(From left) Abdul Karim, Abang Johari and others make their way to the hall for the KIBW 2017 gala dinner. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The Kuching International Bike Week (KIBW) is set to return on a bigger scale in two years’ time.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah pledged to support the event — held every two years — for many more years to come.
“Make sure you (bikers) mark your diary. In two years’ time, come back for a bigger KIBW,” he said when addressing bikers at the KIBW 2017 gala dinner held at a leading hotel here last Saturday.
Abdul Karim said the government had a lot of things planned for 2019, the year when the museum here would be completed.
“We will also have two international sports events to be held in 2019. And there are some more events to be announced soon,” he added.
He noted that bikers — from Indonesia, Brunei, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Labuan and the United States — had taken a ride to Siniawan town on Saturday morning.
“I was told that 3,000 to 4,000 bikers were engaged in the activities held in conjunction with KIBW 2017.
“They also rode from one city hall to another city hall. It is very special because Kuching is a city with two city halls (Kuching South City Council and Kuching North City Commission),” he said.
A total of 1,130 bikers attended the gala dinner graced by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and wife Datin Patinggi Dato Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang were among the special guests.