KUCHING, 19 December 2025: Business Events Sarawak has successfully strengthened the collaboration between the Sarawak government and the business events sector with the official adoption of the Borneo Legacy Declaration and the launching of Business Events Sarawak Alliance (BESA) at today’s Sarawak Business Events Forum.
This move marks a decisive shift by the Sarawak Government to reposition business events into long-term instruments for delivering policy outcomes and sustainable development.
The Borneo Legacy Declaration, formed on 3 October during the Legacy Event Advocacy Policy (LEAP) Summit, is a shared commitment by 36 policymakers and industry leaders from Malaysia, Australia, Korea, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, they champion legacy impact and the strategic use of business events to drive sustainable economic growth. The first milestone under this declaration is the establishment of the Business Events Sarawak Alliance.
BESA is a new platform that enables Sarawak’s government ministries to own the business event impact. Starting in 2026, the ministries will enter into a strategic collaboration with BESarawak through BESA, utilising business events as tools to advance policies and deliver positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes aligned with the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030.
The Sarawak government will commit to owning and hosting at least two national or international business events, where homegrown events will be prioritised through a structured qualification process. BESA will also provide capacity-building opportunities for government ministries to strengthen their skills and legacy impact advocacy.
The Right Honourable Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Premier of Sarawak, represented by the Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, said that business events have been strengthening the state’s competitiveness and earning strong government confidence, as reflected in both a perfect bidding success rate and increased public investment.
“Since integrating business events into the PCDS 2030, 50% of the 541 secured events between 2021 and 2025 are legacy-driven. We have strengthened Sarawak’s value proposition, achieving a 100% success rate in event bidding and pitching in the same period. Additionally, the Sarawak Business Events Fund has been increased by 15% from 2025 to 2026.”
The Premier also highlighted that, since the inclusion of business events in the PCDS 2030, Sarawak has developed 72 homegrown events, including the Borneo International Water & Wastewater Exhibition & Conference and the International Energy Week, demonstrating strong local community support for hosting high-impact events.
Datu Hii Chang Kee, Deputy State Secretary (Operations) and Chairman of BESarawak, emphasised that the growth of business events year after year is due to both strategy and ecosystem, indicating that the sector is on the right path to contributing to the PCDS 2030.
“The next step is building an even stronger ecosystem, with closer collaboration between government and industry, to secure Sarawak’s future. These achievements show that winning high-value, legacy-driven business events is not just about having the right strategy – it is also about how well the ecosystem aligns, collaborates, and contributes at every level.”
BESarawak Chief Executive Officer Amelia Roziman stated that today’s achievement is a big win for the sector.
“The Sarawak government’s adoption of a legacy impact strategy places us firmly on the right path toward long-term national development. It marks a significant step in bridging knowledge with development outcomes, reinforced by Sarawak’s 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030) and its strong focus on sustainable development. We are deeply proud to have the government’s full support in advancing legacy impact as a pathway to meaningful and lasting growth.”
The forum also introduced Sarawak’s 13th Malaysia Plan, outlining the state’s next phase of development, focused on accelerating inclusive and sustainable growth in line with the PCDS 2030. The plan prioritises high-impact investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, digitalisation, human capital, and rural development, while strengthening key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and services.
Guided by strong governance and public–private collaboration, Sarawak’s 13MP aims to enhance competitiveness, create quality jobs, uplift communities, and ensure long-term environmental sustainability for shared prosperity.
For more information: https://businesseventssarawak.com/
(Source: Your Stories — BESarawak)
