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| (Back row, from left) Temenggong Lu, Liu, Chan, Karim and Hanifah join a group of children to carry lanterns. |
KUCHING: Cultural festivals like Mooncake and Lantern Festival are great avenues to foster community and family bonds, promote multi-cultural understanding and encourage ownership, all of which are important to strengthen national unity and harmony.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who was representing Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem, said this at the MBKS-Federation Chinese Association Lantern Festival held at MBKS Community Hall on Friday.
“Religious and racial harmony and tolerance are extremely essential and must be understood by all so that we can live together peacefully and practise our respective faith without hindrance and fear,” he stressed.
The older generation, Karim pointed out, understood this sensitivity very well and every citizen thus must impart these values to the younger generation.
In addition, Karim stressed that an occasion such as this also emphasised the importance of family bonding, which served as a stark reminder to the changing lifestyle of the present day world.
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| Children dressed in adorable costume with their specially made lanterns perform before the judges. |
“Families remain the pillar of our society, and a strong family institution adds to the strength and resilience of our society,” he reminded.
Even though the Mooncake and Lantern Festival was originally celebrated by the Chinese community, Karim pointed out that this festival, like all other major festivals in the state, was no longer confined to a certain ethnic group.
He urged the people to make an effort to foster peace and harmony in the society so as to avoid the occurrence of unwanted racial or religious related incidences.
Local councils, Karim said, must enhance its role in fostering good relationships within the community and nurture a healthy living environment through community togetherness campaigns.
“Activity like today (Friday) is an ideal way to enhance the spirit of cooperation and neighbourliness among various communities and to inculcate good family values and volunteerism in young and old people,” he added.
More of such activity, Karim said, should be organised, as it allowed a smart working partnership between local councils, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government departments and agencies as well as the community.
Meanwhile, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato James Chan said that strengthening social cohesion amongst the people here was vital to ensure community harmony.
“My city council understands that community-based activities and events encompassing culture, sports, arts, recreation, and education that encourage community involvement are important and necessary for enhancing societal solidarity and oneness,” he stressed.
Special occasions such as the Lantern Festival, Chan added, presented a wonderful opportunity to gather families, friends and neighbours together irrespective of race or religious.
“It also allows us to learn to appreciate one another’s traditions and culture,” he further added.
The highlight of the festival was the Children Lantern Parade which was participated by over 160 children from various kindergartens around here.
Among those present were Federation president Temenggong Lu Kim Yong, festival co-chairperson Dato Hanifah Taib Alsree and China’s deputy consul-general to Kuching Liu Dongyuan.
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| Children showing off their specially created lanterns. |
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