KOTA KINABALU: Both the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival and the 8th International Dragon Boat Race will be simultaneously launched at the Likas Bay here, tomorrow, at 6pm.
The 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival will be launched by Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing who is also guest-of-honour for the occasion, while his Sabah counterpart Datuk Christina Liew will officiate at the launch of the 8th FCAS International Dragon Boat Race.
The National Chinese Cultural Festival was initiated by The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong), and every year, the Chinese assembly halls of various states would take turns to host it, under Huazong’s auspices. This year, it was The Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) to host it.
In a statement issued today, Huazong cum FCAS President, Tan Sri T.C also disclosed that besides speeches, the organiser has also lined up a host of cultural performances including the spectacular laminated dragon dance performance by the local dragon and lion dance troupes, to keep the invited guests and the public entertained.
He went on to note that this is also the third time for FCAS to organize the National Chinese Cultural Festival, with the theme ‘Cultural Kinabalu, Sharing of Prosperity Between East & West Malaysia’. The first time FCAS hosted the Festival was the 12th National Chinese Cultural Festival back in 1995, followed by the second time and the 28th National Chinese Cultural Festival, back in 2011.
He further noted that after the official torch for the Cultural Festival is ignited at the opening ceremony, it will arrive at the venue of the 8th FCAS International Dragon Boat Race on the following day (17 June), for the launch of the ‘Likas Bay Torch Run’, and subsequently to cover all the 11 stops throughout Sabah. This includes bringing the torch up to the peak of Mt Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia, on 26 September.
Goh continued that the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival will culminate in a grand event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here, on 6 – 8 October. It will feature a host of interesting programmes and activities including a reception banquet, gourmet food tasting, cultural villages, national Chinese calligraphy exhibition, Chinese chess and children drawing competitions, lanterns and floats parade, cultural performances and the closing ceremony.
He said, the 8th FCAS International Dragon Boat Race which has been listed as the key event for the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival, will commence on 17 June with the preliminary rounds. The finale and the prize presentation ceremony will be held on the following day, 18 June.
He said, as in previous years, Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin will be the Guest-of-Honour and to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Dragon Boat Race, while the special guests included Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor, China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing, Huang Shifang, the Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu, and State Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin.
Meanwhile, the Organising Chairman for the Cultural Festival cum FCAS Deputy President, Datuk Susan Wong disclosed that a total of 155 contingents have signed up for this year’s Dragon Boat Race.
She also called on the people of Sabah of various races to actively come out to support the said two cultural events, so as to further enhance their rapport, cultural harmony and unity.-pr/BNN
