File photo of last year’s 1Singai Beauty Queen contest which was won by 23-year-old medical student Nisha Thayananthan (second right). On the right is Henry.
KUCHING: The popular ‘Pesta 1Singai’ (1Singai Festival) is back again for the third consecutive year, and this time it offers more exciting activities for the youths.
It will be organised for three days and three nights from Dec 2 to 4 at the 1Singai Commercial Centre, an area developed by Putra Sentosa Development Sdn Bhd near Tondong off the Batu Kawa-Bau road.
Putra Sentosa Development director Suraya Julot said the festival was introduced by the company in 2014 as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to give back to the local community for their support.
She said among the new and exciting activities include boxing clinics, boxing matches and search for new boxing talents to be organised together with Sarawak Boxing Association (Saba).
She added that this year’s festival will also feature ‘sukaneka’ (telematch) for both children and adults, and there is also a special counter for National Service Volunteers Brigade (BSKN) to register former National Service trainees.
The festival’s staple 1Singai Beauty Queen pageant and the performances by local artistes and bands, which are both crowd favourites, will also be held while the local community can sell food, beverages, local handicrafts, and many more at the 34 stall lots provided, she added.
“As in previous ‘Pesta 1Singai’, it is our aim to provide a platform for the local community to showcase their talents, and also to give them the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial spirit and improve their socio-economic status,” Suraya told reporters prior to the organising committee meeting at Putra Sentosa office here yesterday.
The opening ceremony for the festival is scheduled to be officiated by Tasik Biru assemblyman Dato Henry Harry Jinep at about 4pm on Dec 2. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Anthony Nogeh Gumbek is invited for the closing ceremony at about 3pm two days later.
“The 1Singai Beauty Queen pageant, organised jointly with GEM Events, will be held on the final night on Dec 4. There are also exhibitions by government agencies and private bodies, Zumba sessions, street soccer and takraw competitions, and a blood donation drive,” said Suraya.
Meanwhile, Saba honourary secretary Azli Karim believed the boxing-related activities will receive good response from the local community near Tondong and those coming from Bau, Lundu, Kuching and other areas.
He said Commonwealth Games 1998 gold medalist Sapok Biki, who is now coaching the 1Division Infantry boxing club, is expected to make a special appearance to assist with the activities especially to spot new talents.
“Sapok Biki, and the state’s boxing coach Wilbur Adogan from the Philippines, will be coming. This is part of our effort to promote the sport of boxing not just as a hobby but now a career option since our association is now mulling the setting up of a professional boxing club to produce local professional boxers,” he said.
National Service Training Department trainer Anita Anis called on former National Service trainees to sign up as members of National Service Volunteers Brigade (BSKN) at their booth during the festival.
She said BSKN not only act to gather former NS trainees for reunion purposes but also to involve them in voluntary services.
“So far, we have registered 1,200 former NS trainees in Tasik Biru constituency alone. We believe there could be more outside there,” she said. Those interested to know more about this year’s ‘Pesta 1Singai’ can contact Hossny at 019-8185798, or Hanisah or Morin at 082-577798.