A trader selling barbecued chicken parts.
Chinese kuih sold at one of the stalls.
Foreigners did not want to miss the spectacle, too.
A sausage corner at the fair.
Even though it was drizzling, the crowd was huge on opening night. — Photos by Chimon Upon
Taib and Ragad sharing a light moment with one of the foreign delegation leaders.
Young and old, they came to sample many types of food on sale.
KUCHING: The local government, particularly city councils, have done a good job in bringing up a unique feature of Kuching, which is the open hospitality and friendliness to all who come to the city, said Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“In order to learn the soul of Kuching city, you have to go to the crowd and mix with the people of Kuching. Genuine friendship and open arms welcome those who come here.
“I believe the councils have made our place a much more caring and open one in their desire to interact with the world,” he said before opening the annual Kuching Festival Fair (KFF) 2015 last night.
Taib noted how Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk James Chan Khay Syn had built networks with people in the Far East at the local government level.
“I hope such relationships will spread to an even more personal level with the common people. I hope such relationships will thrive and get us closer with our neighbours.”
Meanwhile, Chan explained that the KFF was a platform for youths to explore their talents in various fields.
“Be it from the simple act of serving to cooking to showcasing of talents, it allows them to explore their own potentials to become entrepreneurs or maybe one day their self-produced cuisines and restaurants will become globally known.
“This year, 90 per cent of the food stalls are managed by youths, and this is a good sign that our future generation is progressing towards a vibrant Kuching.
“Good food and nice environment are the integral part of the Kuching experience, and one of the reasons that visitors keep coming back. In fact, it has become a big tourism booster for Kuching.
“I was told KFF will indirectly gain an estimated value of at least RM30 million for Kuching in the month of August,” he said.
This year’s KFF is themed Be Happy and has a total of 217 food stalls and 199 indoor stalls, as well as the fun fair, games and balloons stalls.
After the official launching ceremony, all present were treated to a wonderful display of fireworks, followed by cultural performances from foreign delegates who came all the way from Kunming and Zhenjiang, China; Guro, South Korea and Toyota, Japan.
Also present were Taib’s wife Toh Puan Dato Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Community Development assistant minister Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, Consul-General of Indonesia Jahar Gultom, Deputy Consul-General of People’s Republic of China Liu Dongyuan, and DBKU Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai.