Taib (front row, second left), Adenan (on Taib’s right) and others look at the screen as it shows his message which was broadcast to the crowd.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawakians living abroad, particularly in West Malaysia, were told to be exemplary to outsiders to maintain the good name of the state.
Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud stated this in his message broadcasted at the Lan Berambeh dinner at Dewan Tun Razak, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) on Saturday night.
He said Sarawakians are known to be honest and open-minded people and they should continue that tradition.
“We were always welcome by others well due to our friendly nature and we must maintain this,” he said.
And living outside the state means they are the representatives of the state and they must show a good example and not tarnish the image of Sarawakians by showing bad attitude, he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in his speech said the state government had tackled various issues to ensure that Sarawakians’ rights and livelihood were protected.
“We continue to fight for greater autonomy within the Federation of Malaysia, with education as one of the priorities. We also want the best facilities for education such as good schools and narrow the gap between the urban and the rural areas,” he said.
Pointing out that Sarawak’s power had been eroded by the federal government over the years, he assured his administration would continue to gain back what had been agreed under the Malaysia Agreement.
The chief minister also said the programme could foster closer ties between Sarawakians in the peninsula and leaders from the state.
“Those who attend can communicate in various dialects of different ethnicities such as the Iban and Bidayuh, and this will strengthen the unity among them even though they are far away from the state,” he added.
Earlier on, event chairperson Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said this year’s Lan Berambeh, its seventh edition, was the biggest so far.
“We are proud to see more than 13,000 come tonight and I would like to congratulate everyone for making this a success,” he said.
Taib’s wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Adenan’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu, federal ministers and deputy ministers from the state, state ministers, assistant minsters and state assemblymen were among those attending the gathering.
The crowd included Sarawakians living and working in the federal capital and other parts of Peninsular Malaysia. Others were Sarawakians studying in the peninsula.
At the dinner, visitors were entertained with performances of Sarawak ethnic dances and singer Bob of Akademi Fantasia fame apart from being served with various types of Sarawak traditional delicacies.
Among the programmes during the one-day Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak event, organised by Sarawakians in Peninsular Association, were ‘Randau Bersama Menteri’ which discussed various issues concerning Sarawakians and a career expo.