BY GABRIEL LIHAN & NOOR SYAHHIRA HADY
KUCHING: The cultural exchange between Sarawak and South Korea, which is translated as a fusion of delicacies, was praised by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said while there are differences in culture for the two regions, efforts must be made to seek similarities to work together.
“We must sort out challenges that go beyond boundaries and borders and look to work together as a team,” he said when officiating at the Malaysia-Korea Charity Gala Night 2024 at Damai Lagoon Resort, Santubong last night (Jan 20).
Taking example from the food that was served during the function, Abang Johari said cultural exchange is manifested through using Sarawak ingredients to prepare a South Korean dish.
“We see the food just now, a South Korean dish prepared from ingredients found in Sarawak and it tastes nice, there should be cultural exchange that will enhance our understanding.
The Premier also highlighted carbon emission mitigation as an area where the two regions can work together given Sarawak’s emphasis on environmental sustainability.
“I applaud the effort made by OCIM tonight for us to pursue this green approach for Sarawak and perhaps for South Korea,” he said.
He commended OCIM for their investment in charity to help the less fortunate, describing them as a good corporate citizen of Sarawak.
“That should be our approach while investing – you (companies) also want to have a good ROI (return of investment). But, at the same time, you play your part to help those less fortunate,” he added.
Abang Johari said that there is a lot of supply chain in Sarawak, emphasising the importance of technology sharing and transfer, highlighting on potential future collaborations between the two
“For Sarawakians, we must work hard. We (as) the host country must upgrade our skills so that we can help together with our guests from overseas that invest in Sarawak. Perhaps we should take the opportunity to also learn the culture,” he said.
During the dinner, Abang Johari witnessed the handing over of cheques to Yayasan
Ilmu Sarawak (RM300,000), PERKATA, (RM200,000) and Green Generation (RM300,000) to champion the creation of a greener tomorrow and promote green energy and education as well as help improve the care of mentally and physically challenged children and families.
Among those present at the charity gala night were Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Datuk Hussain, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, and his deputy Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew.
Also present were former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, OCI Holdings chairman, Lee WooHyun and Malaysia-Korea Charity Gala Night’s co-organising chairperson Puan Sri Datin Amar Nur Ashima Aziz and Dr Kim SooYeon.
