Ministry highlights uniqueness of S’wak and Sabah through cultural troupes

KUCHING: The federal Tourism and Culture Ministry has embarked on a tourism exchange programme involving cultural groups from both Sabah and Sarawak and their counterparts from other countries.

According to its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, his ministry had been bringing several troupes from the two states to a number of global summits, where they got to show the uniqueness of their resepctive ethnic cultures.

“We have brought these groups to Russia and Germany and in July, we will bring a cultural group from Sabah to Australia and New Zealand,” he told reporters when met at the ‘ Tourism and Culture Gawai Open House’ at Dayak Bidayuh National Association ( DBNA) Hall near Jalan Ong Tiang Swee here on Thursday night.

Nazri also pointed out that the direct flights via Singapore Airlines (SIA) had helped a lot in increasing the number of tourists, by making the island republic as the transit hub.

“Through SIA, tourists particularly those from America and Europe only need to transit in Singapore before heading to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.”

Nazri also acknowledged the role of low- cost carrier AirAsia in bringing in more tourists from Chinato Sarawak and Sabah.

Earlier at the event, Nazri said the open house tradition observed during celebrations such as Gawai Dayak could really enhance national integration, as people of difference races, religions and social backgrounds could visit and understand the cultures of each other.

“This is what we want – for everybody to share the festive joy irrespective of their backgrounds.”

The gathering was also attended Assistant Minister for Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin and DBNA chairman Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.