By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, April 23: Kuching will host a new regional collaboration platform, Tee.F.Dee (The Friendship Diplomacy), from May 21 to 23 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), bringing together ASEAN industries across arts, technology, music, crafts and trade.
Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the programme marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Sarawak and Indonesia’s Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM), alongside participation from other regional partners.
“Tourism will also be a major component, because when participants come from Jakarta, Singapore and West Malaysia, it will naturally support the hospitality and tourism industries.
“They will stay in hotels, use transport services and engage with various supporting sectors. Our main goal is to position Sarawak as a hub for industry innovation and cultural diplomacy,” he said when speaking during a press conference held at Baitul Makmur 2 here today.
Tee.F.Dee is jointly organised by The Sophie’s Choice Sdn Bhd (TSC) as the lead organiser and Kaizen Quality Sdn Bhd as co-producer.
It is supported by the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP); Indonesia’s Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) and Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching (KJRI), along with strategic partners and supporting bodies including Sarawak Craft Council, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), Pro AudioVisual & Lighting Integration Association of Singapore (AVLIAS), Association of Indonesian Music Audio Video Equipment Activists (APAVMI), and ALIVE (Malaysia).
TSC founder and director Andy ‘Atis’ Manuhutu said Tee.F.Dee is structured around four key components — SEAMEX (Southeast Asia Merchant Expo), Craftxibition, Collab-Hub and BeatRoot Festival.
“SEAMEX is an exhibition of industry-level equipment, if not world-class, whether produced in Indonesia or in Sarawak.
“Craftxibition will highlight modern and traditional crafts mainly brought in from Indonesia and other countries, while Collab-Hub serves as a space where speakers will talk about digital art and music, including the software and hardware available for people to integrate in creating art and music,” he said.
As for the BeatRoot Festival which Andy described as the “crowd-puller”, international artist Brian McKnight is expected to headline the event, alongside regional acts from Indonesia, West Malaysia and Singapore.
“On the first day, we will feature Tabola Bale singer Juan Reza. He is a songwriter and composer, and he will be here with his team. The contract has already been signed.
“For the second night, we are in the final stage of confirmation. We are finalising several Malaysian artists including Alyph, SonaOne and Layla Sania.
“We are also expected to feature Shigga Shay from Singapore, and more names will be announced tomorrow on social media,” he said.
Ticket prices for the music segment are set between RM195 and RM328, while VIP passes are priced at around RM450 per night. Exhibition and networking components will be free of charge.
Andy said the organisers expect between 700 and 1,000 visitors daily for the exhibitions, while the concert segment will be capped at around 4,000 attendees for safety and crowd management purposes, although the venue can accommodate up to 8,000 standing.
Also present during the press conference were Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts II (Creative Industry and Performing Arts) Datuk Snowdan Lawan; MTCP permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick; and Kaizen Quality managing director Muhammad Alvin Justin. — DayakDaily
