KUCHING: Brunei will host the next BIMP-EAGA Budayaw Festival in two years’ time, revealed Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Sebastian Ting.
Commenting on this year’s Budayaw Festival held in Kuching from November 19 to 23, he believed that the objective of the festival had been accomplished with the active involvement of all participants.
“I hope that through this event, all BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area) member states will continue to cherish and embrace the diversity of each other’s culture,” he said.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2nd BIMP-EAGA Budayaw Festival 2019 at Plaza Merdeka here yesterday.
Ting also said such events would continue to foster fellowship ties between the BIMP-EAGA member countries, namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines.
During the ceremony, the audience was treated to a final dance presentation which showcased dances from each BIMP-EAGA member country — each in their traditional costumes.
The upbeat music and animated dance movements elicited cheers and applause from the ceremony attendees and mall patrons alike.
A total of 410 delegates from the BIMP-EAGA region attended this year’s Budayaw Festival to celebrate arts and culture.
Among the events held over the five days were exhibitions of unique crafts including traditional weaving as well as contemporary arts, dance and song performances.
There was also the Budayaw Fashion Show 2019 and the Budayaw colloquium where policies, promotions, and developments surrounding the diversity of arts and culture in the BIMP region were discussed.
Also present were Brunei consul-general in Kuching Pengiran Kartini Pengiran Tahir, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture permanent secretary and 2nd BIMP-EAGA Budayaw Festival 2019 chairman Hii Chang Kee, Sarawak Arts Council chief executive officer Sharkawi Amit, and other representatives from the BIMP-EAGA member countries.
Photos: Mohd Alif Noni & Nadim Bokhari
Graceful movement from these flower maidens. 
A Borneoan warrior in action. 
Smooth and effortless best describes this dance number. 
From the heartland of Sarawak’s interior comes this exotic dance.
Graceful and captivating dance performers. 
Tourism, Arts and Culture assistant minister Datuk Sebastian Ting (third left) and MTAC permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee (fifth left) poses at a photo call with the delegates after the souvenir presentation during Budayaw Festival Closing Ceremony at Plaza Merdeka, Kuching. 
A closing dance performances by the dancers from the participating countries. 
The dancers mesmerised the audience with their moves.
