Supporting the collaboration between Sarawak Museum Department and State Education Department

I have applauded the initiatives undertaken by our State Museum Department who will be collaborating with State Education Department is organising events as well as activities for our young folks in the effort to encourage them to appreciate as well as get interested in history.

We must encourage our young folks to come often to the museum because it is an interesting place for them to see ancient artefacts and learn so much on their history as well as heritage. If we look at western countries, their museums are popular among the young people and even school children can be seen lining up to visit the museums.

I have also suggested to our Sarawak Museum Department to find better ways to get our young folks to get interested with the various museums we have throughout the state. The relevant departments can work together in achieving the same goals and objectives for the benefit of our young generation. 

Our Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) is the largest in Malaysia as well as on Borneo Island and it can become a magnet for our young generation to come and to gather invaluable knowledge on the past history of their mother land. 

Learning can be a fun and exciting for our young folks with the museum serving as a good avenue for them to get together in exploring their rich heritage and past history. Similarly, I have called on the public including our media friends to do their part in encouraging the younger generation to appreciate their history and heritage.

   

Welcoming to 1 Millionth Visitor at Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM)

It was a pleasure to have met 9-year-old Noor Shazieyatull Amani, the 1 millionth visitor to our Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) and it was also a pleasant surprise for her family members who accompanied her to the complex over the weekend.

Our special visitor was accompanied by her 6-year-old sister, Noor Dalisha Afia together with her 36-year-old father, Mohd Shahril Muhirin and 34-year-old mother, Noor Azizah Mohd Ali Kannpiah.

I also thanked our media friends who seek my comments on the background of visitors to the museum which has received visitors from over 152 countries since it was opened on March 9, 2022.

The most number of visitors to BCM is from from Indonesia which registered a total of 8,055 visitors followed by Singapore with 5,999 people, the United Kingdom at 3,239, and Australia with 2,766 visitors.

The museum’s total gate collection which includes visitor tickets and rental of facilities since the opening until 21 April 2024 is RM5,861,369.

What had made us proud is that many past visitors had informed us that they are very impressed with our museum. It is comparable with other museums that they have visited around the world and rest assured that the rate of entry into the BCM is still cheaper as compared to other museums outside the country.

My comments on the implementation of Central Database Hub (PADU)

Recently I have voiced out Sarawak's government reservations on the implementation and requirement for our folks to complete registration on the Central Database Hub (PADU). Our state government has its own reservations on this...it was discussed in the recent cabinet meeting. For Sarawak we have asked for it to be modified.

But I have also mentioned our state government is not saying that it is against PADU and will support it if it has good intentions. Of course we will support but if there’s ulterior motive, we will not be happy.

On a personal note, I have deemed the database’s need for detailed personal information such as bank accounts and housing loans as akin to stripping citizens naked. Personally, I believe there must be a slight change for the state. For PADU, I see something like what we have before – e-Kasih. Why do you keep on wanting to change, two to three years the system keeps changing?

The moment you fill in, you ‘bogelkan diri sendiri’ (strip yourself naked). Practically everything – your bank account, your house, everything! I don’t think that is a proper way to treat your citizens.

If PADU is meant to help the poor, let them fill it in, those receiving government aid can fill that in; but you don’t go across the board and say everybody must fill it in. I have also questioned the real purpose behind PADU’s implementation, adding that the data could be exploited for political purposes.

Personally, I feel that we shouldn’t rush through things. Look into the details, why do we need this? Is it because you want to help the poor or is it because you want to know how many people in a village? That’s the role of the Statistics Department.

Back then we have e-Kasih to search for those who are poor, why do we need Padu? It is more or less the same. Just that in Padu, if you don’t fill it in, the aid recipients may miss out. If so, we can always source it elsewhere and we don’t need to do PADU. However, those registered under the Welfare Department should register with PADU.

Welcoming our guests from Wakayama State University of Japan

It was a pleasure to have met Dr Mitsugi Motoyama, President of Wakayama State University in Japan who is in Kuching recently for a visit. Dr Mitsugi is in the city together with a delegation from Wakayama University and they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

hashtand i-CATS University College.

We hosted dinner for the visitors recently and among those who were also present were Datu Hii Chang Kee, Deputy State Secretary of Sarawak; Datu Sherrina Husaini, Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP); i-CATS Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Shahren Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce; Vice Chancellor of UNIMAS, Professor Dr Ahmad Hata and Director of Wakayama University's Center for Tourism Studies, Professor Etsuko Higashi.

Getting excited with 6th edition of "What About Kuching" (WAK) Festival 2024

We are excited with the forthcoming 6th edition of “What About Kuching” (WAK) Festival 2024 that will have satellite mini-festivals to be held in Sibu next June and Miri in August. These two new venues will extend the cultural extravaganza to our creative communities in central and northern parts of Sarawak.

Thus, our creative communities throughout Sarawak are also invited to seize the opportunity by participating and submitting their proposals for this year’s WAK.

The staging of WAK will enable us come together to transform the month of October into a spectacular showcase of artistic innovation and cultural exchange. Since its inception in 2017 as a grassroots festival featuring 57 unique events and 48 collaborators, the annual WAK Festival had evolved into a significant cultural force, drawing an audience of 277,766 in 2023.

The WAK Festival has always been a community-driven month-long open access celebration of the arts, culture and lifestyle. Happening every October, our local folks had always look forward to the multi-genre programme is centred around Kuching with the celebration mood felt all over. It has the potential to become one of the world’s biggest arts and culture festivals much like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.