Joniston (standing, seventh right) with Azfar (standing, eighth right) and Wendy Clare Stephen (standing, fifth left) at the launching of Sabah Fest Singapore Edition at the Marina Square in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: The sights and sounds of Sabah took centre stage at Marina Square on Saturday, as the Sabah Fest Singapore Edition 2025 brought North Borneo’s culture to life through music, dance, food and heritage.
Visitors were treated to traditional performances, food products and craft showcases that highlighted Sabah’s diverse ethnic traditions.
For Sabahans living in Singapore, it was a chance to reconnect with their roots, while Singaporeans had the opportunity to discover the state’s cultural richness for the first time.
The event was jointly launched by Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Dato’ Indera Azfar Mohd Mustafa.
Joniston called on the Sabah community abroad to help promote the state as a preferred travel destination and strengthen its international visibility, noting that Singapore’s position as a regional hub offers Sabah a strong advantage.
“With direct flights between Singapore and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is more accessible than ever, and we want to leverage this connectivity to attract more visitors,” he said, adding that more than 13,000 Singaporeans visited Sabah between January and May this year.
Joniston, who is also Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board, described the event as a perfect introduction for first-time visitors as Sabah prepares for Visit Malaysia 2026 with its own Explore Sabah campaign. He invited Singaporeans and international travellers to experience Sabah Fest 2025 in Kota Kinabalu next month (Aug 30–Sept 30).
Both Joniston and Azfar commended the Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STTOS) for spearheading the festival with support from Tourism Malaysia Singapore, MATRADE, DESA, Jetsin and travel partners.
The event also marked the launch of the Stamp and Feel Sabah campaign, a stamp rally programme encouraging Singaporeans to explore various destinations across the state.
Also present were STTOS Managing Director Wendy Clare Stephen and senior officers from Tourism Malaysia and MATRADE.
