ASAJAYA: The cultural diversity and religious festivals celebrated by various races in Sarawak are a uniqueness that should be preserved and used as the basis for the harmony and prosperity of Sarawak.

This was emphasised by the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts of Sarawak and Asajaya Assemblyman Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the Asajaya District Level Ngiling Tikai 2025 Ceremony which was held at the Sampun Jugu Village Hall on Saturday.

He also emphasised that the celebration of various festivals by the various races as highlighted in the ceremony reflects the true unity that is the identity of Sarawak.

"Each religion and race has its own celebration such as Gawai Day, Christmas and Aidilfitri. When we respect each other, Sarawak will continue to be peaceful and prosperous.

"We see tonight, all races sitting together - Iban, Chinese, Malay - shoulder to shoulder. This is a reflection of the unity that we need to maintain,” he added.

The ceremony organised by the Asajaya District Office also marked the official closing of the Gawai Dayak celebration at the district level, and was graced by the presence of Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Kota Samarahan Member of Parliament, Datuk Rubiah Wang.

Dato Sri Abdul Karim also praised the harmony of the community in Asajaya, which although the number of Dayak and Chinese communities is only around 10 percent each, still plays an important role in forming a united and developing community.

In his speech, he also touched on the future of Asajaya, which is now considered part of the development circle of Kuching City.

He emphasised the role of the agriculture and fisheries sectors as the main source of food for the people of Kuching as well as contributors to the local economy.

Regarding future development, he informed that mega projects in Tanjung Embang such as the construction of a new airport and port are expected to be a catalyst for rural economic growth in the next two to three years.

“If this plan continues, we will see a bridge built from Tanjung Embang to two artificial islands, connecting them to Tambirat and Sambir. This area has the potential to become a satellite town,” he said.

The ceremony was also attended by Sarawak Police Commissioner, Dato Mancha Ata, Deputy Resident of Samarahan Division, Rais Ahmat, Asajaya District Officer, Jerry Zannuddin Bidin, Temenggong of the Malay Community, Chek Bujang, Temenggong of the Iban Community, Mohad @ Geoffrey Mamat Kuchai, and Temenggong of the Chinese Community, Liew Shark Sen.-UKASnews