KUCHING: The Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia 2022 held in the heart of Kuching City will boost Sarawak’s tourism industry with the arrival of more visitors in the future.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg thanked the federal government for choosing Sarawak, particularly Kuching as the programme’s host this year.
“Kuching is among the earliest cities to be selected to organise and host this auspicious programme. I would like to thank the federal government and the delegations who came to Kuching for the Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia 2022 programme.
“Hopefully the visit by Keluarga Besar Malaysia from outside Sarawak will drive the state’s tourism industry,” he said.
Abang Johari said this in his speech during the launch of Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia 2022 officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob last night at the Kuching Waterfront.
He pointed out that Sarawak, particularly Kuching, had its own strengths as a host of the programme.
He said that the Land of Hornbills was almost as big as Peninsular Malaysia while Kapit division was nearly as big as the state of Pahang.
“Because of its vastness, Sarawak is definitely unique in terms of its people and environment. The state in itself is Citrawarna in terms of culture, language and dialect, race and descent, diversity of food as well as its flora and fauna.
“We welcome visitors, especially those from Peninsular Malaysia, to come and visit Sarawak. This is so that they can see and experience for themselves the uniqueness of the state,” he said.
Abang Johari stated that it was no wonder that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has named Kuching as the Creative City of Gastronomy.
He added that Kuching could also be given the title of a City of Culture with the completion of the Borneol Cultures Museum, the largest cultural museum in the country that would open to the public soon.
“In the north, Miri City, a resort city located by the sea, is the gateway to one of the largest cave complexes in the world, namely, the Mulu Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Miri City is also the gateway to the cave complex where the oldest prehistoric settlement in the region, namely, the Niah Cave where archaeologists have found human fossils over 60,000 years old,” he said.
At the same time, he also thanked Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Ragad Kurdi Taib for gracing the programme with their presence.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and other dignitaries.
