SIBU: Following the success of last month’s Lantern Festival which attracted thousands of visitors, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is hoping that it would be included in the Malaysia tourism calendar.
The festival was held as part of the Mooncake Festival, the second most important celebration for the Chinese after the Lunar New Year.
Speaking after a post mortem with the Second Sibu Lantern Festival organising committee at Wisma Sanyan here, SMC deputy chairman Daniel Ngieng said the festival had proved that Sibu was capable of organising a very good event.
“The 23-day event surely illustrated Sibu as a special town,” he said.
He said the post-mortem showed that some improvements were indeed needed.
For instance, there were suggestions that both publicity and financial allocation for the event were lacking.
He said there were proposals that the Sarawak Tourism Board give some allocation as the festival was a premier event for promoting the 1Malaysia concept.
Some believed that RTM should also help to publicise the activities nationwide.
Also among the feedback were feelings that lanterns hung along Island Road and Bujang Suntong Road were not attractive enough, Ngieng said.
He also said those who wanted to book stalls at the 1Malaysia Food Fair can contact Madam Ling on 084-317831 or 084-326959.
The 1Malaysia Food Fair will be held from this Dec 11 until Jan 2, 2011 at the town square.
SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King was also present at yesterday’s meeting.