KUCHING: Starting Jan 1 next year, the Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) will fully operate as a government statutory body.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that MSS had been parked under the ministry for many years.
“Our hope is that it will be able to grow. MSS is a very important agency,” he said when speaking at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC) Appreciation Dinner at Waterfront Hotel here on Friday night (Dec 18).
“We also hope that MSS will be able to carry out its duties efficiently and should always refer to the ministry in administrative matters,” he said.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic had had a huge impact on the tourism sector, with the number of tourist arrivals in Sarawak from January to November this year seeing 71.56 percent drop compared to the same period last year.
“There is a drastic drop and it has greatly impacted the tourism industry especially those who are managing hotels and resorts as well as those involved in the travel and tour sector,” he said.
He said MTAC had acted swiftly to assist in the recovery of the tourism industry by involving all agencies under it such as the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB), Sarawak Museum Department, MSS, and Sarawak Craft Council (SCC).
Pointing out that MTAC had launched the Sia Sitok campaign to spur domestic tourism, he said they had also provided various incentives through STB and SCB to encourage those in the industry to increase their capacity in various aspects.
“Our ministry will also continue efforts to strengthen the creative industry through various events and arts and cultural training through MSS and SCC,” said Abdul Karim.
He said that with development projects which have been or will be completed under the 11th Malaysia Plan, Sarawak had been enriched with more tourism products.
“These include the Borneo Cultures Museum, Wind Caves and Fairy Caves, Bakam Point, Wireless Walk, Dalat Waterfront, Wallace Centre, and also various forts such as Fort Emma, Fort Lili, Fort Brooke, Fort Alice, and Fort Hose which have been successfully restored.
“Our hope is that when the pandemic is over, we can arrange visits or fort trails for tourists to visit the restored forts,” he said.
Reminding officers of MTAC and the agencies under the ministry of the challenges they had faced and will face, he emphasised the importance of team spirit.
“I am very happy with the officers and members of MTAC, MSS, and other agencies under the ministry who have shown great performance this year especially in terms of policy formulation, organisational management, good governance practices, as well as involvement in the tourism, arts, and culture industry as a whole,” said Abdul Karim.
During the dinner, ten staff members of the ministry and agencies under it received Excellent Service Awards (APC) for the year 2019 and MTAC’s new website was also launched.
Also present were Abdul Karim’s wife Datin Zuraini Abdul Jabbar; Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Sebastian Ting; MTAC permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee; and other representatives.
