KUCHING: Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry received the state government’s first ever non-fungible token (NFT) and a painting from the Sarawak Artists Society (SAS) on Tuesday.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah reflects Sarawak government’s commitment towards embracing digital transformation in all sectors of the economy.
“NFTs or non-fungible tokens are unique digital assets that are recorded on a blockchain, making them tamper-proof, verifiable and impossible to duplicate.
“They are a new and emerging technology that has gained immense popularity over the past few years, especially in the creative world of art.
“NFTs represent a new way of thinking about ownership, authenticity, and value, and they offer potential benefits to the government and its people,” Abdul Karim told reporters during the handover ceremony.
He added that the potential benefits of NFTs are numerous, and they include the ability to create new revenue streams, promote tourism, and enhance the cultural and artistic heritage of Sarawak.
“The government supports the adoption of NFTs, and we recognise the potential benefits that they can bring to people and our tourism industry.
“We also recognise that NFTs can provide an innovative way to support artists and promote their works, not only locally but globally, thereby giving significant exposure for our artists to step onto the world stage,” Abdul Karim stated.
Chew also revealed that the painting was created by himself during the Sarawak International Art Camp (SIAC) last December and was inspired by the environment of the Annah Rais longhouse and the local community.
Among those present were Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk Sebastian Ting and Deputy Minister of Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
