Sarawak strengthens heritage & creative industry cooperation in Bandung

Sarawak delegation led by Datuk Snowdan (fourth right) at Asia-Africa Conference Museum.

BANDUNG, 9 February 2026: As part of Sarawak’s strategic engagement with regional heritage, a delegation from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts recently paid a visit to Bandung, Indonesia, often referred to as the ‘Paris of Java’, a city long recognised as a centre of history, heritage and creative expression. 

Led by the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, the delegation toured the Asia-Africa Conference Museum and Saung Angklung Udjo and visited Dewan Kerajinan Nasional Daerah Jawa Barat (Dekranasda Jawa Barat).

The Asia-Africa Conference Museum is a landmark institution that commemorates the historic 1955 Asian-African Conference and symbolises cultural diplomacy and shared Global South heritage. The visit provided insights into how the city integrates history, identity and social memory into a dynamic heritage tourism ecosystem. 

A key component of the visit was a discussion session with Dekranasda Jawa Barat, led by its Director, Ibu Noneng Komara Ningsih. The dialogue focused on strengthening craft ecosystems, supporting design creativity, and enhancing intellectual property protection for artisans, while safeguarding heritage identity.

Datuk Snowdan (fifth right) and the Sarawak delegation at Dekranasda Jawa Barat.

The delegation also visited Saung Angklung Udjo, a renowned heritage and performing arts centre dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Sundanese music. The angklung is recognised by UNESCO as Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The visit highlighted how younger generations are actively exposed to and engaged with their local heritage through structured education and performance programmes, fostering a strong sense of pride and cultural ownership. 

Datuk Snowdan (right) and the Director of Saung Angklung Udjo, Bapak Taufik M. Hidayat Udjo

The Sarawak delegation paying a visit to Saung Angklung Udjo.

Additionally, the Sarawak delegation also observed the existence of a comprehensive support system that nurtures talent development to ensure intergenerational knowledge transmission, as well as how the system integrates performing arts, education, craftsmanship and creative entrepreneurship into a sustainable heritage-based creative industry ecosystem.