KUCHING: The Sarawak Day to be held in Bintulu this year will be celebrated in a meaningful merriment to commemorate the day Sarawak formally gained its self-government on July 22, 1963.
 
To celebrate the special occasion, the Unit For Other Religions (UNIFOR) will organise an inter-faith prayer service on Saturday (July 20) which will be jointly organised by six religious bodies, namely the Baha’i, the Buddhists, Hindu, Sikh, Taoists and Christians. This will be followed by the thanksgiving ceremony for Muslims on July 21.
 
Sarawak Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg will attend this year’s celebration at the old Bintulu Airport grounds at 8 p.m. on July 22.
 
“Among the events at the grand celebration will be pantomime shows and performances by local and Peninsula artistes as well as the Gema Sarawak performance which will be held at the old Bintulu Airport,” said Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi, who is also the chairman of the organising committee.
 
There will also be a pre-concert entertainment provided by local artistes and band groups to rouse up the tempo of the evening. Local bands and entertainers such as Tuku Kame, Akoustik Connexion, Kumpulan JKKN Sarawak, Kelab Asal Main Dayak (KEMADA), Majestic Shades Dancers Bintulu and Kumpulan Teater will surely provide the extra oomph for the special occasion.
 
However, the highlight of the evening will surely focus on two of the country’s top entertainers such as Sarawak-born superstars Dayang Nurfaizah and Bob Yusuf, who will surely provide top entertainment to concert-goers.
 
And there will be some local artistes who have been invited to serenade the crowd. They include Melissa Francis, Daus Eli, Roxy Ixzy, Chien Ng, Suleiman Usop and Jackson Michael.
 
The evening will be capped by the displaying of fireworks to commemorate the historical event.
 
Meanwhile, in the morning of the same day, a Fun Ride, covering a distance of 15 km will be held from 7 a.m. at Dewan Suarah Bintulu where some 800 cyclists have already confirmed their participation. The light-and-easy ride will be led by Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi himself.
 
Other programmes to commemorate the special day is the officiating of the Sarawak Methanol Complex at its premises at Tanjung Kidurong by Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari and the Townhall session which will be held at UPM Bintulu campus. Some 1,300 people including students have confirmed their participations.
 
Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi stressed that Sarawak Day is one of the state government’s main events aimed at uniting the people of Sarawak to appreciate the spirit of love for the country as well as to value its past and present struggles.
 
The celebration would be broadcast live on TV Sarawak (TVS) and the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) social media platforms.
 
July 22 has been declared a public holiday in Sarawak since 2016. -UKASnews