WEARING OUR

Youths propose TN50 initiatives to promote Malaysia’s diverse culture globally

TUCKED in the foothills of the majestic Mount Santubong, the iconic Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state.

Dubbed a “living museum”, the one-stop cultural centre showcases the diverse heritage, tradition and culture of the multiethnic people in the Land of the Hornbill.

Built on a 6.8ha site, the mustvisit tourist attraction welcomes droves of people, who wish to explore and learn about Sarawak’s culture in one day.

About two weeks ago, the centre, which had won numerous accolades and recognition, played host to a different group of people.

More than 500 people, mostly from the youth segment, had turned up at the centre’s Panggung Budaya, which was the venue for the “Randau Transformasi Nasional 2050 Begulai Enggau Etnik Sarawak” (National Transformation 2050 Gathering with Sarawak Ethnic programme).

Seated on a bamboo mat sprawled across the floor of the hall, the crowd excitedly shared their aspirations for Sarawak, and generally Malaysia, for the next 30 years during the dialogue, which was moderated by Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.

The race to the microphone began as soon as Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin opened the programme.

Adrian Gor Anthony was among the earliest to share his vision for Malaysia in the year 2050.

Befitting the “Sarawak Ethic” theme and the venue of the dialogue, the 21-year-old student of Melanau descent spoke about the importance of preserving the rich cultures, not only in Sarawak, but also around the country.

“There are many ethnic groups in Sarawak and the state is rich in culture and tradition. With the right efforts, I believe we can turn Sarawak culture into a global