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KUCHING, July 6: The Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association (FSJA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia (PWI) Kalimantan Barat Region to foster closer ties among the journalists from both parties today.
Governor of Kalimantan Barat, Sutarmidji, witnessed the signing ceremony at his office in Pontianak.
During the ceremony, FSJA was represented by vice president II Jacqueline David and PWI Kalbar represented by president Gusti Yusri.
Also present were Consul General of Malaysia in Pontianak, Azizul Zekri Abd Rahim; FSJA president Andy Jong; and Alexandri Legawa, Staff of Protocol and Consular Section from Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching.
According to Gusti, the MoU aims to improve the cooperation between the both parties through annual meetings which is expected to be held in Kuching, Pontianak or a place that will be decided in the future.
“In later meetings, we will discuss current issues in the field of journalism, information technology, social, economy, sports, art, tourism, education and culture.
“Secondly, we will also exchange information from both sides to build a positive image in Sarawak and West Kalimantan, apart from building friendships through journalism activities,” he told reporters during the event.
Meanwhile, Jong said the MoU will allow FSJA and PWI Kalbar to enhance the economy between their respective countries, especially in marketing their local products.
“In Sarawak, we will see a lot of sales on products made in Indonesia. Likewise, when we come to Indonesia, we will find products from Sarawak. This is one of our goals to promote the economy in Sarawak and Indonesia.
“In terms of the tourism sector, Sarawak have many interesting places for tourists such as Mulu National Park, Niah National Park, Darul Hana Bridge and so on,” he stated.
At the same time, Alexandri pointed out that both Sarawak and Kalimantan Barat have similarities in terms of ethnic, culture, language and culinary offerings.
“There are many more sectors that can be explored further to increase the tourism potential of both countries including cooperation in cultural events such as Gawai Dayak, Sarawak Regatta, Pontianak Dragon Boat, cross-border tours and so on,” he said. — DayakDaily
