BY GABRIEL LIHAN & ELEAZAR BARRICK PETER
KUCHING: The What About Kuching (WAK) Festival is back for its 5th edition, marking a remarkable evolution into an extraordinary cultural phenomenon dedicated to celebrating the arts, culture, and lifestyle of Kuching’s community.
Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah highlighted the festival’s growth, noting how it has expanded significantly compared to its inaugural year.
“I can see that Sarawak, especially Kuching, has many talented individuals in various capacities, whether in music or performing arts.
“This festival provides them with a platform to showcase their talents and skills,” he said at a press conference here on today (Sept 15) after officiating the WAK 2023 Festival Calendar Reveal.
Abdul Karim, who is the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, also commended festival director Donald Tan and his team for their remarkable dedication in steering the festival into its fifth year.
“I would say that WAK is still very new, very young; I consider this event a baby compared to others like the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) or Kuching Marathon, which are much older,” he noted.
He also expressed his happiness that October, with its busy schedule, would offer entertainment for visitors to Kuching and showcase the city’s wealth of talent.
Since its inception in 2017, WAK has become a significant part of the ministry’s annual events calendar, embodying the spirit of “by the community, for the community.”
Abdul Karim expressed his delight at seeing WAK transform the city with an exciting line-up of events, aiming to be an iconic international celebration of art, culture, and lifestyle in line with Sarawak’s vision of growth and prosperity.
He emphasised that Sarawak, with its vibrant and talented youth, is blessed, and WAK has continually demonstrated the innovation and creativity of the state’s young population.
“I believe each one of us, and the collaborators, has a special talent that shines when given the right platform.”
The WAK Festival is scheduled to take place from Oct 1 to 31. The press conference also featured Tan, Kuching North City Hall mayor Hilmy Othman, Padawan Municipal Council chairman Tan Kai, and Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts assistant principal secretary Nasir Lariwoo.
