SIBU: The Photographic Society of Sibu will organise the Sibu Heritage Photography Contest from September 2 to October 9 in conjunction with its 70th club anniversary, offering attractive prizes for the winners.
The contest is open to all Malaysians in three categories namely Landscape, People, and Food which involved their experiences around Sibu town that are documented in photos version.
The winner of the contest will take home a prize of RM3,000 while the first runner-up gets RM1,500, the second runner-up will win RM1,000. There are 10 consolation prizes with RM200 each.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the contest seeks to inspire the appreciation of heritage, art, and cultural imagery.
“This conveys the colourful past and also the preservation of your rich arts, culture, and heritage of Sibu and its people,” he said during a press conference held for the launching of the contest on Yesterday (Sept 2).
Abdul Karim pointed out that there is no doubt that apart from being rich in art, culture, and heritage of various ethnic groups, Sibu town, and its vicinity offers numerous photography opportunities in term of heritage building, monument, and sites.
“Sibu rapid developing town in the central zone of Sarawak and also the gateway to the central region of Sarawak.
“Therefore, it is important to promote Sibu’s heritage in the eyes of the world from the perspective of the landscape, people, and food.
“With photography competition like this, the public will be more active in producing interesting visual works which are promoted through the social and print media could draw the attention of potential tourists to visit,” he said.
Abdul Karim also said that the Sarawak government has placed great emphasis on Tourism, Art, and Culture sectors in its Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“The emphasis of the government can also be seen in the renaming of our ministry into the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing arts Sarawak.
“Photography is indeed one of the main elements of the creative industry. Photography has been used for historical documentation where it showcases some of the hidden cultural heritage that seems to be long lost.
“Photography has helped in various ways to preserve time, memories, and our cultural heritage identity and also to preserve indigenous culture.
“Heritage photography helps to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the importance of their very own cultural heritage and inspires the importance of its safeguarding.
“Photography is a powerful medium of expression that can be used to communicate strong positive messages about a subject,” he said.
Also present were Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Hii Chang Kee and the Photographic Society of Sibu President Peter Lee Pui Wen and others.
