Sarawak heads to Johor for International Museum Day
- BT
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
KUCHING, 19 June 2026 - The Sarawak Museum Department (SMD) held a flag presentation and sendoff ceremony this morning at the Auditorium of the Borneo Cultures Museum, thereby officially dispatching its contingent to represent Sarawak at the National-Level International Museum Day Festival (FHMAPK) 2026 in Johor.
Present to officiate the ceremony was Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Morshidi Fredrick. The highlight of the ceremony was the symbolic send-off and flag presentation to the SMD contingent.
Speaking at the event, Director of the Sarawak Museum Department, Anielia Anak Siam praised her staff for rising to the occasion despite a tight preparation period.
“Although preparation time for the contingent’s participation was short, I’m glad to know that the Museum Department staff stand ready to be mobilised. Well done to everyone,” she said.
Anielia added that SMD was sending off a 32-member contingent to compete in seven categories, namely bowling, darts, netball, dragon boat, archery, e-sports and “sukan rakyat”. The team will depart in two batches, with the first group leaving for Johor on June 20 and the remainder following on June 23. The games are set to conclude on June 29. The contingent will be based in Johor for between five and seven days in total, where they will be taking part in the various activities lined up by the host in celebration of FHMAPK.
The director added that the festival would give SMD staff a chance to meet and exchange ideas with counterparts from museums across the country, saying that institutions like theirs carry weight far beyond their exhibits.
“Museums are a highly catalytic agency that reflect the identity of a community, especially here in Sarawak,” she said.
Morshidi, in his address, said: “I believe your participation in this festival is very important, because you are bringing not only our flag but all the success stories about Sarawak. You are, in this sense, the ambassadors of Sarawak when you take part in carnivals such as this.”
He described the mission as a significant one, with the participation of all 32 contingent members offering an excellent platform to build networks and cultural diplomacy among museum personnel nationwide.
Morshidi also commended Anielia for her leadership of the contingent, before turning to the symbolism of the flag itself.
“The flag is not merely a piece of cloth. It is laden with the hopes, mandate and dignity of all of us in Sarawak, especially the people of the Sarawak Museum community. We hope we can fly this flag with great pride in Johor,” he said.
“Let our presence from the Land of the Hornbills be felt, whether in the exhibition halls or on the sporting field. Show them what the spirit of 'Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban' truly means,” he added.
The SMD contingent now joins what is shaping up to be the largest edition of FHMAPK yet. Themed “Museums Uniting a Divided World”, the festival will be held in Johor from June 23 to 30, marking the 29th national-level celebration of International Museum Day. Hosted by Yayasan Warisan Johor, it is expected to draw more than 125,000 visitors, with participation from 36 state and federal museum institutions and agencies, 12 international participants, seven side festivals, and over 1,000 contingents from throughout Malaysia.
