On behalf of Kuching North City Hall and the organizing committee, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all distinguished delegates to the International Conference on City with A Soul  2013 (CWS 2013).

 

Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak which has a population of some 600,000 is small enough to walk around but interesting enough to keep you well occupied for several days, and a good base for exploring Sarawak. It is safe and relatively clean. The name of the city, Kuching, is thought to derive from the Malays word "kucing", meaning cat and thus the reference to Kuching as the "Cat City". It is also likely that it comes from the Chinese word for port ("cochin") or the Malay word "matakuching" (cat's-eye) for the longan fruit, a popular trade item at one time. The people of Kuching take pride in being the cleanest city in Malaysia with its harmonious diverse ethnic cultures and a gateway to a natural wonderland.

 

The International Conference on City with A Soul 2013 (CWS 2013) will provide an excellent networking forum for city Mayors, administrators and managers to share and exchange knowledge on how to put people first in their city planning and development, in line with the theme of the conference which is "A City for everyone". Delegates will learn and benefit from the knowledge, wisdom and counsel of high calibre speakers from all over the world who will share with the participants their best practices in engaging and empowering the people in their city planning and development.

 

I would also like to thank the Sarawak State Government for giving us this great opportunity to host this very special international conference.

 

I wish all of you an unforgettable conference and a most enjoyable stay in the City of Kuching.

 

Again, Welcome to Kuching!

 

Regards,

 

 

(DATUK HAJI ABANG ABDUL WAHAP BIN HAJI ABANG JULAI)

Mayor of Kuching North