Serian elected reps pool resources for grand Christmas parade
SERIAN: Three elected representatives in Serian led by Serian MP Dato Sri Richard Riot pledged to dish out RM50,000 to Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) Serian Branch to organise a grand Christmas parade in the town next year.
Riot said he would give RM30,000, and the amount was topped up by Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben and Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus who pledged RM10,000 each.
Riot, who is Human Resources Minister, said he was happy to see the good turnout at this year’s parade held on Sunday night, and he wanted to see a bigger and grander Christmas gathering and parade next year.
“Yang Berhormat Martin Ben, Yang Berhormat John Ilus and I have agreed we will come to next year’s event and we want to see a bigger crowd and a massive parade.
“Let’s do something great together because the supreme law of the country, which is the Federal Constitution, guarantees us the freedom to practise our religion.
“Not only that, the No. 1 principle of Rukun Negara says we are free to believe in God. This evening we are fulfilling our religious obligation in consonant with our rights as enshrined in the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara, as proud Malaysian christians,” Riot said.
He said it was these two points written in the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara that had made religious and racial harmony in Malaysia possible.
He said the slogan 1Malaysia was very much alive in Sarawak than anywhere else in the country.
The starting point of the parade was at the Taman Komuniti Serian where the various Christian denominations said prayers and sang Christmas carols, before proceeding with float procession around selected routes in Serian town.
The Serian Christmas parade was first organised in 2014, and it attracted bigger participation every year since then.
It was also described as the best platform to enhance the rapport between the different Christian denominations in Serian, and a good way to get the youths to be more involved in church activities.
Besides Martin and John, Riot was accompanied at the event by, among others, Serian Resident Jonathan Lugoh, District officer Lim Hock Meng, the first and former Serian Resident Dahim Nadot and St Teresa Serian church rector Reverend Father Paul Herry.