SIBU: The Chinese Pavilion night programme of the Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) offers a glimpse into the enduring heritage of Chinese civilisation, according to Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
The Bintulu MP said such cultural events are significant in revisiting history and understanding traditional roots.
“We should take advantage of cultural festivals such as tonight’s as an opportunity to further promote Chinese culture, integrating it with modern trends so that more people can appreciate Chinese traditional culture,” he said.
He said this in his speech when officiating BCF’s Chinese Pavilion night event at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang here last night (August 10).
Tiong, who is also the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, stressed that cultural exchange is important in today’s globalised world and that everyone should be encouraged to use technology to break down language and cultural barriers, enabling different groups to understand and even learn about Chinese traditional culture and values.
“This will promote understanding and communication among different ethnicities, allowing them to connect with the international stage and reach out to the world,” he added.
Regarding the 2024 BCF, the theme ‘Mysterious Borneo’ and the mascot ‘Clouded Leopard’ aim to raise awareness about endangered wildlife conservation and showcase Sarawak’s rich natural resources.
“Borneo is a vibrant land, and Sarawak is home to many rare and exotic animals and natural wonders that cannot be found elsewhere.
“We also have unique local products such as ‘dabai’ and bird’s nests. These resources can be used to create tourism products specific to Sarawak, especially highlighting Sibu’s characteristics, thereby promoting local economic growth.
“In terms of historical civilisation, Sarawak is proud to have two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Gunung Mulu National Park and the newly listed Niah National Park, reflecting Sarawak’s achievements in cultural and natural conservation,” he said.
Tiong, who is also the Dudong assemblyman, also expressed hope that Sibu will host a grander food and cultural festival in the future, potentially extending the duration to more than 10 days or even a month.
“We must confront our own weaknesses and strive for self-improvement, exploring ways to attract more domestic and international tourists to Sarawak, especially Sibu.
“This involves developing more tourism packages and attractions, including improving infrastructure, planning tourism calendar events, and so on.
“Enhancing the competitiveness of local tourism will drive the vigorous development of other economic sectors, allowing the people of Sibu to benefit from the economic boom brought by the growth of the tourism industry,” he said.
At the programme, Tiong also presented a RM500,000 allocation to the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA).
