By Nigel Edgar
KUCHING, Oct 15: State Secretary Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani hopes to use the forthcoming 8th Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) Global Conference and General Assembly 2018 as a platform to promote Kuching City as a preferred tourist destination.
Six hundred confirmed participants have been recorded so far, where 275 are foreigners from 10 countries and two international organisations. Some of these foreign delegations will be led by their respective city mayors. They are from Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Oman, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, World Health Organisation (WHO) and AFHC Japan.
Speaking to a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex here this morning, Mohamad Morshidi said, “This event can also be used as a platform to promote Kuching not just as a healthy city but also as a place where we can attract more tourists to come. More tourists mean more business for the people in Kuching and more opportunities for our small businesses to bloom.”
The event will be held from Oct 17-19 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Apart from the general assembly and various forums, there will be a new activity that would be useful for the foreign delegates. The on-site workshop and visit would add value to the technical visit that is normally held on the last day, Morshidi explained.
He said four venues had been selected for the activity, where the visit would be combined with an experience-sharing session and workshop at each venue while touring the venue.
“The delegates will be given an option to choose their sites based on their topic of interest. The venues are the Kuching Friendship Park, Stutong Community Market, India Street Pedestrian Mall and Sarawak Cultural Village,” he said.
He said besides the mayors and officials from cities around the Western Pacific Region, the WHO regional director Dr Shin Young-Soo and WHO Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore director Dr Lo Ying Ru would also be here.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is scheduled to declare open the event this Wednesday (Oct 17) at 10.30am, while Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian is scheduled to close it at 3pm on Friday (Oct 20). — DayakDaily
