Sarawak govt cautious despite believing haze will not affect tourism

 

The Sarawak government believes that the haze will not adversely affect the state’s tourism or the various events scheduled until the end of the year. BERNAMA PICIKHWAN RAZALI (STR)

KUCHING: The Sarawak government believes that the haze will not adversely affect the state's tourism or the various events scheduled until the end of the year.

Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah was quoted as saying that the haze is expected to be a temporary phenomenon that should clear up quickly with a shift in wind direction.

"To clear the haze, it can happen in just one day. Once the wind direction changes, the haze will disappear entirely," he said.

"Therefore, we hope that will be the case when these events take place. But we are very much prepared should the situation suddenly become worse. If we have to cancel programmes, we will," he said at the "What About Kuching" (WAK) Calendar Reveal press conference here.

He said that the state government would not take any risks if the air quality deteriorates, especially for open-area events.

Among the state's major outdoor events are the Borderland Concert, Borneo Jazz, the Sarawak Regatta and the International Dragon Boat race.

He said that precautionary measures are necessary to ensure that public health and safety remain the top priority.

He also expressed hope that the haze would not prolong so that all planned tourism activities could proceed. - NST