KUCHING: Sarawak has set its sights on generating RM2.06 billion in economic impact by securing 720 business events between 2026 and 2030 under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak had come a long way from its early steps in business events to becoming a recognised leader in using them as platforms for innovation, investment and legacy building.
“In 2006, Sarawak pioneered Malaysia’s business events industry with a tourism focus.
“As we matured, we transformed business events from tourism drivers into aggregators for industries, creating legacies that deliver positive social, economic and environmental impact,” he said at the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards (BILA) 2025 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching yesterday.
He said this in his speech read by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan during the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards (BILA) 2025 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching yesterday.
He stressed that the shift towards a legacy impact model is what marks Sarawak as the ‘Legacy Capital’ of business events in Malaysia and Borneo.
This approach, he said, is central to the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, where business events are identified as one of six key economic sectors.
Abang Johari highlighted how events are already delivering tangible legacies.
“The Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference, for instance, showcased Sarawak’s leadership in clean energy and is helping to draw new investment and jobs to the region.
“The Asia for Animals Conference has evolved into a leading platform for animal welfare, while Brewspark Technologies Group and publications such as BorneoTalk have shown how corporate players and journalists can align business success and awareness with social progress,” he said.
To sustain momentum, he noted that the Sarawak Government has increased its subvention fund by 144 per cent since 2021 and completed the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan to guide the sector’s transformation.
“The state is also targeting 50 per cent more business events by 2030, with at least half delivering measurable legacies,” he said.
He said infrastructure will be expanded to meet these ambitions, citing the launch of state-owned airline AirBorneo to improve connectivity, the enlargement of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching and a planned new convention centre in Miri to make northern Sarawak a hub for major gatherings.
He added that Sarawak’s awards and business events agenda are open globally and not confined to projects hosted in the state, underscoring that ‘legacy has no borders’ and impact grows when shared across nations.
“This BILA defines our readiness to stand not only as competitors but also as collaborators — when competition meets collaboration, we unlock the strength to build a future beyond what any of us could achieve alone,” he said.
Abang Johari also called on governments in Malaysia and abroad to explore business events
and legacies as strategic tools for stronger societies.
“Today’s awardees represent the very best of Borneo and beyond. You demonstrate that whether through business events, community engagement, sustainability projects or creative enterprises, it is possible to inspire, to empower, and to transform lives,” he said.
