KUCHING: A total of 20 countries will make their appearance at the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), which runs from Jan 1 to 5.
Around 400 people are expected to attend the event, which will be attended by participants from many countries, including Japan, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Maldives, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Datuk Marzuki Omar, the secretary general of RISEAP, told the media that the five-day event will be held at the Puteri Wing of the Riverside Majestic Hotel here.
“The ceremony will be officiated by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“We are hoping to have 110 delegates and 300 guests at the opening ceremony on Jan 3.
“On the second night of the event, RISEAP, who turned 42 on Nov 11, will have a mini celebration.
“Previously, we have been organising our general assemblies in Bangkok, Singapore, Taiwan, Bogor, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur,” he said in a press conference today.
Elaborating further, he said that while there would be a workshop and activities organised for the attendees during the event, the official launching won’t begin until Tuesday.
He also noted that RISEAP was established on Nov 11, 1980, by Malaysia’s first prime minister.
According to Marzuki, RISEAP would also like to use the event as a platform to promote tourism and hopes that the delegate will be able to visit the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), Waterfront Floating Mosque (India Mosque Kuching) and the Borneo Cultures Museum.
“SCV encompasses all cultures, and RISEAP aims to use the opportunity to expose it to the world.
“That is the idea behind it,” he noted.
He also said that RISEAP aims to foster unity and cooperation among Muslim organisations within the same country and among different countries in the region.
Besides that, he said that RISEAP aims to assist and support member organisations in providing adequate and systemic education for Muslim minorities in the region.
Also present were RISEAP manager Norainidah Jayus as well as members of the RISEAP secretariat Ahmad Azahari Mohd Sharif and Nur Fatihah Mohd Shedi.
