KUCHING: The state tourism players will soon have more opportunities to market Sarawak in international trade shows overseas soon, says Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said this was based on an assurance from Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz who said that Sarawak and Sabah would be promoted as the Number 1 tourism spot in Malaysia.
Nazri, who visited the two states not long after his appointment to the post, had said here last Saturday that he would give more attention to Sabah and Sarawak “as ignoring them would surely result in the drop in targeted numbers of tourist arrivals.”
“Datuk Seri Nazri has said that Sabah and Sarawak are the two pillars of tourism in the country. And we will have further discussions on tourism promotions overseas to promote the two states.
“There are still many details which we need to refine between us and Nazri,” he told reporters here after chairing a Saberkas supreme council meeting yesterday.
Abang Johari also said he was hopeful that the state would get more international direct flights after Nazri had said the ministry would talk to the Ministry of Transport as soon as possible to address the perennial issue of lifting the special protection given to Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
Nazri had said he was an advocate for more direct flights to Kuching, and the lifting of the special protection to the national carrier would pave way for more international flights to the state.
“The issue is one of matters which are still being discussed by me and Nazri to strengthen the tourism industry,” he said.
On another matter, Abang Johari, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president said the state BN welcomed the extra allocation of RM30 million from the federal government to continue the native customary rights (NCR) land perimeter survey. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the extra allocation for the continuation of the NCR land perimeter survey up to 2014, bringing the total to RM90 million since the survey started in 2011.
“It shows that Barisan Nasional is really honouring its promises to assist the people in rural areas. One of these promises is to provide funds for the perimeter survey of NCR lands.
“There are still a lot of NCR lands not surveyed, so the government from time to time will increase the allocation. A total of RM60 million had been allocated so far, so another RM30 million is a welcomed addition,” he said.