Kuching Festival adds colour to city’s character

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YEARLY ATTRACTION: The crowd thronging the Kuching Festival Fair which provides a huge variety of food and drinks as well as other activities. — Photo by Chimon Upon

Food Fair

KUCHING: The opening of the annual Kuching Festival Fair at the Dewan Masyarakat (community hall) and its compound attracted a large crowd last night.

The theme for Kuching Festival Fair 2013 is Kuching – My City My Future and it will open for 24 nights until August 4.

There are 220 stalls selling food and drinks, while another 200 booths are at the trade fair.

Entertainment, cultural and sports activities will also be held at the fair.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang who launched this year’s fair on behalf of the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud said the fair had become part of the city’s unique character.

“This year is the 25th anniversary of Kuching being elevated to city status. We have progressed very well and this is a good opportunity to celebrate with everyone,” he said.

Jabu appealed to people here to work together to keep the city clean and preserve its character.

“As our city grows bigger we must observe many things such as cleanliness and beautifying our city.

“We must respect all our heritage buildings, as they are there to remind us that it is through the hard work of our founding fathers that Kuching is where it is today,” he said.

Mayor Kuching City South Dato James Chan pointed out in his welcoming speech earlier that the event was to reinforce the belief in Unity in Diversity.

“It is not realistic or desirable to expect everyone to be identical or to expect us to give up our precious heritage.

“We are not a melting pot, we are more like the popiah or the rojak with distinct tasty ingredients. In celebrating our uniqueness, we must work at understanding and appreciating these differences.

“I hope everyone will play the important part to achieve this objective as it is the people that make the city comes alive,” he said.

Also present at the launch were Local Government Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, deputy mayor Abang Affendi Abang Anuar, festival organising committee advisor Councillor Mohammad Taufik Abdul Ghani, festival organising chairman Councillor Simon Lau and acting city secretary John Lee.