MARUDI: The second edition of Baram Regatta, which is scheduled for Aug 25 to 27 this year, is set to bring excitement to locals and participants.
A meeting for members of the main organising committee was held at Marudi District Office (MDC) yesterday, chaired by Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala who represented Assistant Minister for Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil.
Penguang, who is Marudi assemblyman, is the organising chairman while Gerawat is in charge of the event’s cultural performance sub-committee.
Penguang could not attend the meeting due to an official duty in Kuching.
The session yesterday was meant to discuss and study the reports from various sub-committees handling the technical aspects, welcoming preparations for regatta and cultural performances to be staged during the ‘1Malaysia Night’ on Aug 26.
The technical sub-committee was represented by its secretary Marudi District Officer Mackos Sibong, who came on behalf of the sub-committee head, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
Thirty events have been proposed for Baram Regatta 2017 including the open and closed traditional boat race with eight categories each; speedboat, pump boat and remote-controlled (RC) boat races with five categories each as well as a new mixed event, where each team will consist of 10 men and 10 women paddlers.
However, the main organising committee had decided to hold the RC boat race as the sub-committee head Jimmy Wong did not turn up at the meeting yesterday, which was also attended by Miri Resident Sherrina Hussaini, Miri District Officer Aziz Yusof, MDC chairman Edward Mendai, Telang Usan District Officer Baru Tai, political secretary to chief minister Charles Balan Seling and local representatives of government departments and agencies.