INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: Taib (left) looking at the award presented to him by Wong (second left) and Chan (third left). — Photo by Kong Jun Liong
KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has done the city proud by winning the Tourist City 2011 Award at the World Cities Scientific Development Alliance (WCSDA) Forum and the First Mayors’ summit on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Chengdu, China on Aug 11-13.
The event was organised by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), WCSDA and Sister Cities International (SCI), the three international bodies responsible for deciding this year’s winners.
The award was presented to Mayor James Chan that was subsequently handed over to Chief Minister Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday. Kuching South competed with nearly 200 cities from 30 countries in the United States, Canada, South Africa, China, Costa Rica, Ireland, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Jamaica, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, Uganda and Vietnam.
Another recipient of the Tourist City Award was the city of Xining in Qinghai, China.
The Ecological City Award was presented to Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, South Africa and Dali, Yunnan, China while the Cultural City Award was presented to Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) and Luoyang, Henan, China.
Second Minister of Finance and Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh was among those present at the handing over ceremony.