By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 19: An interfaith prayer service and a thanksgiving ceremony for Muslims will set the wheels in motion for the Sarawak Day celebrations, promising a meaningful merriment culminating in this year’s grand event on July 22 at the Old Bintulu Airport grounds.
Unit for Other Religion (Unifor) is organising the prayer service on July 20, jointly hosted by six religious bodies namely the Baha’i, the Buddhists, Hindu, Sikh, Taoists and Christians.
This will be followed by a thanksgiving ceremony for Muslims on Sunday (July 21).
Sarawak Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom announced that Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg will grace this year’s grand celebration, which is scheduled to start at 8pm on July 22.
“The lineup of activities include pantomime shows and performances by local and Peninsula artistes, including the captivating ‘Gema Sarawak’ performance,” he said in a media release today.
Dr Rundi, who is also the organising committee chairman, added that local artistes and bands such as Tuku Kame, Akoustik Connexion, Kumpulan JKKN Sarawak, Kelab Asal Main Dayak (KEMADA), Majestic Shades Dancers Bintulu, and Kumpulan Teater will provide lively pre-concert entertainment to rouse up the tempo of the evening.
The evening’s main event will feature top Malaysian entertainers, including Sarawak-born superstars Dayang Nurfaizah and Bob Yusuf, alongside Melissa Francis, Daus Eli, Roxy Ixzy, Chien Ng, Suleiman Usop, and Jackson Michael, promising an unforgettable experience for concert-goers.
“The celebration will culminate with a spectacular fireworks display to mark this historic occasion,” Dr Rundi said.
During the day, an exhilarating 15km fun ride, which has drawn the participation of 800 cyclists, will commence at 7am from Bintulu Civic Centre, with Dr Rundi set to lead the cyclists.
Other programmes to commemorate the special day are the officiating of the Sarawak Methanol Complex at its premises at Tanjung Kidurong by Sarawak Premier and a townhall session at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu campus with over 1,300 participants, including students.
Dr Rundi underscored that Sarawak Day, a public holiday since 2016, remains a cornerstone of government efforts to foster unity and appreciation for Sarawak’s history and progress.
The celebrations will be broadcast live on TVS and Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) social media platforms. — DayakDaily
