Jannie, accompanied by Ho, Wong and Goh, tours the cooking stations.
KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Minister of Law and Native Affairs Jannie Lasimbang has urged Chinese Kapitans not only to preserve their culture, but also to promote racial harmony in the community.
She said people from different racial and religious backgrounds should respect each other’s cultures.
Jannie, who is also Kapayan assemblywoman, said this when gracing the eighth Sabah Hokkien Cooking Competition organized by the Women Bureau of the Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations at Lido Square here yesterday.
She said the cooking contest could promote kinship among clan members, in addition to preserving the traditional Hokkien cuisine.
“The event also gives women an opportunity to get active in social and community development.”
She hoped the cooking contest would be held in years to come to keep the culture alive, and to ensure the younger generation were aware of their roots.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations president Tan Sri Dr T.C. Goh, JP said the cooking contest was held annually at Lido Square, the only Chinese market in Kota Kinabalu.
He said the contest aimed to preserve traditional Chinese cuisine.
The cooking competition was participated by 22 teams, who are members of the associations under the federation.
Also present were the Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations honorary advisor Tan Sri Paul Lim and spouse Puan Sri Jenny Lim, Goh’s spouse Puan Sri Joanne Ho, Kota Kinabalu Hokkien Association president Datuk Clement Yeh, the federation’s Women Bureau chief Datin Lau Yok Ching and Datin Mary Wong.