Tunku Azizah officiates KIA’s Sense of Malaysia outlet

KUCHING (Dec 7): The Sense of Malaysia (SOM) outlet at the Kuching International Airport received a royal touch when Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah officiated its launching ceremony.

The visit was part of Tunku Azizah’s two-day programme here from Dec 7-8, held in conjunction with the Boneo International Textile Festival 2025 (BITF 2025), said Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“Tengku Ampuan is in Kuching to attend the BITF, and in the course of the visit, we slotted in this ceremony. It was supposed to be held last year, so today we finally managed to run it.

“Tengku Ampuan also mentioned she was pleased she could finally officiate this outlet,” he told reporters when met at the event.

He said the SOM outlet had already proven its value.

“I see this outlet as very meaningful, because local products—whether from Centexs or others—can be sold here, and based on the feedback we received, the sales have been very good,” he said.

As of November this year, SOM Kuching recorded over RM1.16 million in sales. It is supported by 20 to 25 local entrepreneurial communities across categories such as fashion and textiles, crafts and accessories, local dried foods, cosmetics and wellness, and the ‘Kueh Kita’ segment.

Among the outlet’s bestsellers are Kek Lapis Sarawak and Sarawak pepper, with kek lapis alone generating over RM300,000 annually.

The outlet began operations on June 1, 2024, but yesterday’s ceremony marked its official launch.

After officiating, Tunku Azizah had a walkabout and attended demonstrations for kek lapis making, Tenunan Songket, Pua Kumbu weaving, and Keringkam embroidery.

SOM is operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and is a curated retail outlet showcasing local arts, crafts, textiles, souvenirs, food products, cosmetics and other products at major Malaysian airports.

There are currently six SOM outlets nationwide at KLIA Terminal 1, KLIA Terminal 2, Penang International Airport, Langkawi Internatinal Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kuching International Airport.

Centexs Commercial Sarawak, a state-linked company under the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), continues to spotlight heritage-driven creations such as Pua Kumbu, Songket Tenunan Asli, Keringkam, Batik Linut, and traditional scarves, produced by artisans from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sabah.

Tomorrow, Tunku Azizah is scheduled to visit Juma’ani Pavilion in conjunction with its third anniversary.

The programme will include a tour of its production centre, a fashion showcase of the JUMA’ANI Collection by Pink Jambu, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Penjara Puncak Borneo, Tun Jugah Foundation (Olah Idup), and Pink Jambu.