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<b>Sarawak</b> aims to organise own prestigious film festival - The Borneo <b>...</b> Berita Sarawak - News 2 Sarawak

<b>Sarawak</b> aims to organise own prestigious film festival - The Borneo <b>...</b>

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:01 AM PST

by Jonathan Chia, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 16, 2014, Thursday

KUCHING: Sarawak aims to organise its own prestigious film festival much like the Cannes Film Festival in France and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said he was confident that the state would be able to organise such major event after it had successfully organised Asean Film Festival last year, which was attended by many renowned world class artistes.

"God willing, we are confident that we will have our own award in the film industry because we have organised it before.

"The artistes, such as Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, did their corporate social responsibility (CSR). She adopted our turtles in Pulau Talang-Talang as part of the green effort," he said in a press conference yesterday.

Apart from the film award festival, Abang Johari said last year alone, a total of 248 conferences were held in the state, which raked in an estimated expenditure of about RM42 million from the delegates.

Besides that, he said the state had also won 57 convention bids of predominantly international conferences, which are scheduled to be held from early 2014 to 2019.

"We are targeting to win 50 convention bids but we hope to win 60. We are targeting conventions that will provide much better yield than just economics. We are looking for yield that can provide greater education, research, foreign exchange, much better trade and CSR.

"The state government is committed to promote Sarawak as a MICE destination. The trend (of conferences being held in Sarawak) is upward and we have been very competitive. For subsidiary conferences, we are among the top in this region."

Abang Johari said the state was proud that Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) had been chosen to be the host of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in 2016, after beating a venue in Prague in Czech Republic.

"So the participants will come over to Kuching and will see for themselves the infrastructures we have in Kuching. BCCK is quite a unique convention centre. It looks like many like to use BCCK as part of our effort to attract the convention market."

Apart from the conferences, he said the state government also sees the importance of making conference delegates stay longer in the state to tour its various interesting destinations.

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<b>Sarawak&#39;s</b> Super League opener: The battle ahead – BorneoPost <b>...</b>

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

by Matthew Umpang, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 16, 2014, Thursday

AS the 11th season of the Super League starts this weekend, Sarawak head coach Robert Alberts believes that the first five matches are critical for the Crocs, regardless of who their opponents are.

The Dutchman said it would be tough going in the Super League this season as all teams in it are formidable.

Sarawak will travel to Paroi, Negeri Sembilan to face ATM this Saturday (Jan 18).

ATM finished in sixth place in the Super League last season.

Alberts is determined to do anything or everything needed for the Crocs to win.

"If we can play and win ugly,
then we should. If we are a boring side to watch, then so let it be," he said after the friendly
match against SPA Putrajaya last week.

Fans, he believes, should understand that what matters most is the three points and league survival.

Although the team will play Pulau Pinang in the FA Cup three days after the ATM match, the head coach is giving the league top priority.

Sarawak's first home match will be against Kelantan on Jan 25.

"We should try to win all our home fixtures if we are to maintain our presence in the Super League but things will be harder this time, now that we are playing against better sides," said Alberts.

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First-ever Australia Day celebration at Curtin <b>Sarawak</b> – BorneoPost <b>...</b>

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:05 AM PST

MIRI: Curtin University, Sarawak (Curtin Sarawak) will be holding its first-ever Australia Day Sausage Sizzle, an Australian outdoor barbecue event, at its campus on Jan 25, to mark Australia Day 2014 which falls on
Jan 26.

Attending the event will be staff of the university and their families, students attending summer courses as well as local community leaders and representatives of Curtin Sarawak's industry partners and local schools.

Chairman of the Curtin Sarawak Council and former Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan and the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur Education and Science Counsellor Karen Welsh are also expected to attend.

The event will feature a range of Australian food including the proverbial Aussie sausage on a bun, meat pies and damper, besides activities for both children and adults such as a fishing competition, games and a raffle.

There will also be the planting of Australian eucalyptus and gum trees in an 'Australian Grove' at the campus to mark the occasion.

Australia Day is celebrated annually on Jan 26 to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.

In contemporary Australia, the celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the country and are marked by events for the community and families such as official community awards and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the country.

Curtin Sarawak's pro vice-chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowksi said the event would be not just a great way to celebrate Curtin Sarawak's ties with Australia, being the largest international campus of Curtin University in Western Australia, but also to get the new year off to a festive start on the campus.

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ATF first major event to kick start Visit Malaysia Year 2014 in Kuching

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:29 AM PST

KUCHING: This city will kick start the first major international event in the tourism calendar for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 when it hosts the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) 2014, which will be attended by more than 2,000 participants.

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the forum, which runs from today till Jan 23, will be attended by tourism ministers from all 10 Asean member countries, 240 forum delegates, 10 members of the Asean National Tourism Organisation and 100 senior tourism officers from the Asean Secretariat.

"We also have high commissioners, ambassadors coming to this forum. I understand that Indonesia and Singapore are sending strong delegates to this forum," he said in a press conference at the state Tourism Ministry office here yesterday.

In addition, he said, Asean dialogue partners such as China, Republic of Korea, Japan, India and Russia would also send delegates to the forum.

"I understand there are some more delegates coming from Brazil although they have not confirmed their attendance yet but they are partners of Asean. Meaning people will be coming to Kuching from throughout the world."

He said among the subjects to be discussed during the meeting between Asean tourism ministers would be the direction of tourism in Asean, promotion of tourism among Asean countries as a bloc and promotion of intra-Asean travel among members of Asean.

Abang Johari said Malaysia would also propose to Asean for Sarawak to host the Asean International Film Festival and Awards (Aiffa) every two years, following the state's success in organising the event last year.

If given the honour to host it again, he said the state hopes to make Aiffa as great as the festivals in Cannes (France) or Hong Kong.

On the programme for the forum, he said a meeting among leaders of Asean National Tourism Organisation will be held from today until tomorrow and the tourism ministers from Asean countries will meet at Pullman Hotels and Resorts here from Jan 19 to 20.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will officiate at the forum on Jan 20 during the welcoming dinner at the State Legislative Assembly complex, jointly hosted by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Abang Johari said the forum will also see the participation of about 1,300 delegates from 54 countries, comprising 879 sellers and 462 buyers in travel exchange (ATF Travex). The ATF Travex will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) from Jan 21 to 23.

"Travex is where buyers and sellers in the tourism industry have their own interfacing to explore how they can work together. I was told that 500 booths have been taken up."

"On Jan 21, there will be international media from all regions. I was told that 184 media members comprising 22 members from Europe, nine from Asia, 32 from Asean, five from the US and Canada, five from Australia and two from the Middle East will be in Kuching.

"On that day, CNN will be hosting a golf tournament at Damai (Golf and Country Club) and this tournament will include all the international media members. Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan and Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh will be representing the ministers in the golf tournament."

Coincidentally, Abang Johari said, ATF 2014 is held during the Visit Sarawak Year in conjunction with the state's 50th anniversary of independence in Malaysia.

The closing ceremony of the forum will be held on Jan 23 and during the ceremony, Malaysia will be handing over the baton as the host to Myanmar.

Among those present during the press conference were Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Gramong Juna, state Tourism Ministry permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Dato Rashid Khan.

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Thankful for support over Allah issue - The Borneo Post Online

Posted: 13 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

KUCHING: As tension between Muslims and Christians in Malaysia continues to mount over the use of the word 'Allah, Gempuru Besai Kristian Jaku Iban Malaysia (GBKJIM) is thankful to those who showed their support and solidarity during this crucial time.

GBKJIM chairman Pastor Greman Ujang Slat thanked social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir who turned up at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Klang, Selangor last Sunday alongside members from non-governmental organisation (NGO) and Sisters in Islam (SIS) to express solidarity with the Christians.

"We thank God for fair-minded Muslims like former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's daughter Datin Paduka Marina and her friends who came out courageously to stand alongside our children and brethren in the faith at the church," he said in a press statement.

"Our heart and prayers go out to Reverend Father Lawrence Andrew, and we stand firmly with him and all fellow Christian priests and pastors in choosing to obey God rather than men in such times as these."

Greman pointed out that GBKJIM, which represented some 6,000 Iban-speaking congregations throughout Sarawak, was disturbed and disappointed by the recent Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid of the Bible Society of Malaysia (MBS) office and the seizure of more than 300 Bibles.

"The Jais raid is a clear breach of the promises contained in the 10-Point Federal Cabinet Agreement and the country's Constitutional Guarantee of Religious Freedom. It also nullifies the prime minister's verbal assurance that the Court of Appeal decision, dated Oct 14, 2013, would not apply to Christians from East Malaysia," he emphasised.

With MBS being the exclusive holder of the rights to import and print the 'Alkitab Berita Biak' (Bahasa Melayu language Bible) and the 'Bup Kudus' (Iban language Bible), the organisation is the main source of Bibles to the community in Sarawak who are largely Bahasa Melayu and Iban-speaking.

"If one copy had been taken, it would have been understood that it was for inspection. But seizing multiple copies is a clear attempt to restrict the Iban-speaking Christians from accessing the Bible in our own language."

"We urge the Federal Cabinet to immediately order the release of these Bibles, and to give us an assurance that Iban-language Bibles and other Christian teaching materials in the Iban language remain free of any interference from any agencies of state. This is the guarantee promised to our fore fathers at the inception of Malaysia," he remarked.

Despite the ongoing situation, Greman said GBKJIM remained adamant in addressing their Almighty God as 'Allah Taala'.

"We shall continue to address our Creator God, maker of heaven and earth and all that is in it, as Allah Taala because we have done so for hundreds of years and there is no other form used by us…"

Iban-speaking Christians to correctly describe the God of the Bible."

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