Abang Johari (left) and Abdul Rahman jointly hold the Bandarshah Gemilang book after it was launched at the dinner. — Photo by Muhd Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Young Sarawakians are told to heed the plea of the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem to take good care of Sarawak and defend the state from those wanting to disrupt its peace and unity.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the rallying call ‘Jaga Sarawak bait bait’ (take very good care of Sarawak) by his predecessor should inspire Sarawakians particularly at this present time when others are eyeing to take control of the state.
“Sarawak is like a beautiful lady, who is attracting many suitors. In Sarawak, we have our strengths such as our natural resources and our economy is managed well. Therefore we must defend the unity which strongly binds us.
“Tok Nan (Adenan) once said ‘jaga Sarawak bait bait’. So let us including the young people of Kampung Bandarshah put this advice into practice on the ground,” he said at the Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri dinner organised by Pertubuhan Anak Seni Bandarshah Kuching on Wednesday night.
Kampung Bandarshah is an urban Malay village in Kuching where Abang Johari and the late Adenan hail from.
According to Abang Johari, Bandarshah produced many outstanding individuals and deserves to be the ‘pearl’ of Sarawak.
“It is a special village because by coincidence, it has produced two chief ministers in the persons of Tok Nan and I,” he said.
As such, he commended the efforts by the association to come up with a book called Bandarshah Gemilang which recorded the history and achievements of the village and the individuals there.
He also hoped the association’s own building will be up and ready within the next two years to enable it to play more effective role.
On another matter, he said his wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang was in Kuala Lumpur for a meeting with Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Mainmunah Iskandariah to discuss an upcoming exhibition on keringkam.
He said the Raja Permaisuri Agong seemed to like keringkam, a traditional Sarawak Malays embroidery, during the recent visit to Kuching.
Meanwhile, the association president Abdul Rahman Zainuddin said the village has produced many outstanding individuals in many fields.
In politics, he said the outstanding persons from Bandarshah were Adenan, Abang Johari and Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah while Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is also linked to the village.
He also said the association has organised many programmes to encourage the residents to take part in healthy activities.
The dinner was attended by some 700 Kampung Bandarsah residents as well those from neighbouring villages in the Satok area.