KUCHING: Proton Edar Sdn Bhd is committed to elevating Kuching’s cultural heritage onto the international stage through its Asian Games Nation Drive programme, which was held here from August 19 to 20.
In the latest leg of the programme, Kuching city was selected to participate in the travel programme with participation from local media practitioners.
The programme served as a precursor to the 19th Asian Games 2022 set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from Sept 23 to Oct8.
The driving force behind this programme is its deputy director of Marketing and Network Support Steven Zhou Qi, who emphasised the objective of showcasing Sarawak’s tourism prospects.
“Kuching city was chosen due to its numerous tourist attractions, notably the culturally significant Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching Waterfront, and the Telok Melano Kilometre Zero landmark which marks the starting point of the Pan Borneo Highway.
“We see this as a platform to showcase the world on the cultural heritage of Kuching as well as encourage more people to experience the rich cultural tapestry of our nation at large,” he said.
He said this to reporters after receiving ‘sape’ handicraft from Sarawak boxer Daelonial Mcdelon at the Proton 3S Centre Ismaco Sdn Bhd here yesterday (Aug 20).
Elaborating on the initiative, Zhou said the national contingent will be presenting various Malaysian cultural handicrafts to the Olympic Council of Asia and members of the Asian Games committee in Hangzhou.
A single cultural handicraft representing each area in Malaysia will be chosen through a voting process, which will be passed on to the Malaysian contingent for subsequent presentation.
“Through this programme, we are collecting cultural handicrafts that represent Malaysia’s identity to be showcased during the sporting event.
“Our aspiration goes beyond local bounds; we intend to project Malaysia’s culture on the global stage.
“Moreover, our goal involves strengthening relationships with national brands through corporate social responsibility, not only domestically but also internationally,” he said.
Proton’s Asian Games Nation Drive commenced its journey in Sabah last August and is set to continue across Peninsular Malaysia, namely the South and North regions in the coming weeks.
Proton was chosen as an official vehicle partner for the Asian Games alongside Geely Auto Group, the official partner and sponsor of the sports games.
Also present at the handover ceremony were Proton South Sarawak manager Efenee Liew, Proton North Sarawak state manager Ahmadi Latif and Proton Ismaco CEO Mariana Ismail.
