By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 11: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah made history on Monday as the first minister in Asia to address the prestigious International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress, speaking on government-industry collaboration during the 63rd edition of the global event in Porto, Portugal.
Sarawak’s largest-ever delegation took centre stage at the 64th ICCA Congress 2025, reinforcing the State’s position as a global force in legacy-driven business events.
Led by Abdul Karim, the delegation showcased Sarawak’s pioneering whole-of-government and whole-of-industry approach to elevating business events industry as catalysts for sustainable economic and social progress.
Held under the theme “Uniting the Global Business Events Community”, this year’s congress spotlighted collaboration as the cornerstone of innovation, resilience, and transformative growth within the international business events sector.
A key highlight was the session titled “Dialogue between Ministers and Industry Leaders: How to Really Work Together”, where Abdul Karim represented Malaysia and Asia on the global stage.
In his address, he highlighted Sarawak’s model of deploying business events through strong inter-ministerial partnerships.
“Long-term thinking is essential to strengthen confidence and align industry needs with national priorities.
“We will be signing MoUs (memorandum of understandings) with 12 Sarawak ministries in December to reflect the government’s commitment to business events and strengthen collaboration between the government and the industry. This will be the biggest government-industry partnership in Malaysia’s business events industry,” he said in a media release.
Adding to Sarawak’s growing reputation, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) board of directors’ chairman Datu Hii Chang Kee and its chief executive officer (CEO) Amelia Roziman were also featured speakers at ICCA’s Asia Pacific Chapter meeting.
When asked about Sarawak’s remarkable 100 percent bid success rate since 2021, Hii credited the government’s unwavering support.
“Besides investing in high-impact and high-value topics, our success stems from the government’s strong commitment to collaboration.
“Every bid is backed by a unified effort across ministries, agencies, and industry partners, all aligned under Sarawak’s legacy-driven vision to create long-term benefits for communities, not just host events,” he said.
During the congress, BESarawak received the ICCA Award of Appreciation for its outstanding contribution to the development of the Asia Pacific business events industry.
“We are truly honoured to be recognised as a regional leader in transformative business events. These platforms have transformed Sarawak from a passive participant in the global market to an active innovator of the future. We are turning local assets of knowledge, culture, and industries into global advantages,” said Amelia upon receiving the award.
ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath praised Sarawak’s collaborative approach, calling it a “living example” of how effective partnerships between government and industry can drive transformative growth.
“The collaboration between the Sarawak government and our industry partners through the convention bureau demonstrates how a shared vision can create measurable outcomes and meaningful impact. ICCA is proud to recognise Sarawak as it continues to grow as a capital of business events.”
The Sarawak delegation to Porto included representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Sarawak Arts Council, Sarawak Museum Department, Sarawak Craft Council, Miri Business Events Committee led by Mayor Adam Yii, and Sibu Business Events Committee chaired by Dr Renco Yong. — DayakDaily
