KUCHING: The much awaited New Year countdown will start at 5PM today at Kuching Waterfront.
Members of the public are invited to come early to join in the celebration together with the launch of the Visit Sarawak Campaign.
Certain roads leading to the Kuching Waterfront will be closed early to facilitate the celebration and traffic police will be around to assist road users.
The celebration will be enlivened by performances of Malaysian artistes Noryn Aziz, REM and Shafiq Farhain.
Popular local singers will also be featured. They include Roxanne Lee, Felicia Gek, Gabriel Fairuz Louis, Mohd Firdaus Materang, Siti Hajar Mohidin and Nur Fauzana Wahid.
The countdown will commence with performances and entertainment from popular local bands, buskers and others before the highlight of the ceremony.
Among the performers are At Adau, Belio Buskers, Legacy Band, On String Band plus performers from Universiti Technology Mara (UiTM) Sarawak and Lim Kok Wing Creative University.
The celebration will be vibrant with musical water fountain showcase and stage performances showcasing the multiracial dances from the various ethnicities comprising Malay, Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Chinese and Indian.
Other captivating showcases featured in the celebration are water show, lighting up of the Darul Hana Bridge, 3D imaging and a video show from the Sarawak Tourism Board done in conjunction with the launching of Visit Sarawak 2019 campaign.
This visit campaign will be launched by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Highlighting the countdown will be the grand fireworks in symbolic ushering of the New Year 2019 at the stroke of midnight.
There will be four big LED screens strategically set up around the event.
Meanwhile, food trucks will be set up from as early as 4pm.
• See also story on Page 4 our New Sarawak Tribune 31/12/18
