YAB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Adenan Satem was appointed as the 5th Chief Minister of Sarawak

Veteran Malaysian politician Tan Sri Adenan Satem, 70, was sworn in as Sarawak's fifth Chief Minister on Friday, Feb 28, 2014. -- PHOTO: THE STAR

KUCHING (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Veteran Malaysian politician Tan Sri Adenan Satem, 70, was sworn in as Sarawak's fifth Chief Minister on Friday.

He takes over from Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who served for 33 years, making him the longest serving chief minister in the state.

Mr Adenan took his oath of office in the presence of the Governor and some 300 guests comprising state and federal ministers, local dignitaries and community leaders.

Mr Adenan, who is also Special Functions Minister, has served in various portfolio in the Federal and state cabinets over the last two decades.

Bengoh Dam, Bengoh, Sarawak

This 63 metre high by 267 metre long dam will have a capacity of 144 million cubic metres (1m³ = 1,000kg or 1 tonne) and will produce a lake with a surface area of approximately 10km². Designed to secure Kuching’s water supply for the foreseeable future, the dam was only the second in Malaysia to be constructed using Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) technology, which offers a projected service life of 100 years.

Due to technical complexity of the project and our strategic objective of leveraging on and learning from the best companies in their respective fields, we worked closely with Sinohydro Corporation of China, whose track record includes the 18,200MW Three Gorges Dam in China and the 2,400MW Bakun Dam in Sarawak. The civil works have been completed and the dam is currently awaiting approval for impoundment.

Adenan Satem named as new Sarawak Chief Minister

KUCHING: Tan Sri Adenan Satem, currently the minister in the Chief Minister's Office and Sarawak Minister of Special Functions was named as the 5th Sarawak Chief Minister today.

Adenan, 70, is former Natural Resources and Environment Minister under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration and presently the Tanjung Datu state assemblyman.

Born on Jan 27, 1944 in Kuching, Sarawak, he studied at St Joseph School and later furthered his studies in law in University of Adelaide, South Australia.

He used to work as a journalist, school teacher, magistrate and legal adviser among others.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud who submitted his resignation letter to the Yang di-Pertua Sarawak at Astana Negeri this afternoon, had announced Adenan as his successor from March 1.

Read more: Adenan Satem - the next Sarawak CM - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/adenan-satem-the-next-sarawak-cm-1.482576#ixzz2t6voorPj

Sarawak CM Step Down soon-Borneo Insider

KUCHING: Long serving Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has said is will resign from his post after naming his successor on Monday.

He is to meet leaders of the State Barisan Nasional component parties tomorrow to seek their consensus on his successor.

Taib, when approached  by reporters after chairing the joint meeting of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) supreme council and party caucus, said he will name his successor  in two days time.

It is learned that Taib is likely to pick former federal minister Adenan Satem, who is also PBB publicity chief, as his successor, ahead of second deputy president and housing minister Abang Johari Open and senior vice president and second minister of public utilities Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

A supreme council member, who spoke on condition that his name not be disclosed, said Taib spoke highly and many times of Adenan at the meeting.

“We believe that he was giving us the strong hints that he will pick Adenan, and not  Abang Johari and Awang Tengah. I think he has already made up his mind who he wants to succeed him, but he will not disclose name now,” the supreme council member said.

“But Adenan will only be the chief minister for a short period as he will not be contesting in 2016, and after that, someone else will take over,” the supreme council member said.

Taib himself has been proposed as the next Governor, taking over from Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng, whose three-month extended term ends on Feb 28.

Meanwhile, the party supreme council and party caucus, which met for six hours at the party headquarters, have unanimously given Taib the mandate to pick his successor and leader of the Barisan Nasional coalition up to the next state election due in 2016.

“Although he has not been given any timeframe to pick a successor, I believe that he will make his choice within a reasonable time,” PBB permanent chairman Amar Asfia Awang Nasar told reporters after the meeting.

“Once he has named his successor, he will step down as chief minister,” Asfia, who is also the Sarawak State Assembly Speaker, said.

Asfia said that naming the right successor is of paramount important because he will be the next chief executive of the state.

“Taib can’t be naming just anybody or any party member. It has got to be someone who has a certain calibre and of a certain standing in the party … the one who commands respect from the members.

“Whoever is picked by Taib to be his successor, the supreme council and the caucus will give our full backing. This is the pledge that we have made to him at the meeting,” Asfia said.

Asfia also said that the party nominated Taib to be the next Governor of Sarawak because “we believe that the appointment as the Governor is the highest honour that the State can give to him in view of his immense and tremendous contributions to the state and country.”

Asfia also attempted to allay fears among the Sarawakians that Taib’s departure would cause political instability.

“We wish to assure that Sarawak will remain the bastion of peace and racial harmony and it is for this reason that the successor is someone whom we all can trust to lead.

“We also wish to remind Sarawak-based companies listed on Bursa Malaysia not to be scared with the changeover in the chief minister. Nothing will change, ” he said when told that many Sarawak-based companies listed on the stock exchange saw their share prices declined on speculations that Taib was going to step down.

The announcement of the impending of Taib’s resignation and his nomination as the next Governor ended months of speculations over whether Taib, who has been the chief minister since March 26, 1981, would finally call it a day.

Taib took over the helm from his uncle Abdul Rahman Yaakub, who was later appointed the Governor. He entered politics in 1963 and was made a state minister under the then chief minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan.

After he was sacked by Ningkan during a constitutional crisis on the land issue, he was appointed an assistant minister in the federal government administration.

He resigned as minister of federal territory in early 1981 to contest in the Sebandi by-election.

After winning in the by-election, he became the chief minister. - SP

ASEAN Tourism in Borneo

With just days to the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), the state of Sarawak and host city of Kuching, are all geared to welcome over 1,600 delegates which includes ASEAN Tourism Ministers and officials, exhibitors, international buyers, international and local media as well as tourism trade visitors.

Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to deliver a key note address at the official opening ceremony on January 20. The ATF is the first major international conference in conjunction with the start of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014.

The ATF is a cooperative regional effort to position and promote the ASEAN region as one tourist destination where Asian hospitality and cultural diversity are at its best.

Adopting the theme, ASEAN - ADVANCING TOURISM TOGETHER, the ATF 2014 will deliberate and explore the sustainable development of tourism and look at how various tourism initiatives and plans can further support the mantra of Tourism Conserves, Preserves and Protects.

“Malaysia is honoured to continue the spirit and tradition of the ASEAN Tourism Forum which embraces the role of being a catalyst for change in tourism policy and development, and subsequently improving the economic and social standing among ASEAN countries,” said the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

“Malaysia is pleased to have the presence of ASEAN Ministers of Tourism from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Dialogue Partners from China, Japan, Korea, India, Russia and Brazil. The ASEAN Tourism Ministers will also be having consultations with international organisations namely United Nations World Tourism Organisation, World Travel & Tourism Council and PATA.

“The ministerial meetings are aimed at promoting an exchange of ideas, review of industry developments and joint formulation of recommendations to further accelerate the growth of ASEAN tourism,” he continued.

As the annual convention of the ASEAN tourism industry, ATF comprises ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Meetings, the ASEAN Tourism Conference and a 3-day TRAVEX event.

The unique and specialised ATF TRAVEX makes it easy and convenient for suppliers of ASEAN tourism products and services and international buyers to conduct business and meet quality participants through the Seller-Meet-Buyer (SMB) and the Buyer-Meet-Seller (BMS) appointment scheduling sessions. Both parties can maximise their participation through flexible one-to-one pre-scheduled meetings to explore, negotiate and ink deals with each other. ATF TRAVEX 2014 will be held at The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

The ASEAN Tourism Conference will see several prominent leaders in the industry taking the stage to share their experiences and know-how.

AirAsia CEO, Aireen Omar, will address on ASEAN open skies policy, while Princess Cruises Southeast Asia Director, Farriek Tawfik, will share insights on the cruise and sea transportation sector.

The Operations Director of Bangkok’s Mass Transit System, Sumit Srisanthitum, will talk on latest trends on ground transportation, while UNWTO Regional Director, Xu Jing, will talk about river-based tourism.

To date, there are 879 sellers and 462 buyers already confirmed for the ATF TRAVEX. A total of 100 local and international media have also confirmed to cover the ATF.

This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10-member nations of ASEAN namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is the sixth time that Malaysia hosts the ATF after Genting Highlands in 1981, Langkawi and Penang in 1992, Kuala Lumpur in 1997 and Langkawi again in 2005.

BackgrounderEach year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries. ATF 2014 marks the 33rd anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.

Among the core objectives of ATF include:

• Projecting ASEAN as an attractive, multi-faceted single destination;
• Creating and increasing awareness of ASEAN as a highly competitive regional tourist destination in the Asia Pacific;
• Attracting more tourists to ASEAN member countries;
• Promoting intra-ASEAN travel; and
• Strengthening cooperation among the various sectors of the ASEAN tourism industry.

First established in 1981, the ATF has been a key driving force in developing tourism in the ASEAN region. For over three decades, government and private sector associations have come together annually at ATF to discuss, review and strategise ways to continuously promote ASEAN as the world’s top travel destination.

The very first ATF was hosted in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. It was seen as an early indication of the willingness of ASEAN countries to work together for the common good of every member country. Since then, ASEAN has grown economically by leaps and bounds, and garnered international recognition for its diverse culture, and the quality of ASEAN as an unforgettable holiday destination. Among the major initiatives of ATF was the promotion of Visit ASEAN Year 1992 and Visit ASEAN Campaign 2002.

With all 10 ASEAN member nations working hand in hand with the public and private sectors, significant progress has been made in growing a sustainable tourism industry in the region. Through increased cooperation and exploring mutually beneficial collaboration in facing common regional challenges, every ASEAN nation stands to benefit from sharing its unique, diverse cultures with the rest of the world through tourism.

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2012, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts, placing the country firmly as the 10th most popular tourism destination in the world.

In 2014, Malaysia celebrates its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 sees a series of year-long special events and activities. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.

Routes Asia 2014 – Borneo

Routes Asia 2014 – The 12^th Routes Development Forum 2014

This will be the fifth time that a Routes event has taken place in Malaysia.

Routes Asia the largest route development forum for the entire Asia region will take place on 9-11 March 2014 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and is hosted by the State Government of Sarawak and co-hosted by Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad.

Routes Asia is the key event for airports, airlines, tourism authorities, policy leaders, keynote speakers and exhibitors to meet, do business and plan for the future. Air transport to Sarawak is served by four major airports; Kuching International Airport, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri Airports and as the region has frequent air links from major aviation hubs, Kuching is one of the most accessible cities in Malaysia. Flights to Kuching are available from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is served by more than 50 carriers.

We look forward to seeing you at the 12th Routes Asia.

Visit the Routes Asia micro-site here, which has been prepared by our host to provide you with some additional information* about the destination or download your 2014 Route Development Programme here.