KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) is supportive of Sarawak Tourism Board (STB)’s target to draw five million visitors during next year’s Visit Sarawak Campaign.
“I think that target has been set by STB or rather the government. We understand from the industry that they had done quite a bit of campaigning, digitally as well as using other forms of media, and they are working very hard at it. I think STF member associations have also come up with some programmes of their own,” said the outgoing advisor of the Heritage Development Committee of STF Datuk Lim Kian Hock to New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Lim was asked to comment on STB chief executive officer Sharzede Datuk Salleh Askor’s comments that the board expected to draw five million visitors.
“They have a few programmes that they will launch at the end of this month – I think in Kuching,” he said.
According to him, they should be okay because the federal government would also be having its Visit Malaysia 2020.
“In fact I am always doing this Historical Heritage and I think 2020 is going to be a very important year for World War II veterans and their families because it is the 75th anniversary.
“We have indications that some Australian veterans and other veterans nowadays are aging and many of them are having problems with mobility. Most of them are 70 years old or older. Their children have indicated that they want to go to Bario on March 25, 2020,” he said, adding that March 25 was the historic parachute landing of British and Australian commandos led by the late Tom Harrisson.
For Batu Lintang, he said, the group also had some indications that they were coming for the liberation of the place on September 11. The Japanese surrendered to the Allied forces on September 11, 1945.
“They (Australian veterans and families) will come in 2020 to celebrate the 75th anniversary at Batu Lintang,” he said, adding that the veterans usually come from Australia but this time around some would come from England.
He added they would be bringing all their family members and grandchildren as indicated by the grandson of Brigadier-General Sir Thomas Astute.
Sir Thomas was the general who represented the Australian army to receive the Japanese surrender. The document of that surrender was signed somewhere at Pending Point (near Shell’s former oil depot).
Lim said that after the document was signed on-board an Australian ship, the general brought the group to Batu Lintang before 4pm or 5pm and it was there that they announced the release of the prisoners of war.
The next day on December 12, 1945, they had thanksgiving and after that they were brought to Labuan, and eventually to Australia and England.
“I say that the Batu Lintang event will be a beautiful occasion because it would mark a time when we look towards peace and hope.
“The other 9/11 in the USA is something else involving people who suffered and destruction. The 9/11 in Batu Lintang is peace,” he said.
