KUCHING: It has been a great 2023 for Sarawak, declared Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Be it the political, economic or social aspect, the state has ticked every box, he said in summing up the year.
For starters he took pride that the tourist arrival target for the year, which is under his jurisdiction, reached three million in October, with two more months to spare.
“Not only that, we are seen as a close partner with the federal government, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is always proud of how the state government is managing Sarawak, politically, socially and economically.
“All is well and good, and the federal government is inspired by how we administer Sarawak and that has raised Sarawak further up on the map.
“My hope for the new year is we continue to protect our peace and harmony that we have in Sarawak, and further improve our ability in managing the state, for the wellbeing of Sarawak and Malaysia most importantly,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating at the book launching of The Southeast Asia ArtLIST Vol. 1, the Southeast Asia International Art Camp 2023, and the Malaysia Book of Records Award ceremony “First To Paint” here on Tuesday.
On another note, Abdul Karim explained that renovation work on the upcoming Sarawak Art Gallery will be done sometime next year.
“I believe the renovation would not take very long, it is just that there are a number of things that we need to look through first.
“The building used to be the old government printing office located in front of the Central Police Station, previously occupied by the former Kuching Municipal Council (KMC).
“Turning it into the art gallery will bring the building to a much greater height, and visitors will be able to see pieces of art, especially those from Sarawak,” he said.
