Malaysia Airlines magazine mislabels Sarawak in traveller’s guide

Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian expressed his dismay at a misleading nickname for Sarawak published in the Going Places traveller’s guide. In a Facebook post, he highlighted his shock at the sub-headline of an article in the June 2023 edition of Malaysia Airlines’ magazine. Dr Sim did not explicitly mention the error, but it was clear he was referring to “the Land Below the Wind,” which the article used to describe the state of Sarawak.

The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president posted an image of the article, which featured the headline “Escape to Sarawak” and the sub-headline “Four hotels to book on your next trip to the Land Below the Wind.” Dr Sim expressed his disappointment at the mistake, stating it is difficult for Sarawakians to maintain unity when they are expected to know about West Malaysia, but West Malaysians continue to make errors about Sarawak.

One comment on Dr Sim’s Facebook post agreed with him, calling the mistake “silly.” Sarawak is actually known as the Land of the Hornbills, while the Land Below the Wind refers to the neighbouring state, Sabah.

“Segulai Sejalai” is an Iban phrase from Sarawak, meaning “Together in Unity.” The phrase caught the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a recent state-level Gawai dinner, and he announced that he would adopt it as the country’s unity motto.

Going Places magazine is available to passengers flying with Malaysia Airlines. At the time of writing, the publication has not responded to The Borneo Post regarding the matter.