Sarawak: Amid global economic challenges, Sarawak is reinforcing its commitment to ASEAN’s core values, calling for stronger regional cooperation built on sustainability and inclusivity. Its Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, stated that Sarawak has positioned itself as a committed regional partner, echoing ASEAN’s 2025 theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’ as a blueprint for resilience.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Abdul Karim expressed that Sarawak aligns with ASEAN, actively contributing to the region and demonstrating that environmental stewardship and social unity can coexist. During a period of global trade tension, he emphasized the need to move forward collaboratively to ensure shared prosperity while promoting sustainability. This was part of his speech at the state gala dinner for the 33rd ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting.
He highlighted that Sarawak’s strategy, focusing on green economy initiatives, commitment to indigenous rights, and inclusive development, benefits not only local communities but the wider region. Additionally, Abdul Karim noted that ASEAN countries were the largest source of visitor arrivals to Sarawak in 2024, accounting for over 55 percent of the total 2.6 million visitors. As of March this year, Sarawak recorded 581,775 visitor arrivals from ASEAN countries, with Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia making up the largest portions at 67 percent and 28 percent, respectively.
The gala dinner also saw the presence of Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn. The ongoing ASCC Council Meeting is a biannual ministerial-level gathering addressing key socio-cultural issues across the ASEAN region. This year’s meeting, held from April 22 to 26, included representatives from ASEAN members such as Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.