KUCHING, Feb 16: Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg is the new chairman of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) for 2022-2023, succeeding Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad who has helmed the Board as the first BESarawak chairman since 2006.
This was announced by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, Performing Arts, Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Three new members have also been appointed to the Board, comprising Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting, Sarawak Research Society chairman Associate Professor Dr Hiram Ting, and Sarawak government digital economy chief scientist-cum-chief advisor Professor Jugdutt Singh.
Abdul Karim said strong representations from the public and private sectors are imperative as business events serve vertical industries with customers from all sectors.
Meanwhile, BESarawak chief executive officer (CEO) Amelia Roziman said the new Board lineup has given good assurance of the industry’s future to her team at BESarawak.
“With Datuk Abang Abdul Karim’s tremendous insight and experience in business events — plus an excellent lineup of other visionary members to assist his role — new ideas will be brought forward on how we can optimise business events to develop the Sarawak government’s 13 Key Priority Areas and support Sarawak’s economic growth and social development.
“We look forward to fruitful cooperation with our Board,” she said in a statement yesterday (Feb 15).
Other members who have been reappointed for 2022-2023 were State Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, Miri City Council (MCC) mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, Sarawak Economic Planning Unit diretor Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Universiti Teknologi Mara Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Margaret Chan, and Sarawak Tourism Federation president Audry Wan Ullok. — DayakDaily
