Official study visit to Switzerland in Oct 2024 approved by State Cabinet

THE Sarawak delegation’s working and study visit to Switzerland in October 2024 was an official state trip sanctioned by the State Cabinet, said Minister in the Premier’s Department, Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai.

He said the visit was approved by the State Cabinet on August 22, 2024, and a full report on its findings was presented to the Cabinet on April 17, 2025.

“This was an official, sanctioned State working visit,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.

Sikie said the clarification is necessary to address what he described as baseless insinuations by the Pending assemblywoman, Violet Yong, over a photograph taken in Switzerland in 2024.

He said the visit should not be misconstrued as a private holiday, stressing that it was undertaken for official purposes.

For the record, the study visit was led by Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring), Datuk Gerawat Gala, from October 22 to 29, 2024.

The delegation’s objectives included studying Switzerland’s advanced technologies and governance policies related to border security, risk mitigation and foreign worker management.