are not registered” but they are taxable under the new law.

“Any lodging houses that are registered are taxable; budget hotels included. I was made to understand that it’s across (the board).

“But a lot of them now are not registered, so that is why there is not much problem now. But then I do know that the exercise to get them registered is going on,” he said when met by journalists after launching the Paint The World (PTW) concert 2017 at the Civic Centre here yesterday.