Poster
MIRI: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will strive to make improvement in the managing and staging of Borneo Jazz to make it an iconic event in the region.
Giving this assurance during his walkabout at the festival site here yesterday, festival steering committee chairman and STB chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said the board, however, needed input and assistance from private sectors,
especially in terms of sponsorship as it was a costly event to organise.
EVERYTHING IN ORDER: Rashid (second right) indulges in a light moment with volunteers during the site inspection.
Asked on the possibility of inviting Malaysian jazz queen Sheila Majid to perform in the next festival as proposed and requested by jazz fans, Rashid said: “We will be looking into it and if we have more sponsors coming forward there is possibility for Sheila’s fans to see her performing live here next year.
She has many followers not only here in the state but also elsewhere in the region. It will be great if we can feature her in the festival.”
Disclosing that there had been an increase of 50 per cent in tourist and visitor arrival through Sungai Tujoh Checkpoint during and after last year’s festival, Rashid said it was important for Miri to present itself as a lively and vibrant resort city.
“We are willing to work together with the private sector in organising events that can turn Miri into a vibrant resort city.
“The board will help to promote and market them in the region and beyond,” he assured.
Rashid said Borneo Jazz was part of STB’s contribution to make Miri a lively and vibrant city and tourist destination, disclosing that the board would be bringing Miri-born international singing sensation Zee Avi to perform at Miri Indoor Stadium on July 7.
“We hope to bring in more visitors and tourists especially from Brunei to come here. We welcome organisers, especially from the private sector, to organise such events in Miri and we will be helping them in some aspects especially in promotion. It would be good for Miri if more come forward with their events,” he enthused.
As a tourism event, he said, the coming festival would incorporate local contents; among them would be sale and demonstration of local arts and handicrafts.
He said they would also invite a brass band from SMK Chung Hua to perform from 2pm to 3pm tomorrow.
On another matter, as part of STB’s corporate social responsibility to make Miri City green, he said they would conduct a tree planting ceremony at Curtin University and work closely with Miri City Council on waste management generated throughout the festival.