KUCHING: With the Raya festival just right around the corner, households are buzzing with preparations, from tidying their houses to the quintessential task of buying new clothes.
Amidst all the preparation, there’s one iconic figure here that’s also getting into the festive spirit—the Padungan cat statue.
Adorned in green, the cat is dressed in the traditional attire of baju melayu telok belanga, styled with Sarawak’s songket design gracing its hemline.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor, Datuk Wee Hong Seng unveiled the cat’s new attire for the season.
“We have put up a new dress for our white cat yesterday(March 20) and I hope this cat will be nicely dressed and ready for the upcoming Hari Raya celebration,” he said to New Sarawak Tribune.
The choice of green for the cat’s attire holds deeper significance beyond mere aesthetics, as it symbolises the greenery of the Padungan locality.
“We decided to use green, to represent our Padungan area and the importance of being environmentally friendly within our community,” he said.
Furthermore, the creative mind behind the cat’s dressing is none other than Wee himself, who shares a profound understanding of textiles owing to his past experiences.
“I’m usually the one who comes up with the cat’s costume design since I was from India Street and used to sell textiles before,” he said.
As the streets of the city come alive with the vibrant colours and festive cheer of Raya, the Padungan cat stands as a symbol of unity, tradition, and community spirit, reminding the community to embrace the essence of the season as they don their finest attire and gather with loved ones to celebrate.
