KUCHING: Chartered flights for Hebei-Kuching and vice versa will start this December, announced Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Abang Johari, who is also Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said many Chinese tourists were interested in visiting Sarawak instead of Sabah.
“We welcome chartered flights from Hebei to Sarawak. They want to visit Sarawak because of our cultural diversity,” he said when opening the Chawan Chinese Arts and Calligraphy Exhibition at Boulevard Shopping Mall here yesterday.
The exhibition, which featured the masterpieces of calligraphers and artists from China, was held in connection with the Sarawak Chawan Association’s 80th anniversary.
Abang Johari said Sarawak also aimed at ‘sharing Empurau with the Chinese’ by exporting the pricey fish to Hong Kong.
He noted that the state had now a new policy of culling crocodiles in overly populated areas.
“We follow what the Australians have been doing, to declare certain season as culling season,” he said, adding that some businessmen in Guangzhou, China had indicated their interest in the crocodile skin.
Pointing out that they could use the crocodile skin for commercial purposes, he said the state could work out a plan by collaborating with conservationists towards this end.
In this context, he said the Chawan community could establish networking with their counterparts in China to explore business opportunities.
Abang Johari also pledged a RM50,000 government grant in aid of the association’s anniversary celebration.