Sarawak scales up celebration for 60th Independence Day on July 22; Singapore teams to join street parades in August
KUCHING, July 6 — Sarawak will be holding a grand statewide celebration to commemorate its 60th Independence Day on July 22 with a public rally in Kuching and concerts by famous local entertainers.
Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state government has even received requests from several Singaporean teams to join its street parades in Kuching on August 5.
He added that street parades will also be held in Sibu on August 12 and Miri on August 19. “We will also launch a special publication of a book that traces Sarawak’s journey from 1963 on July 22,” he told a news conference here today.
He said some events had already been held in other parts of the state since May 28 and hoped the public would be entertained by the long list of programmes planned for the near month-long celebration.
He added that Sarawakians can appreciate how far the hornbill state has come since independence was declared on July 22, 1963 — roughly two months before Malaysia was formed.
“What is important is that Sarawak is able to celebrate our 60 years of independence,” he told reporters after chairing the main organising committee meeting here.
“We have managed to build a very united Sarawak. We don’t feel any animosity among our 34 ethnic groups.
“We are very united as shown in the last state election, where we managed to obtain 92 per cent popular votes and 76 out of 82 state seats. That reflected how united we are,” he said of the state ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition.
“It is only fair that we celebrate our diamond jubilee on a big scale,” he said.
“This is our way of uniting ourselves without any ulterior agenda.” Karim said the highlight of the celebration will be a public rally and parade to be held at the Central Padang here on the morning of July 22.
“A total of 3,000 participants from 60 contingents will take part in the rally,” he said, adding that the continents will include the state miniseries, government departments and agencies, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations and ethnic associations.
He said Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, federal ministers from Sarawak and state ministers will be among those who will attend the rally.
“This is purely a Sarawak do, so we do not invite other federal leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,” he said, adding that they will be invited when Sarawak holds Malaysia Day celebration later.
He said the rally and parade will be followed by the presentation of commemorative medals by the Sarawak governor to the first batch of 60 recipients for their contributions to the state.
He added a state banquet will be held at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly on the night of July 22 and it will be attended by the Sarawak governor and premier.
Karim said a concert that will feature well-known local entertainers, such as Elizabeth Paya, Bob Yunus, Ng Chien Chien, Firdaus Materang, Carrie Gere and Ramles Walter, will be staged at the waterfront on the night of July 22.
He added that rock singer Datuk Awie and an Indonesian pop group Ungu will also feature in the concert.
