By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 21: The Sarawak Artists Society (SAS) presented a painting and its corresponding non-fungible token (NFT) to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP), marking the first NFT ever to be given to the Sarawak government.
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, received the painting from SAS president David Chew today at Baitul Makmur II.
The painting created by Chew himself during the Sarawak International Art Camp (SIAC) in December last year was inspired by the environment of the Annah Rais longhouse and the local folk.
Abdul Karim said the NFT reflects the commitment of the Sarawak government towards embracing digital transformation in all sectors of the economy.
“NFTs or non-fungible tokens are unique digital assets recorded on a blockchain, making them tamper-proof, verifiable, and impossible to duplicate.
“They are a new and emerging technology that has gained immense popularity over the past few years, especially in the creative world of art. NFTs represent a new way of thinking about ownership, authenticity, and value, and they offer potential benefits to the government and its people,” he told the press during the ceremony.
Abdul Karim, who is also Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED), further said the potential benefits of NFTs are numerous, including the ability to create new revenue streams, promote tourism, and enhance the cultural and artistic heritage of Sarawak.
“We also recognise that NFTs can provide an innovative way to support artists and promote their works, not only locally but globally, thereby giving significant exposure for our artists to step onto the world stage,” he added.
Amongst those present were Deputy Minister of Tourism Dato Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew and Deputy Minister of Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan. — DayakDaily
