Latest news with #CreativeIndustryandPerformingArts
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Yang Di-Pertua Negeri confers Sarawak state honours on 151 individuals
Chan receives his JBS award from Wan Junaidi. KUCHING (May 29): A total of 151 individuals were today conferred with various state honours and awards in recognition of their outstanding service and contributions across multiple fields in Sarawak. The prestigious awards were presented by the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, in a ceremony at the Astana Negeri. The ceremony was witnessed by Wan Junaidi's wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi as well as prominent state officials including Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and his wife Datin Sri Zuraini Abdul Jabbar; Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department, Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai; Deputy State Secretary (Operations), Datu Hii Chang Kee; State Deputy Transport Minister, Dato Henry Harry Jinep; Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department (Integrity and Ombudsman), Datuk Juanda Jaya; and Federal State Secretary, Dato Ahmad Nadzri. Leading the recipients of the Johan Bintang Sarawak (JBS) award were Pemanca Roshidi Junai, Sarawak Australia Business Chamber (SABC) President Rodger Chan Siong Boh, and Bintulu Port CEO Ruslan Abdul Ghani. Meanwhile, former Tellian assemblyman Yussibnosh Balo was honoured as the sole recipient of the Johan Bintang Kenyalang (JBK) award. The Pegawai Bintang Sarawak (PBS) award was presented to nine individuals, including Tanjung Dato assemblyman Azizul Annuar Adenan, Serumbu assemblyman Miro Simuh, and Sarawak Metro Chief Executive Officer Mazli Mustaffa. Fifteen recipients received the Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (PBK) award, among them Dr Ali Mudin, Juan Ubit, and Madeline George Pau. Twenty individuals were conferred the Ahli Bintang Sarawak (ABS), including DSP Dr Daram Ruer, Peter Supeh (alias James Kator Supes), and Jonthy Bunsi, daughter of the late Bunsi Sat. Eighteen individuals received the Ahli Bintang Kenyalang (ABK) award, with recipients such as Galau Melina, Pauzi Ameng, and Gladys Lim Ai Hui. The Bentara Bintang Sarawak (BBS) award was bestowed upon 24 recipients, including Abdul Rahim Bahtiar, Bunyau Manggeh, and Dayang Salmah Awang Chee. Among those honoured with the Pingat Perkhidmatan Cemerlang (PPC) were Sharifah Rohana Datu Wan Alwi, Catherine Ridu, and Dolhadi Mazuki. The Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti (PPB) was awarded to 18 individuals, including Lt Col Robert Edward Ngayong, Technologist Cheing Siong Ming, and Bong Lin Sze. The Pingat Perkhidmatan Terpuji (PPT) was presented to 37 recipients, including Affendi Bunchuan, Lily Marlina Abdul Rahman, and Rokiah Ali. Additionally, two individuals received the Pingat Perwira Negeri (PPN) (Bronze) award for their bravery and sacrifice in serving the people: Nehemia Bonel Pantulusang and Nora Ibrahim, daughter of the late Ibrahim Saili. When met by Utusan Borneo , Rodger Chan expressed his deep honour at receiving the JBS award, noting it as his second state award after previously receiving the PBK, which was personally nominated by the late former state Governor Tun Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud. Chan extended his sincere gratitude to his wife Sow Fong, the Premier, and the State Secretary for the recognition. Chan (left) in a photocall with Wan Junaidi after the award ceremony. Besides his role as President of the Sarawak Australia Business Chamber, Chan holds several key positions including President of the Kuching Chung Hua Primary School No. 5 Alumni Association, CEO of Australia Business Centre Sdn Bhd, and Director of NZ Centre Sdn Bhd and NetInc Technologies Sdn Bhd. He also serves as Deputy President of the Malaysia Zhangzhou Association, council member of the Sarawak Government Early Childhood Development Council, Vice Chairman of the Sarawak Chawan Association, and Sarawak Tian (Chan) Association. Chan is actively involved in numerous NGOs, including Chinese school boards and various chambers of commerce. He was also a founding director of Tunku Putra School. investiture lead Rodger Chan State Honours Wan Junaidi
Rakyat Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
Sarawakian Siblings Bag Gold At International Music Competition In Thailand
Subscribe to our FREE It was a proud moment for Sarawakian brother and sister musical duo SJ Borneo when they earned the Gold second runner-up title at the 2025 World Championship Grand Finals organised by Asia Pacific International Arts Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, from 9 to 12 May. Through a post on Facebook, 15-year-old Shawn Thein Shuen and his younger sister 12-year-old Jane Thien Jing put Malaysia on the map as they garnered praise for a performance that highlighted Sarawak's indigineous cultural heritage. They were bestowed the winning title for a unique rearrangement of 'Anak Kampung', a song made popular by Sabahan musician Jimmy Palikat. What made it more special was that the siblings sang the song in both Malay and Chinese. To complete the look and sound of the performance, they played the number dressed in traditional Sarawakian attire and musical instruments – Shawn on djembe (a percussion instrument) and Jane on the sape (a string instrument). Image: Facebook | SJ Borneo – Shawn & Jane SJ Borneo received unanimous praise from the panel of international judges for their act, which was witnessed by a crowd of over 500 spectators. 'This competition gave us the opportunity to stand on the world stage representing Sarawak and Malaysia, and to share our culture through music. 'Sarawak's heritage is unique and precious. We want the world to hear, see, and treasure it,' the duo said in a statement. Shawn and Jane thanked the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, under the Mudahcara Facilitation Fund, for the support which led to their success. Image: Facebook | SJ Borneo – Shawn & Jane 'We are deeply grateful to the ministry for the support through Dana Mudahcara, which helped make this journey possible,' they said. The Kuching locals also extended a heartfelt thanks to their teachers and educational institutions for encouragement and guidance. They also acknowledged the inspiration of sape pioneers including Dines Ngau Wan, Hallan Hashim, Alena Murang, and Mathew Ngau Jau, whose contributions inspired their journey. Image: Facebook | SJ Borneo – Shawn & Jane Looking ahead, the pair is committed to promoting traditional Sarawak music with their motto, 'Sape for All'. The massive international art event saw many participants from all over the world taking part, including Australia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kosovo, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, the Republic of North Macedonia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Abdul Karim: Sarawak to develop untapped lake tourism potentials
Abdul Karim speaking to reporters during a press conference at today's DUN sitting. KUCHING (May 27): The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts will be collaborating with relevant ministries and agencies in planning and developing lake tourism potentials, guided by the Sarawak Hydro Lakes Management and Development Plan 2030. Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Sarawak's natural and man-made lakes present a significant and largely untapped potential for lake tourism. 'These aquatic environments offer unique opportunities to diversify our tourism offerings. 'To fully realise the potential of lake tourism in Sarawak, it is crucial for us to ensure local community participation, creating a variety of appealing activities, targeted marketing and improving accessibility through investments in road and boat transportation,' he said when winding up his ministerial speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting today. He told the august House that Sarawak, with its strategic location bordering Indonesia's Kalimantan and Brunei Darussalam, also possessed significant potential for border tourism, offering unique opportunities and benefits. 'A majority of Bruneians and Indonesians enter Sarawak by land. In 2024, the Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security (CIQS) Complex in Sungai Tujuh recorded 697,666 Bruneian visitors, followed by Pandaruan (290,111), Mengkalap (306,130) and Tedungan (311,619). 'Meanwhile, CIQS Tebedu recorded 280,884 Indonesian visitors, followed by Biawak (137,454) and Lubok Antu (50,124),' he said. He said the relocation of Indonesia's capital to Nusantara in East Kalimantan presents a significant opportunity for Sarawak to position itself as a beneficiary of the increased regional activity. Abdul Karim also touched on the state's health tourism sector which has experienced significant growth last year, according to the Malaysia Health Tourism Council (MHTC). 'In 2024, Sarawak's health tourism sector attracted 68,655 health visitors, a 6.6 per cent increase from the 64,393 recorded in 2023. 'This surge in visitors translated to a substantial 13.65 per cent rise in revenue, reaching RM141.5 million in 2024 compared to RM124.5 million in the previous year.' He pointed out that Indonesia and China were the primary drivers of Sarawak's health tourism revenue last year, with Indonesian visitors accounting for 52,850 arrivals and revenue of RM127 million, while Chinese visitors contributing to 3,565 arrivals and revenue of RM3.6 million. Brunei health visitors accounted for 3,239 arrivals with revenue of RM2.5 million; the Philippines with 1,061 arrivals and revenue of RM1.04 million; and India with 808 arrivals and revenue of RM0.6 million, he added. Moving forward, Abdul Karim said the Sarawak Tourism Board is strengthening health tourism promotion through close collaboration with MHTC and participation in the Malaysia Healthcare Expo.
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak emerging as education tourism hub, drawing more international students
Abdul Karim speaks during a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly building today. – Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING (May 27): Sarawak is fast gaining traction as a hub for education tourism, with the state seeing a steady rise in the number of international students enrolling in its higher learning institutions. Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said a total of 2,183 international students studied in Sarawak in 2024, an increase of 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year. 'As for this year, there were 672 new international students enrolled in Sarawak higher learning institutions,' he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting here today. Later at a press conference, Abdul Karim said education tourism is coming up quite well in Sarawak. 'We have higher learning institutions like Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and Curtin University Malaysia, and even tertiary-level institutions such as Tunku Putra where you can see many international students, particularly from Korea, coming to study English,' he said. He noted that Sarawak is being viewed as a favourable destination for education due to factors such as safety, affordable housing, and high quality of life – similar to the appeal the state holds for medical tourism. 'From what I gather, those who come over to study English have done their research and find Sarawak a better venue in terms of security, housing, and lifestyle,' he said. Abdul Karim also highlighted the state government's ongoing efforts to strengthen local education institutions across Sarawak, including in areas such as Sibu, which is expected to further boost the influx of students from outside the state. In addition to undergraduate students, he said Sarawak is also attracting a growing number of postgraduate researchers. 'If you go to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), they offer postgraduate programmes, and the majority of students are from overseas, particularly China. Many of them are coming not for first degrees but for postgraduate and PhD studies,' he said. While specific statistics on foreign postgraduate students are not immediately available, Abdul Karim said his ministry will liaise with universities to compile the data. He added that international schools offering English-language education have also seen growing interest, particularly from Indonesian families who send their children to Sarawak for early tertiary studies before continuing their education in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia. Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah education tourism hub international students lead
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Headhunter's parang among artefacts donated to Sarawak Museum
KUCHING: A century-old parang, reportedly snatched by a Tebakang man from headhunters, has been donated to the Sarawak Museum Department as a historical artefact. Tebakang, a small town some 55km from here and close to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, is of historical significance as one of the early settlement areas for the Bidayuh people. During the Brooke era, Tebakang served as a fortified outpost. Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in narrating the story of the ancient parang in the state legislative assembly today, said the donor, Mangu Bueng, claimed the blade had been with his family for almost 100 years. He said Mangu claimed that the parang originally belonged to a group of headhunters who confronted a member of the family and his wife in the early 1900s. In the ensuing fight, he snatched the parang from his attackers. He brought the parang back home to Kampung Tebakang Bidayuh, where it became a treasured family heirloom. The parang has since remained with his family, being passed down through the generations, before it was donated to the Sarawak Museum. The museum is the guardian of Sarawak and Borneo's shared heritage. The parang was one of five artefacts donated to the museum recently, Karim said. He said the museum also received two Lun Bawang sunhats from the Lavery family in the United Kingdom. John Lavery, the son of Bill and Pam Lavery, who brought the sunhats to the UK, donated them to the Sarawak Museum for safekeeping. The authentic sunhats were obtained during the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when Bill Lavery was posted to a school in Limbang that same year as a teacher. He later served as headmaster in the school under the Colombo Plan of External Aid of the Canadian government to Sarawak. The Laverys left Sarawak in 1965, taking the sunhats as souvenirs. Karim said the museum has also received donations of two unglazed ceramic vases that were fished from the sea off Santubong. The donor, Mohd Rizal Bujang, claimed the pottery was discovered in the 1970s by his late father Bujang Abdullah together with his friends, Ibni Zen and Othman Zen, while fishing off the fishing village on the mouth of Sungai Sarawak, Karim told the state assembly. Santubong was once an important trading port between the 7th and 13th centuries CE. This period corresponds to the time of early regional trade networks in Southeast Asia linking the Malay Archipelago, India and China. Chinese ceramics from the Tang and Song dynasties were among the archaeological finds in Santubong. Karim also told the assembly that the Sarawak Museum Department, exercising its powers under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance (SHO) 2019, on Feb 12 had gazetted 14 historical sites, buildings, monuments and underwater heritage. The gazetted sites, buildings, monuments and underwater heritage are: Rumah Panjang Melanau Kampong Sok in Matu; Rumah Sri Tanjung, a former government rest house at Tanjung Lobang in Miri; Sacred Heart Church at Sungai Bawan in Kanowit; Makam Dato Permaisuri in Miri; Pusara Ali Wallace, Kampung Jaie, Sadong Jaya; Kubur Shariff Skrang, Kampung Igan, Matu; Tapak Masjid Bandaraya Kuching; the Beting Maro battle ground; Lombong Arang Batu (coal quarry) Brooke at Gunung Ngeli in Simunjan; Batu Ritong in Pa' Lungan, Bario; the site of a skirmish between the army and communist terrorists at Kampung Jangkar, Lundu; Tuang Schist in Semeba, Kuching; Folded Schist Demak, Kuching; and a Japanese landing craft at Brighton Beach in Miri.
