The Organising Committee, led by Goh (8th right) and Wong (10th left), is all set to host the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival.
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 (June 16), at 6pm.
The 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival will be launched by Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who is also the 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.
Huazong and FCAS President, Tan Sri T C Goh, said 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 said this is also the third time for FCAS to organise the National Chinese Cultural Festival, with the theme of ‘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 which is the 28th National Chinese Cultural Festival back in 2011.
He 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 September 26.
Goh said the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival will culminate in a grand event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Oct 6 – 8. 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.
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, he said in a statement today.
The finale and the prize presentation ceremony will be held on the following day (June 18).
Goh said as in previous years, Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin who will be the guest-of-honour will grace the Dragon Boat Race opening ceremony, while the special guests are Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor, China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing, the Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu Huang Shifang and State Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin, among others.
Meanwhile, FCAS Deputy President Datuk Susan Wong, who is the Organising Chairwoman for the cultural festival 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 come and support the two cultural events, to further enhance their rapport, cultural harmony and unity.
