by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 6: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak is exploring potential collaborations with Indonesia’s Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen the creative industry and enhance support for micro, small, and medium enterprises engaged in cultural and heritage-based businesses here.
According to a statement today, the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan met with Maman Abdurrahman, Indonesia’s Minister of MSMEs, to discuss potential collaboration between the two ministries.
The meeting focused on fostering stronger regional ties in the creative industry and enhancing support for micro, small, and medium enterprises engaged in cultural and heritage-based businesses.
One of the key areas of collaboration is strengthening networks among creative industry players, particularly batik entrepreneurs, weavers, and performing arts practitioners.
“Given the rich cultural heritage shared by Sarawak and Indonesia, both ministries recognise the importance of facilitating cross-border exchanges, business partnerships, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
“This collaboration could enhance the visibility of artisans and performers, enabling them to reach wider markets while preserving traditional crafts and artistic expressions,” it said.
Both ministries also discussed the promotion of creative and heritage products at the regional level such as participation in exhibitions, cultural expos, and entrepreneurship training programmes.
“By leveraging existing platforms and creating new avenues for showcasing creative products, Sarawak and Indonesia can boost the commercial viability of heritage-based industries while promoting cultural appreciation,” it added.
The Ministry is also looking to Indonesia for inspiration on its MSME financing and support models to strengthen its creative business ecosystem.
“Indonesia has implemented various initiatives to provide financial assistance, capacity-building programmes, and digital transformation support for small-scale entrepreneurs.
“Learning from these models could help Sarawak develop more effective policies and funding mechanisms to empower its creative industry players, ensuring long-term sustainability and economic resilience,” it said.
This discussion marks the beginning of a promising collaboration between Sarawak and Indonesia in the creative and cultural sectors.
Moving forward, both ministries will explore concrete steps to implement joint initiatives that foster economic growth, cultural preservation, and regional cooperation. – DayakDaily
