By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 14: Sarawak will be hosting the national-level International Museum Day celebration next year with the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts planning to make it an even bigger event to attract domestic tourism.
Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah emphasised that this will augur well for Sarawak, especially with the opening of the Borneo Cultures Museum (BMC) which has to date drawn 250,000 visitors since March 9.
“It is a very big number (of visitors) and even the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Charge D’Affaires (Michael Newbill) said he was amazed during his recent visit.
“It is only right when we (Sarawak) host the event (International Museum Day celebration), we do it on a large-scale in which every museum in Malaysia is expected to send a big delegation,” he said during a press conference at his office here today.
Abdul Karim thus pointed out that hosting the event will be good to drive domestic tourism by pulling in visitors and tourists to various attractions and destinations Sarawak has to offer.
“It can become a tourism event that will benefit many sectors in our economy, notably the hotels, services, retail as well as food and beverages sectors,” he added.
Abdul Karim today presented the Sarawak flag to Sarawak Museum Department chef de mission Rhemy Romeo who will be leading a 31-member Sarawak delegation to Kota Bharu, Kelantan which is hosting this year’s national-level annual International Museum Day celebration from June 18 to 25.
This year’s celebration is themed “The Power of Museums” with objectives of bring positive change to the community through museums with the power of achieving sustainability, the power of innovating through digitalisation and the power of community building through education.
The International Museum Day celebration started in 1977, through the resolution of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and is celebrated on May 18 every year by 37,000 museums around the world.
According to the Sarawak Museum Department, next year Sarawak will be a third-time host for the national-level International Museum Day celebration, with the previous occasions in 2013 and 2003.
Sarawak Museum Department director Tazudin Mohtar was among those present at today’s function. — DayakDaily
