Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg wants to position the state as Malaysia and Borneo's first legacy capital of business events.

He said this comes in the wake of Indonesia's decision to move its capital to Nusantara, Kalimantan which would drive new development in Borneo.

"We can no longer confine our thinking to just Sarawak. We must adopt a broader perspective that incorporates the opportunities present in Borneo.

"Indonesia's new capital Nusantara is already developing and once it emerges, our business events industry should be ready to seize the opportunities," he said when officiating at the 10th Anak Sarawak Awards Night 2023 here last night.

He said business events will become a strong contributor to Sarawak's gross domestic product (GDP) and social development.

The premier said Business Events Sarawak together with the State Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts will launch the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan at IMEX Frankfurt trade show in Frankfurt, Germany from May 23 to 25.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the Anak Sarawak Awards programme will be replaced by the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards, which honours business event leaders with a passion for excellence in legacy leadership.