By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, March 10: The streets of Satok were buzzing with festive spirit as the annual Satok Aidilfitri Bazaar officially opened last night (March 9), accompanied by the lighting of decorative lamps along the Satok pedestrian bridge.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, Kuching North City Commission and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the bazaar, now in its 16th year since its inception in 2010, is jointly organised by Koperasi Usahawan Bumiputera Sarawak (KUBS) and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU).
“With the cooperation between KUBS and DBKU, we can see that the bazaar space has expanded, giving more opportunities for our entrepreneurs to take part and offer a wide range of products to the public, especially those who frequently visit the Satok area.
“This year, a total of 200 vendors are taking part in the bazaar, offering a wide variety of goods as preparation for Hari Raya. The bazaar started [on March 5] and will continue throughout the month of Ramadan until Hari Raya,” he said during the launch of the bazaar.
In addition to the Aidilfitri bazaar, there are also 80 additional vendors operating along Jalan Satok offering mouth-watering food and beverages for visitors.
Meanwhile, DBKU has installed 77 decorative RGB light units and 62 wall washer lamps along the Satok pedestrian bridge. The lighting system can be adjusted dynamically to suit different themes for celebrations such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Chinese New Year.
“With these decorative lights, the area is now more beautiful and vibrant, and it will certainly become an attraction for the public as well as visitors and tourists coming to Kuching city, especially to the Satok area.
“Many eateries and food stalls in the area also remain open until late at night, offering local delicacies for the public,” he added.
Traffic management was also highlighted, with DBKU deploying traffic wardens to work alongside the police to ensure smooth traffic flow around the bazaar area.
Also present were Satok assemblyman Dato Ibrahim Baki and DBKU mayor Dato Hilmy Othman.
Under DBKU, there are also Aidilfitri bazaars organised at CENTEXS Commercial Services Sdn Bhd at Juma’ani Pavilion from March 9 to 18, as well as the Car Boot Sale Aidilfitri organised by the Kuching Car Boot Sale Community at the Satok Flyover parking lot on March 14 and 15. — DayakDaily
