KUCHING: Sarawak Minister for Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin received a courtesy visit from Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Malaysia Michel Deelen on Thursday, during which both sides explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in aviation, airport development, hydrogen technology and emerging transport solutions.

This marked the first courtesy call by the Netherlands Ambassador since his appointment to Dato Sri Lee, which was held in conjunction with his working visit to Kuching from 21 to 23 October 2026.

During the meeting, Dato Sri Lee highlighted the existing cooperation between Sarawak and the Netherlands, particularly the involvement of Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) in the proposed Development of the New Kuching International Airport (NKIA) project.

He said that NACO, an established aviation consultancy firm from the Netherlands, had been appointed by the Sarawak Ministry for Transport to undertake the feasibility study for the proposed airport, which was completed in the first quarter of 2026.

He also expressed interest in learning from the Netherlands' experience, particularly Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and its surrounding aerotropolis development.

Michel welcomed Sarawak's development initiatives and expressed the Netherlands' willingness to facilitate closer engagement, including a possible technical visit to Schiphol Airport and other relevant facilities.

The Ambassador also shared the Netherlands' efforts to strengthen its engagement with Sarawak through a three-year industry cooperation programme involving companies and relevant agencies, aimed at encouraging greater business participation, technical exchanges and investment opportunities.

Both sides further exchanged views on green hydrogen technology, sustainable public transport, port development and emerging transport solutions.

Dato Sri Lee briefed the Ambassador on the progress of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS), which will introduce hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles supported by hydrogen feeder buses.

He welcomed continued engagement with the Netherlands and expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way for more practical cooperation between Sarawak and companies from the Netherlands.

"We value the experience and expertise that the Netherlands can offer. We look forward to strengthening our cooperation and exploring opportunities that can bring practical benefits to both sides," he said.

Also present at the meeting were Permanent Secretary to the Sarawak Ministry for Transport Datu Wong Hee Sieng, Head of Aviation Transport Division Dayang Nurhayati Abang Ahmad, Head of Land Transport and Logistics Division Ts Chong Chi Fam and Acting Head of Policy Formulation and Project Management Division Catherine Lee Pi Ying.

Accompanying the Ambassador were First Secretary of the Embassy of the Netherlands Isabelle Niekrake and Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Sarawak Dato Andy Chia. -UKASnews