KUCHING : Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman), Datuk Talib Zulpilip said festivals such as the 17th Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival should be encouraged to further promote inter-racial good relationships and understanding.
Interviewed after he attended the Carpenter Street Intercultural Mooncake Festival on Tuesday night, Zulpilip said he was sure the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government in the state and the leaders were giving their support to the programe as it was a heritage of working and living together.
“Now, we are celebrating the Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival at the historic Carpenter Street which has seen many events. Among them, it has witnessed five dynasties of rulers in Sarawak – from the White Rajah to the Japanese, a short stint under the British Military Administration, the British Colony and finally ìndependent Malaysia. “Ordinary people and the rulers had shopped, worked and walked in Carpenter Street. It has reinvented itself time and time again, being the host to countless types of businesses and celebrations. I’ m sure a hundred years from now, Carpenter Street will be around, as relevant and vibrant as it ever was.
The current government is committed to maintaining the Sarawak culture of working and living together harmoniously. So Carpenter Street and its festivals such as this are heading in the right direction,” he added. Sarawakians, Zulpilip, added, were interested in matters affecting the rights and development of the state.
“The GPS government is in the forefront in this move. Hopefully, both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) which included restoration of Sarawak rights in their election manifestos would honour their words. “There is no room for flip flops. Just walk the talk, the honourable thing to do,” he said. Zulpilip, who came with his wife, said they enjoyed the sights, sounds and tastes of the festival. He congratulated the joint organising chairmen, Sim Kiang Chiok and Cr. Amy Tnay Li Ping on the success of the festival.
