Making Gaya Street ‘sexy’ again

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KOTA KINABALU: The ‘Bonding with Gaya Street’ (BWGS) programme gives the younger generation a chance to learn and appreciate Gaya Street’s uniqueness, said  Datuk Abidin Madingkir, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu.

“This programme is held in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration, and Kota Kinabalu City Hall readily welcomes events such as these,” he said at the close of this year’s ‘Bonding with Gaya Street’ here yesterday at Lintasan Deasoka.

Abidin hoped that the exhibitions during the event had showcased the Gaya Street community’s history and its culture from back in the day, as it is Kota Kinabalu’s oldest street.

“Telling stories is the first step to leaving legacies and creating history”, said Datin Fazar Datuk Arif, president of Empowering Community Through History (ETCH), a non-governmental organization and co-organizers of the programme.

According to her, it was for the benefit of the younger generation that the event was ‘etching’ to make a difference and to leave a positive mark to the community.

“This is the second time in less than two years that we are again collaborating with Kota Kinabalu City Hall for this event,” she said.

She further remarked that many of the photos that were exhibited along the street or in some of the shops from the first BWGS, spearheaded by local artist Yee I-Lann and writer Susan Bansin, were still left at their original places.

The stories that the historical photos told leave a sense of tremendous pride and love for many of the shop owners, Fazar added.

She also said this year’s BWGS theme of ‘A Milestone in History’ signified the milestone of Sabah’s 50th independence on Aug 31, 1963 and Malaysia’s formation on Sept 16, 1963.

“Most importantly, BWGS is a festival to bind the Gaya Street community and Sabahans at large, to appreciate who we are and what we have,” said BWGS organizing chairman Dominic Chung.

Dominic believed that Gaya Street is one of the most beautiful streets in Kota Kinabalu where there are many stories to be told.

It is with this in mind that he hopes to make Gaya Street ‘sexy’ again and to help create a great festival for Sabah and Malaysia.

He said after spending some time overseas, he came back to find that KK had so much potential to grow into a better city.

Meanwhile, another Sabahan artist Hong Yi, feels that it is extremely meaningful for the community to be preserving its heritage.

The two-day event held from Sept 6 – 7, besides the exhibition, was host to musical performances including one from renowned Sabahan guitarist Roger Wang, art and photography workshops, mini games and film screenings.