Latest development on “Sarawak My Malaysia 2nd Home (S-MM2H)” programme

It gave us great pleasure to announce that our Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) has been empowered by Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) via a letter dated 2 July 2024, Ref. No: MOTAC.600-2/1/60 JLD.3 (14) concerning the local tourism business license on the “Sarawak My Malaysia 2nd Home (S-MM2H)” under the Tourism Industry Act 1992 (Act 482) to delegate its power to MTCP.

I have made the official announcement during the press conference on this matter held at our office recently and this had represented a significant achievement for MTCP in further expanding the functionality of the current S-MM2H One Stop Center not only to the extent of processing applications but also the licensing of S-MM2H agents. Alhamdullilah, such development augurs well in the enhancement of SMMH Application Programme that has been improved in many ways to comply with the Federal Government's MOTAC's renewal requirements for the Federal's "Malaysia My Second Home"

(MM2H) program as well as. 

I had also thanked our media friends who had attended the press conference which had served to notify all those involved in the SMM2H program and industry partners. They were also keen interest on the impacts of this latest development which will enable the programme to be run more smoothly.

Another job well done for organisers of this year's "What About Kuching" (WAK) festival

Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all strategic partners as well as supporters of the recent successful staging of 6th edition “What About Kuching” event or more locally popularly known as “WAK”.  It goes without saying that the event had been going strong over the years due to the unwavering support from all parties involved including the volunteers too.

Kudos to the founders and their supportive team members who had tirelessly worked hard to make WAK grow from strength to strength despite facing challenges. I have thanked them for having invited me and my wife to grace their appreciation dinner that celebrated another successful staging of the annual colourful event that has “by the community, for the community” tag line.

In my speech, I have mentioned that the encouraging response for this year's event was testament to the success of this wonderful festival platform that had brightened up not only Kuching city but also when it was staged in Sibu and Miri.

The growth of this exciting event is also the result of the organisers' clear mission and objectives and the careful planning, hard work and dedication by their team of volunteers and supporters from both the public as well as private sector.

A delightful evening with participants of recent 18th United Nations (UN) Executive Tourism Training Programme

We had a delightful evening with participants of the recent 18th United Nations (UN) Tourism Training Program who were treated to a farewell dinner at Sheraton Hotel Kuching recently. I have thanked the organisers for having invited me and my wife to be with them. 

We had a great time meeting and greeting the participants including senior UN Tourism officials namely Mr. Beka Jakeli, the Director for External Relations; Mr. Harry Hwang the Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific as well as Mr. Sinyoung An Senior the Officer for Asia and the Pacific.

Also present were senior local government officials who include Datu Hii Chang Kee, our Deputy State Secretary (Operations) and Datu Sherrina Hussain, the Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP).

We had welcomed representatives of the 21 UN's member states and five international observers who had been in Kuching on 28 to 31 October for the 18th edition of the Executive Training Programme that had become an iconic activity within UN Tourism in the Asia/Pacific region, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. 

It is an honour for us to host this program in Sarawak that underscores the significance of our Government's commitment to effective partnerships and continual dialogues to advance tourism in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Apart from having a forum on Luxury Tourism Market on the first day of the event, there were four essential training sessions were conducted that include  (1) Destination Management Strategies, (2) Marketing and Promotion of Luxury Tourism, (3) Customer Experience and Service Excellence, and (4) Investment in Luxury Tourism. In addition, presentations were made by every Member State, showcasing the current state and future prospects of luxury tourism in their respective countries. 

We hope all the participants had also enjoyed the  technical tour where officials and delegates visited Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Padawan and Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM)

Congratulations to Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for having entered a Tripartite Campaign Agreement with Scoot of Singapore and Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATOS) in Singapore.

We had congratulated Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for having entered a Tripartite Campaign Agreement with Scoot of Singapore and Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATOS) in Singapore. The agreement had marked another pivotal step in promoting Sarawak’ diverse offerings and further enhancing its visibility across the global tourism landscape. 

In collaboration with Business Events Sarawak (BE Sarawak) and STATOS, STB had also hosted the "Sarawak Bleisure Networking Session", positioning Sarawak as an ideal leisure destination on the world map especially in Singapore.

The strategic partnership had also aimed to strengthen inbound travel from Singapore into Sarawak with 14 weekly flights operated by Scoot, an increase from 10 weekly flights back in 2022. This would promote the region's cultural and adventure tourism attractions while driving greater traffic to these key destinations from Singapore. The collaboration highlights STB's ongoing commitment to create opportunities for cultural exchanges, business collaborations, and knowledge sharing, further enhancing Sarawak’s role as a leading gateway to Borneo.

Commending winners of the recent Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards (SCSICA) 2024

Well done and congratulations to all winners of the recent Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards (SCSICA) 2024 who were celebrated at the dinner and prize-giving ceremony at Pullman Hotel Kuching. 

A total of 50 Innovative and Creative Circle (ICC) teams from various government bodies and agencies had successfully progressed to the final stage in 12 contested categories. The winners received their prizes from our right honourable Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg.

The SCSICA 2024 had run from October 21 to 25 in conjunction with the Public Service Innovation Month (SCSIMon) which had the objective of providing a platform for sharing experiences and ideas to achieve service delivery excellence. This year's SCSIMon has the theme "Excellence in Service Delivery based on Integrity and Innovation"