KUCHING: The suggestion to make Telaga Air as a future venue for the Sarawak Regatta is not a short-term plan but a forward-looking idea to address the possibility of future urban congestion, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Following this, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development urged the public to consider the long-term development of Kuching.
He explained that his remarks were made in the context of closing the Telaga Air Regatta last Sunday, where he observed the potential of the coastal village as a permanent water sports hub.
“We have to be practical. Kuching is growing very, very fast. It’s not just the regatta – even the event at Padang Merdeka has been held every year since 1963.
“Can you imagine how it will be in 20, 30, or even 50 years from now? The city will be more developed, with more high-rise buildings. The moment we have a parade or regatta, the whole of Kuching will be jammed,” he said.
Abdul Karim pointed out that while the Kuching Waterfront has long been the home of the regatta, the city’s growth will inevitably place a strain on infrastructure and traffic in the decades to come.
“That is the reason why we are developing our tourism products. When it comes to water sports, you cannot beat Telaga Air.
“It is a big lagoon, and you can have water sports there all year round, even during the monsoon season, as the natural barriers prevent rough seas from entering,” he told reporters at the Sarawak Regatta-Kuching Waterfront Festival 2025 at the Waterfront Hotel today.
He stressed that the idea was never intended to suggest an immediate shift from Kuching, but rather a long-term vision.
“Some people got rattled, thinking it will be next year. I didn’t say it’s next year. Even in Telaga Air, I mentioned 30 or 50 years from now. I will not be around by then, but we must think far ahead,” he said.
He added that future generations will have to balance tradition with practicality.
To illustrate his point, Abdul Karim drew parallels with other public events, noting that parades once held at Padang Merdeka would in the future be moved to a new boulevard currently under construction in Kota Samarahan.
“The boulevard is about two kilometres long and 40 metres wide. When it is ready in two years, it will allow us to hold parades without paralysing Kuching city.
“It will be like Putrajaya Boulevard, Tiananmen Square, or Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran. That is visionary planning. Those who don’t prepare for the future are the ones who fail,” he said.
Additionally, Abdul Karim reiterated that visionary leadership requires looking far ahead, even if it means entertaining ideas that may sound unusual or unpopular in the present.
“In life, even in the family, you have to prepare for the future. Visionary leaders, visionary governments prosper because they are able to look far ahead,” he said.
Also present at the press conference were Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, and Resident of Kuching Division, Dayang Joanita Azizah Abang Morshidi.
