KUCHING: Integrity has been elevated as a central pillar in strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of Sarawak’s tourism sector, in line with aspirations to position the state as an internationally recognised destination that is both trusted and respected.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, emphasised that the development of the tourism, arts and heritage industries cannot rely solely on increasing visitor arrivals and global recognition.

Instead, it must be reinforced by strong integrity values across every aspect of service delivery.

According to him, based on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report by Transparency International, Malaysia recorded an improvement to 52 points and ranked 54th globally, up from 57th previously, reflecting positive progress in efforts to strengthen governance.

“The national target is to reach the top 25 countries by 2033, and this requires sustained commitment from all parties, including the public sector, private sector and the wider community,” he said.

He said this in a speech delivered on his behalf by his Deputy, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, in conjunction with the Integrity Day of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) in Kuching on Thursday.

Elaborating further, he stressed that Sarawak must play a strategic role by making integrity a fundamental basis in ensuring the sustainable development of the tourism sector, as the industry is highly dependent on trust, reputation and visitor experience.

“Without integrity, all the state’s advantages could be undermined, as practices such as leakages, abuse of power, corruption and a lack of transparency can damage the reputation built over time and erode the confidence of investors and visitors,” he added.

In this regard, he underscored that strengthening integrity will ensure that Sarawak’s tourism industry continues to grow sustainably, not only as an attractive destination but also as one that is trusted at the international level.

Meanwhile, MTCP also recorded a significant achievement by successfully maintaining its MS ISO 37001:2015 Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) certification and obtaining the MS ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) certification this year.

He described these measures as a holistic and proactive approach in building an ecosystem of high-integrity governance.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, MTCP Permanent Secretary Morshidi Fredrick, Director of the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit Wan Mohamad Wan Drahman, and MTCP Deputy Permanent Secretary Julin Alen. -UKASnews

Translator: Uilson Ng