Putting Kuching at the forefront
Festival aims to showcase arts, culture and lifestyles of the city and Sarawak to a wider audience
I urge those wonderful talents, including those who are living abroad, who are still not a part of this year’s WAK, to put in their proposals for next year. Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister
KUCHING: Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah wants to see the upcoming ‘What About Kuching’ (WAK) festival continue to be held in the coming years.
“We have a lot of things to show,” he said of the month-long celebration of arts, culture and lifestyles which will be officially launched by the chief minister on Sept 30.
Speaking at the launch of ‘JOY - Photographs & Haiku’ yesterday, Abdul Karim recalled that 20 components had confirmed participation in the festival during its first media launch in July.
“Today, there are 74 components. The ministry is very happy because this is something that came from the community. As a Kuchingite myself, I am very proud.”
He added that he was astounded by the volume and range of exciting pursuits and passion here in Kuching.
“I urge those wonderful talents, including those who are living abroad, who are still not a part of this year’s WAK, to put in their proposals for next year.”
Also present were festival coordinators Donald and Marina Tan, who also organised the JOY exhibition, Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMSB) group managing director Dato Richard Curtis, and poet Angelina Bong from Wordsmiths of Kuching.
J OY features travel photographs from Donald and Marina, collectively known as maridontreks. The 30 images can be viewed at the Kuching Waterfront, and each image is paired with a haiku written specially for the exhibition by Wordsmiths of Kuching, a group of spoken word poets and storytellers.
“I urge everyone to visit this public exhibition at our beautiful Kuching Waterfront and perhaps der ive some deg ree of JOY themselves through the wonder fully captured images and lovingly composed haiku. If this exhibition brings a smile to your face, the organisers would have achieved their goal in putting up this joyful event,” said Abdul Karim.
According to Donald, the exhibition does not exclusively showcase Sarawak images.
“But it highlights a feature that is very commonplace here in Kuching and Sarawak, our overwhelming pleasure of being able to call this land our home, our real JOY.”
In the coming month- long celebration, Kuchingites will get to see mural artist Leonard Siaw creating a gigantic mural on the side of an entire building, forest sculptor Spencer Byles bringing some of his Wild Forest Sculptures to the Kuching Waterfront, Sarawakian artist Ramsay Ong exhibiting his latest creative masterpieces and numerous other artists and performers showcasing their talents to the wider audience in Kuching.
KUCHING: Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation ( SFO) can invest in agriculture machinery for the benefit of members and to create additional stream of income.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, in suggesting this, said farm mechanisation was crucial to reshape the agriculture landscape of Sarawak.
“We know that many rural farmers are not able to invest in such big machinery. So, SFO can consider buying the machines and renting them out to their members and farmers, which is another source of revenue for the organisation,” he said.
Uggah said the proposed initiative would augur well with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s vision to transform the agriculture sector through technology and the digital economy.
“The agriculture sector is encouraged to adopt mechanisation and precision farming using technology but this particular initiative has yet to be implemented. We need to move forward together,” he added.
We know that many rural farmers are not able to invest in such big machinery. So, SFO can consider buying the machines and renting them out to their members and farmers, which is another source of revenue for the organisation. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, Deputy Chief Minister
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said this at SFO 32nd annual general meeting (AGM) here yesterday.
“The government, under the leadership of the chief minister has put an aggressive effort to leapfrog state’s economy, including the rural areas which must be developed in line with the digital transformation.”
He said many projects had been introduced and implemented to transform Sarawak’s agriculture sector and enhance the standard of living of the rural population.
“However, some projects have failed. As such, it is vital for all the 28 Area Farmers’ Organisations (AFOs) in the state to figure out the problems and how to resolve them.
“Also, think about how we can take this opportunity while the government is transforming the agriculture sector. We also need to have stronger teamwork,” he said.
On the five per cent sales tax exemption for palm oil raised by SF O chairman Datuk Sylvester Entri, Uggah said the matter would be brought to the attention of the chief minister.
The event witnessed the presentation of cheques from National Farmers’ Organisation ( Nafas) to SFO ( RM50,000) and 28 AFOs (RM3,000 per AFO totalling RM84,000) and PeladangNita Negeri Sarawak ( RM20,000).
Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah and Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail as well as Nafas deputy chairman Datuk Mohd Nazri Abdullah, Farmers’ Organisation Board deputy director- general (Development) Hamzah Bahari and permanent secretary to Uggah’s Ministry Buckland Bangik were among those present.