Fu being interviewed. — Photo by Kong Jun Liung
KUCHING: Nature’s beauty in this capital city of Sarawak captured the heart of Fu Jijun, China’s consul general in Kuching when he first set foot here on Jan 18, 2016.
Looking out from the window of the plane that took him to the city almost two years ago, Fu was impressed by the city’s lush greenery and the winding Sarawak River.
“My first impression of Kuching was it’s almost perfect and my nearly two-year tenure here only goes to prove that it is indeed an amazing city.
“I first arrived in Kuching on Jan 18, 2016 and I must say I have enjoyed my time here so much that time seems to fly,” Fu said when interviewed by The Borneo Post’s sister paper See Hua Daily News yesterday.
The 59-year-old said he immediately felt at home as former assistant minister Datuk Peter Nansian and several state Chinese leaders were at Kuching International Airport.
“They welcomed me with open arms and there was no language barrier as many Chinese Sarawakians speak Mandarin well,” he said.
The outgoing eighth China’s consul-general in Kuching is due to depart for Monvoria, Liberia soon.
According to Fu, Sarawak and China have much in common, given that the Chinese travelled all the way from China to settle down here some 200 years ago.
He believed the Dayak community in Sarawak could have originated from Yunnan province in China where the Dai people are still found residing in longhouses.
“Not only do both ethnic groups live in longhouses, they wear similar costumes, eat similar food and play similar musical instruments,” he said.
He thus called for studies to be conducted on the peoples in both places to trace their ethnic origins.
“I hope academicians or researchers can work on such studies in the future,” he suggested.
Fu said he faced no major challenges throughout his two-year term in the state, having picked up a couple of greetings in Bahasa Malaysia like ‘Terima kasih’ and ‘Selamat datang’.
“I’d love to pick up more but time is not on my side. While the Malay language is new to me, I cannot help but be amused by how Sarawakians mix languages and dialects in their daily conversations.
“They mix them so much that more often than not, I am lost. The way they do it is intriguing and I find it a challenge to figure out what they say.
“Most of the Chinese here speak Mandarin even better than the mainland Chinese. I attribute this to the quality of Chinese education in Sarawak,” he said.
He noted that the Chinese community in Sarawak had done an excellent job of preserving traditional Chinese festivals.
“I am pleased that the Chinese culture is well kept here in Sarawak,” he said, citing the example of the Hungry Ghost Festival which is a tradition kept by the Chinese in Sarawak.
“Most Chinese in the Northern part of China celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival together with the Qing Ming Festival (Chinese Tomb Festival), but many mainland Chinese do not celebrate many traditional festivals anymore due to a hectic life, so it’s a pleasure for me to see the Chinese in Sarawak celebrate all the traditional festivals,” he said.
Fu commended the state government for supporting Chinese education which contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of Sarawak.
He noted that former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, and present Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had done a lot for Chinese schools.
“They know that Chinese education is not to divide society but to produce capable individuals to develop the state and nation.
“Chinese education should be regarded as an asset of the nation since it plays a role in human capital development,” he said, adding that many people across the globe are picking up the Chinese language.
Fu is fond of Sarawak and has plans to make the city his second home.
“I’m even thinking of sending my grandchild to Chung Hua Primary School No.4 as Sarawak has done a good job in preserving Chinese culture.
“What’s more, the cost of living and education are lower than in China. I would very much like to bring my family to Sarawak – make it our second home,” he said.
To a question, he replied: “My son just got married, so I have no grandchild yet. I’m just planning and I’ll need the consent of my son, of course.”
He is confident that bilateral ties between Sarawak and China would be enhanced, given the commitment of the state government.
Fu recalled that Abang Johari visited China three times last year since being sworn in as chief minister.
“The chief minister has been to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Beijing, Wuhan and Guangdong – sealing a number of memorandum of understandings (MoUs). He is committed to maintaining a working relationship with China.”
Fu wants to see an even stronger relationship – economically, culturally and educationally – between Sarawak (Malaysia) and China. He calls Sarawak a special and unforgettable place as he appreciates her political stability and racial harmony.
“You hold open houses for all festivals and people visit one another irrespective of race. This is unique enough for Sarawak to apply to be listed under the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
“What you have here is something you don’t see in other parts of the world,” asserted Fu.
He described Sarawak as very liveable and hoped the people of Sarawak would preserve this good aspect for generations to come.
“It’s also fortunate there are no natural disasters except for floods from prolonged excessive rainfall. The economy is stable and Sarawakians should maintain it for future generations.
“I’d like to see a more amicable relationship between Sarawak and China while Chinese in Sarawak continue leading better lives and contributing to the development of Sarawak,” he said.