Bintulu to host grand kite fest, lantern carnival next month

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Muhamad Yakup (fourth left), with Rodziah on his left, briefs reporters on the two grand events to be held in Bintulu next month.

Muhamad Yakup (fourth left), with Rodziah on his left, briefs reporters on the two grand events to be held in Bintulu next month.

BINTULU: Next month will be a busy time for this town as it hosts two grand events, to be running concurrently from Sept 23 to 27.

The old airport will be the venue for the 11th Borneo International Kite Festival (BIKF) 2015, while the 1Malaysia Bintulu Tanglung (Lantern) Carnival 2015 will take place at Bintulu Esplanade.

According to Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) general manager Rodziah Morshidi, this year’s BIKF will host 211 kite flyers from 33 countries – a new record for the organisers BDA, Bintulu Resident’s Office and this division’s Federation of Registered Chinese Associations (Forca).

“Forty kite flyers are from countries such as Brazil, Lithuania, Portugal, Scotland and Russia; while 71 are local participants,” she said during a press conference at Wisma Bintulu recently, which was also attended by Bintulu Resident Muhamad Yakup Kari and Bintulu Forca president Datuk Dr Wong Aik Loung.

The highlight of the festival, said Rodziah, would be the Malaysia Book of Records’ attempt to create the ‘Longest Arch Kite Tunnel’ on Sept 27.

The BIKF organisers have been engaging with partner countries Japan, New Zealand, Australia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Belgium, France, Sweden, Italy, the Philipines, Korea, Germany, England, the US, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Greece, India, Kuwait, Turkey, South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong and Macau, since the festival’s introduction in 2005.

The official opening on Sept 27 is expected to be performed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

The festival will hold the highly-anticipated Borneo Sports Kite Championships, demonstrations of traditional, modern and giant kite-flying, workshop of kites and kite-making, as well as stunt kite-flying by Japan’s Air-Rex from Japan, revolutionary kite performance by international kite flyers and night kite-flying.

There will also be a cooking competition, colouring contest for children, karaoke challenge and cultural shows.

Meanwhile, the lantern carnival is scheduled at 6.30pm on Sept 23, to be jointly performed by Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunication) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi and Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

A total of 50 stalls will be set up throughout the five days. There will also be a side event ‘Maju Sarawak Run 2015’ on Sept 26, where the chief minister is expected to flag off the race at 8.30pm at Bintulu Esplanade.

Additionally, a trade expo will run from Sept 19 to 28 at the old airport here, offering 120 booths. Registration is still open for those wanting to take up trading spots.

“The deadline for registration is 5pm on Sept 5. For more details, head to BDA’s Public Relations Department,” a statement from the body said.

Meanwhile, Rodziah said prior to the events, BDA together with Bintulu Resident’s Office and Bintulu Forca would conduct a mass cleaning campaign on Sept 20.

“The activity will begin at 8am. The assembly point will be the Bintulu Esplanade,” she said.