Kho (fourth left) presents a souvenir to Abdul Karim while (from second left) Sih, Ma, Wee and others look on. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 1): The Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival can potentially be developed into a tourism product for Sarawak, at the same time become the state’s grand celebration of the Mazu deity’s birthday annually, says state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“I can see that Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival is one festival that if you develop it nicely through the years, it can grow into a very big festival and this is also partly because the deity has over 300 million followers worldwide,” he said.
He said he was informed that the Mazu deity was revered and worshipped by over 300 million devotees globally for safe voyage when out in the sea and the festival’s riverine procession at Sarawak River near to Kuching Waterfront tonight was one of a kind in the world.
He was speaking when officiating at the main event of the Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival welcoming the deity to Ching San Yan temple at Muara Tebas here today.
The Borneo Mazu Cultural Festival began on April 27, with the main event taking place today, an effigy of the Mazu deity from Niangma Temple at Jalan Ang Cheng Ho was brought to Ching San Yan temple via the Sarawak River in a 26-boat convoy.
The convoy, comprising fishing boats and accompanied by marine police vessels, departed from Ang Cheng Ho jetty at about 6am before reaching Muara Tebas jetty near to the Ching San Yan temple at 8.45am today. The arrival of the deity was welcomed by fireworks, lion dance performances and prayers.
Walking up the 108-step staircase to the temple for the first time today, Abdul Karim said Ching San Yan temple, under the management of Kuching Hockien Association, has been properly looked after over the decades and an expansion is currently underway.
Besides, Abdul Karim highlighted Muara Tebas village as the embodiment of the spirit of mutual understanding and respect between different races, where the Chinese Taoist temple has been in existence in the Malay village for the past 200 years without causing any tensions within the community.
“We must take care of Sarawak and we don’t want our state whereby the Malay, Chinese and Dayak only mingle with their own community and isolated from one another. If we start moving along that line, that is the start of a problem and the disintegration of the country,” he said.
Despite being a Muslim, Abdul Karim said he has always been supportive of any non-Islamic cultural festivals, and the Sarawak government will continue to provide financial support to these events to foster closer relationships and mutual respect between different ethnic groups.
He also admitted politicians, especially those in the peninsula, are to be blamed for causing divisions among the people by exploiting the sensitivity of religion and race issues.
On that note, he said he was proud of the number of tourists coming into Sarawak in the first three months of this year at about 1.2 million, and the goal to achieve four million visitors by year end seems to be on track.
He stressed that reviving Sarawak’s tourism industry was his ministry’s main responsibility as the spin-off effects from tourist arrivals would benefit the hospitality players, the transportation sector and the craft industry.
The festival’s chief planning officer Sih Hua Tong and Kapitan Ethan Tan, representing the Kuching Hockien Association, both expressed their gratitude to the ministry and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) for providing various financial assistance and support to allow all the activities to proceed smoothly.
Among those present were MBKS mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, deputy mayor Dato Zaiedi Suhaili, the festival chairman Kho Kee Hua and organising chairman Aaron Ma.