By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, Aug 29: Haze failed to dampen the spirit of SibuJaya Water Fiesta 2026, which drew more than 10,000 participants and brought families and people from various ethnic backgrounds together.
In a report by TVS, Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the strong turnout reflected the festival’s growing popularity, now in its seventh edition.
He said the festival’s inclusive nature was one of its key strengths, with Dayak, Malay, Melanau, and Chinese communities participating together.
“The festival not only brings people of different races closer together, but also strengthens family ties. Festivals like this not only bring people of different races closer together, but also strengthen family institutions.
“We can see participation from people of all age groups, from children and parents to grandparents, with everyone attending together,” he said at the opening ceremony of SibuJaya Water Fiesta 2026 at the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre today.
He said events such as the water fiesta give families an opportunity to gather, spend quality time together, and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere.
Abdul Karim said his ministry would continue to welcome and support community-based programmes such as the SibuJaya Water Fiesta.
He also congratulated the Sibu Rural District Council (MDLBS), AmCorp, and all parties involved for successfully organising the festival and expanding it to a larger scale.
On the haze, Abdul Karim said the public should assess the situation based on surrounding conditions and refer to Air Pollutant Index (API) readings issued by the authorities and experts.
He said the air quality in Sibu Jaya appeared to remain relatively good based on his observations today.
“If we look at Sibu Jaya today, I think it may be lower than that (API 100 to 200), because I can see several kilometres away. This indicates that the air quality in this area is still fairly good,” he said. — DayakDaily
