S’wak deputy tourism minister moots policies to protect, regulate tuak production

KUCHING (Sept 5): Policies should be developed to protect and regulate tuak production while empowering the rural communities and boosting tourism, said Datuk Sebastian Ting.

The Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Deputy Minister said this when announcing the Borneo Tuak Festival 2024, which will be held at Tropics City here from Sept 14 to 16.

The event will feature the largest gathering of tuak brands, with over 80 booths by tuak brewers from all over Sarawak, and a vibrant marketplace where tradition meets innovation.

“The Borneo Tuak Festival is at the forefront of this effort, providing a platform for our rural brewers to showcase their craft, create income opportunities, and strengthen our local economy.

“By supporting tuak as both a cultural and economic asset, we can ensure that this heritage not only survives but thrives in the modern world,” he told a press conference here today.

Adding on, Ting pointed out that the festival’s biggest impact lies in its support for the rural brewers, especially women from the Dayak and Orang Ulu communities.

“By providing them a platform to showcase their craft, we are creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, income generation and economic growth in some of the most remote parts of our territory,” he said.

He added that events like Borneo Tuak Festival are key to attracting visitors to Sarawak.
This, he noted, is reflected in the collaboration with the Unesco Creative City Network Kuching and the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia, which aims to bring visitors from 12 Asean creative cities.

“Borneo Tuak Festival has been listed as one of the programmes for the 39th National Chinese Cultural Festival hosted in Sarawak this year, which will gather delegates from all across Malaysia,” he said.

Ehon Chan, who is managing director of SAGO Group, one of the co-organisers, shared that they are also hosting the Tuak Competition, which will crown the Tuak Selections of the Year in categories that honour the rich heritage of Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu tuak, as well as recognise the most innovative tuak.

The Tuak Manifesto, a policy dialogue in collaboration with the Unesco Creative City Network Kuching, will also be conducted to explore the future of tuak.

“The festival is more than just an event, it is a movement. It is a call to every Sarawakian to celebrate who we are, to honour our past, and to dream of our future.

“It is a call to support our rural brewers, to uplift their craft, and to show the world the richness of our culture,” said Chan.

The highlight throughout the three-day event would be the Tuak Narratives panel discussions about the history, practices and scientific aspects of tuak brewing, and cultural performance by icons such as Matthew Ngau Jau, Lun Bawang tapi’ player Rining Peter Paris, Iban cultural poet Lin Asit, award-winning Iban comedians Bunyau and Mujap, and many more.

The festival is co-organised by Culinary Heritage & Arts Society Sarawak (CHASS), Retrospective Discovery LLP and partnered with Unesco Creative Cities Network Kuching, WhIP Fiesta and WOW Studio & hive event.

Also present were Culinary Heritage & Arts Society Sarawak president Datin Dona Drury-Wee and Federation of Orang Ulu Associations of Sarawak Malaysia representative Jane Buncuan.