The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts is strengthening coordination among creative industry players and stakeholders through the compilation of a Sarawak Creative Industry Directory.
Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the directory currently listed more than 3,300 creative industry practitioners throughout Sarawak.
“The directory will help to increase the visibility of local creative talents and support better coordination of networking and talent development,” he said.
He said this in his ministerial winding up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today (May 19).
Abdul Karim said his ministry is also strengthening the development of a heritage based creative industry in Sarawak with initiatives such as children’s book series and animations based on Sarawak folktales have been successfully produced.
He said three folktales have been awarded to local production houses for animation development which are expected to be completed by June this year.
“Sarawak’s strength lies in its cultural diversity across 34 ethnic groups. My ministry is intensifying efforts to document oral narratives, traditional practices and social histories, particularly those that remain under-recorded.
“We adopt a community-first approach, recognising communities as custodians of their own heritage. These narratives are translated into heritage trails, cultural programmes and creative content that can be preserved and shared,” he said.
At the same time, Abdul Karim said his ministry is reviving the Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE) initiative with focus on creating a smart heritage incorporating smart applications with community participation.
