SRDC proposes four festivals on state tourism calendar
The Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) hopes that the four festivals under its hosting would be listed on Sarawak tourism calendar, beginning next year.
The four are the Selangau Festival, the Sibu Jaya Festival, the Batang Rajang Symphony and the Durin Festival.
According to SRDC chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, these festivals hold great rural tourism potential.
“Therefore, I want the council members and staff to prepare the preliminary paperwork to be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts in order to obtain funding for the organisation of these four festivals.
“I recently asked Datuk Snowdan Lawan (Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts II), who then told me that such paperwork should be submitted early for his attention,” said Sempurai in his speech for the closing ceremony of Durin Festival 2022 at Durin Waterfront near here on Sunday.
The event also hosted the Ministry for Public Health, Housing and Local Government officer (Urban Planning) Genam Consil, acting SRDC secretary Chiong Siew Ping, and Durin Festival 2022 organising committee chairman Councillor Teo Boon Siew.
Adding on, Sempurai said upon the inclusion into the state’s tourism calendar, it would facilitate better organising of these festivals.
“I really hope that the members of the council would commit to ensuring that these events could be organised and run annually.
“It is the responsibility of the council to improve the organisation of events in the future, so as to help boost the socio-economy of the local population and also the local rural tourism sector.
“Everything must start from the council first,” he emphasised.
On Durin Festival, Sempurai pointed out a proposal from the council members for it to be combined with the Batang Rajang Symphony next year.
“This, however, would be discussed later by those in the standing committee.”
Meanwhile in his welcoming speech earlier, Teo said the Durin Festival had recorded some 20,000 visitors since the opening last Friday.
He viewed this as an indication that the festival was able to attract crowds not only from Durin, but also those from the neighbouring districts.
“Should we be able to host this festival every year, I’m sure many of us in Durin would benefit greatly from it.
“I’m confident that Durin can become a new tourism product, in view of various projects related to tourism being proposed by the SRDC, which I hope could be realised in the future.
“I hope this festival would become a landmark event for us in Durin,” he added.