KUCHING: Sarawak’s annual tourism calendar should include the ‘bertuntong’ heritage tradition, which commemorates the seven-day countdown to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
This was proposed by Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki who pointed out that the heritage tradition has the potential to become a tourism product to attract tourists.
“In Satok, we work hard to preserve our ancestral traditions, and ‘bertuntong’ has existed since before the colonial era. It’s done to brighten the atmosphere in the run-up to the Hari Raya festival.
“This activity should be added to the annual tourism calendar so that tourists planning to visit Sarawak during the Ramadan month can experience the festive spirit and atmosphere firsthand,” he explained.
He told this to the reporters after launching the Bertuntong Online Satok Kedua 2022 (BOS22) at Mahli Udin’s home compound in Kampung No 5, Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol here, yesterday.
Apart from preserving a heritage tradition and culture as well as providing another tourism product, Ibrahim stated that this will also benefit the local community in his constituency.
He lauded the organisers of BOS22 competition and expressed the hope that such events would be held in the future.
“Tourists will undoubtedly be drawn in since they will be able to learn more about our heritage tradition and culture.
“Organising such activities will also encourage better interactions between government agencies such as the Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE) and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), among others, to work closely with the local community,” he stressed.
At the same time, Ibrahim also commended the locals for their active engagement, which he said exemplifies harmony and solidarity.
“The people of Satok comprises of a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. We hope that this strong community spirit will last forever,” he pointed out.
