Abang Johari (right) greets a foreign visitor to the fair. — Photo by Kong Jun Liong
KUCHING: The state government will assist in promoting the Kuching Festival Fair to attract more tourists to visit the state in August every year, says Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Having personally visited the fair site on Friday night, he said he met many visitors including those coming from as far as Japan, China and Holland who were attracted to the event.
“I was made to understand the number of visitors has reached the 700,000-mark. This means this is a festival that attracts tourists to come to Kuching in August.
“I was discussing with (Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports) Datuk Abdul Karim (Rahman Hamzah), that we must have a fixed month (in our tourism calendar) for every tourism activity.
“This will allow us to promote Kuching Festival every August…to enable tourists to plan their trip in August. We have other activities for tourists in September such as the Sarawak Regatta,” he said when met at the fair.
Abang Johari and Abdul Karim came to the site on their big bikes along with a group of other big bikers about 8.10pm, much to the surprise of the big crowd of visitors at the fair.
The chief minister spent about an hour at the site, visiting the stalls, greeting the visitors and even had photos taken with them. His wife Datin Amar Datuk Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Deputy State Secretary Datu Ismawi Ismuni were also present.
Abang Johari also congratulated MBKS under mayor Datuk James Chan for successfully organising the Kuching Festival in conjunction with Kuching City’s anniversary.
The fair is part of activities for the Kuching Festival held every year to commemorate Kuching’s elevation into a city on Aug 1, 1988. This year’s fair, comprising 316 food stalls and 170 trade fair stalls, started on July 29 and will end tomorrow (Aug 21).
Abang Johari also said DBKU has different approach in organising activities for the Kuching Festival.
To a question, Abang Johari said the low number of halal stalls in the fair should not be an issue. He said it was good to see many Bumiputera traders also participating, since the stalls are tendered out and the competition stiff.
“There is no stopping them from participating. What they (the organisers) do here is that they space it out between halal and non-halal stalls,” he said.