Borneo Cultural Festival a big hit

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TILL NEXT YEAR: Wong (fifth right) officiates at the closing of the BCF as Lau (third left), Tiong (fourth left) and others look on.

SIBU: The Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF), which ended on Sunday, managed to attract more than 200,000 people this time around.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said the huge turnout was a clear indication that the decade-old festival should be turned into an annual affair.

He believed BCF could grow to such an extent and become a colourful national or international spectacle one day.

“It will be difficult to tell visitors that we are organising BCF once every two years.

“I am sure the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) would not mind taking up the challenge to organise it every year,” he said at the closing ceremony.

Among those present were SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, his deputy Daniel Ngieng and Temenggong Vincent Lau.

Wong, who is also Second Finance Minister, said spin-offs from the event had also been great for the local economy, including the traders.

“Trading stall operators told me that they were making thousands of ringgit every night in the last 10 days of the event.

“These are some of the activities that could be generated by BCF.”

Wong said BCF was in fact a true showcase of the 1Malaysia spirit, where several communities with markedly different backgrounds worked together in their activities.

“Nowhere else in the world would you be able to find so many activities going on involving so many communities,” he said, adding that the organiser should do more to promote the event overseas.

BCF typically showcases the varied and colourful local cultures and traditions of the Chinese, Iban, Orang Ulu, Malay and Melanau communities.

It was not held last year following the dismal performance of the Barisan Nasional in Sibu in the state election that year.

Tiong was reported to have said then that the council was compelled to cancel the BCF last year since the majority of the people in Sibu did not appreciate the work of the BN Sibu Visionary Team. Following that, many quarters had requested the council to reconsider its decision.

Later, certain BN leaders clarified that the BCF last year was not held due to time constraint.