KUCHING, Sept 5 — The ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ provides opportunities for Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah to experience Sarawak’s multi-cultural and multi-religious heritage.
Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki said the state government has arranged a wide range of programmes for their majesties to visit the various ethnic groups during the tour.
“Their majesties will visit all the ethnic groups in Sarawak such as the Malays, the Ibans, the Bidayuhs, the Chinese, the Orang Ulus including the Kedayan and the Penans during their tour from Lawas right up to Telok Melano, which is scheduled from Sept 7 to 13.
“This is the best opportunity for Sarawak to showcase its rich racial diversity and also to showcase Sarawak as a role model for the whole country through its religious tolerance and racial harmony,” he said in a statement here, today.
He added that during the journey, their majesties would also have opportunities to mingle with the people from all walks of life and will have a first-hand experience of their livelihood.
“Their majesties will also have a chance to see for themselves the basic needs of the rural populace such as roads, bridges, jetties and roadside stalls.”
Mohamad Abu Bakar, who is also the chairman of the organising committee for the visit of the majesties to Sarawak, stressed that the Sarawak government will also include some official programmes for their majesties during their stay.
“But their visit this time is just ‘santai’ meaning not so official, as they want to reach out to the ordinary people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Abu Bakar hoped that other federal leaders will follow the example shown by their majesties to visit the people at the grassroots levels.
“To me, what His Majesty is doing now must be emulated by other top federal leaders to touch base with the rakyat in Sarawak,” he added.
— Bernama
