KUCHING: The newly elected senior vice president of the World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region, Edric Ong, paid a courtesy call on Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng at his office this morning (Feb 20).
According to the press release, Ong presented Wee with a copy of the World Crafts Cities publication, highlighting Kuching’s designation as a World Crafts City in 2018.
He also conveyed greetings from the newly appointed executive board of the World Crafts Council Asia Pacific (2025-2028), under the presidency of Jude van der Merwe from Australia.
Ong, who also serves as an advisor to the Society Atelier Sarawak and is the immediate past president of the ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association (AHPADA), took the opportunity to extend an invitation from the mayors of Taraz and Turkestan in Kazakhstan.
The invitation was for Kuching to participate in the World Crafts Cities Forum scheduled for April 2025.
“A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Kuching City South and Taraz City in 2023 for mutual support and collaboration in developing the crafts of the two cities,” Ong said.
Discussions also centred around strengthening networks for arts and crafts promotion in the Asia Pacific region and exploring ways for Kuching to support upcoming events and programmes.
