By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Dec 5: More than 7,000 Christians from various Kuching churches will take part in the annual Kuching City Christmas Parade, one of the city’s most colorful and highly anticipated events.
The parade, scheduled to begin at 6pm on Dec 7, will commence from the MBKS Jubilee Ground.
Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) secretary-general Elder Ambrose Linang, said the parade aims to highlight the true meaning of Christmas while bringing blessings, harmony, unity, goodwill, and inclusivity to the people of Kuching and Sarawak.
During a press conference held at the ACS Office today, Ambrose encouraged all parade participants to prepare Christmas gifts to distribute to members of the public during the event.
He revealed that the theme for this year’s parade is ‘Peace Be With You / Damai Sejahtera Bersamamu,’ emphasising the joy, peace, and mercy associated with Christmas.
Ambrose explained that the parade is about fostering joy, peace, and kindness while celebrating diversity and promoting unity in Kuching’s multicultural and multireligious community.
He called on the people of Kuching to celebrate the city’s harmony, tolerance, and acceptance in all its diversity, describing it as a unique strength and beauty of the region.
“Kuching has always been a city where peace, harmony, and unity thrive,” he said.
“Let us come together and embrace our diversity, which is our strength, and resist the threats of racial polarisation and religious extremism that could destroy the fabric of our society.”
The parade will feature 11 elaborately designed Christmas floats depicting scenes such as the Nativity, Angels, Shepherds, Sheep, and Wisemen.
Leading the parade will be the Boys’ Brigade musical bands.
Traffic along the 4km parade route, which stretches from MBKS Jubilee Ground to Jalan Padungan, Jalan Tun Abdul Rahim (Waterfront), Lebuh Temple (Harbour View Hotel), Lebuh Wayang (Medan Pelita), Jalan Tabuan (Borneo Hotel), Jalan Ban Hock (Grand Continental Hotel), and back to MBKS Jubilee Ground, will be affected from 7pm to 9pm.
Road access to the MBKS Jubilee Ground will be restricted from 5pm.
Participating churches include the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church SCAC, Methodist Church SIAC, BEM (518) Church, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Salvation Army, Sarawak Baptist Church, Sarawak Blessed Church, and member churches of SECA, including Christ Baptist Church, City Harvest Church, Hope Church Kuching, and OS Gospel Harvest Kuching.
The parade is jointly organized by the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) and the Sarawak Evangelical Christian Association (SECA), with the Methodist Church SCAC as this year’s host. On the same day, ACS Miri and ACS Bintulu will hold their City Christmas Parades, while other ACS branches will host theirs at later dates.
Also present at the press conference were Catholic Archbishop Dato Simon Poh Hoon Seng, Kuching Christmas Parade Organizing Chairman William Ting, and other representatives from participating churches.
For further clarification, the public may contact William Ting at 019-8164385 or Samuel Ting at 016-8605496. — DayakDaily
