Challenge given to SAS to host international autoshow in Kuching
KUCHING: The Sarawak AutoEnthusiast Society (SAS) has been challenged to organise and host an international automotive event here four years from now.
Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan, who declares this challenge, believes that the proposed move would not only gather local enthusiasts but also those from other countries.
“By doing this, local enthusiasts could also gain wider knowledge in the automotive industry, expose them to wider networking and opportunities as well as provide them with a viable platform to source information,” he said in his opening remarks at the Merdeka Auto Carnival 2017 at Dewan Masyarakat Kuching yesterday.
The event, which concludes today, enters its sixth edition this year. It is hosting a number of activities such as automotive exhibition, an auto/audio show, an autoshow, ‘car limbo’, colouring contest, dance competition, and drift demonstrations.
In giving assurance that his ministry would support such event in the future, Snowdan also encouraged any organiser of autoshows to extend their invitations not only to neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, but also to those across the East Asia and Pacific regions.
“I’m sure there are many auto-enthusiasts in these countries.
“I can see from this event that there are various recreational activities that the organiser has lined up to attract the crowds; this creates a good community event in Kuching.
“By having such event, it would boost the physical interaction between youths, especially in view of this digital era where face-to-face social skills have become very poor.”
Snowdan said he would also like to see auto-enthusiasts from Serian, Sri Aman, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri coming to such events.
“The SAS must invite them in the future. Getting together in this kind of event benefits the auto-enthusiasts – they get to learn positive values like teamwork, camaraderie, confidence and discipline.
“My ministry always supports any healthy youth-oriented activities in the areas of sports, culture and hobbies,” he pointed out, also thanking the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) for supporting SAS in organising the carnival.
SAS president Wan Asraq Arif, vice president Kelvin Chen and organising chairman Galvin Amat witnessed the carnival’s kick-off.