KUCHING: The annual Kuching Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival is a platform to promote unity, racial harmony and acceptance of Sarawak’s diversity. This year’s event, which began on September 6 to and 13 was a brainchild of Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud 18 years ago, said its organiser Sim Kiang Chiok. According to Sim, who is Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chief, the Head of State had tasked his father, the late Datuk Sim Swee Yong, to organise the event to unite the predominantly Malay community from across Sarawak River and the predominantly Chinese residents of Carpenter Street.
“Thus, the festival began as a commemorating event and was launched with great regalia 18 years ago. “We are truly proud that Kuching has been named ‘City of Unity’ and this is the driving principle with which our committee has worked and the fruits of our labour can been seen throughout the 18 years of this event,” said Sim at the 18th Kuching Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival 2019 at Plaza Merdeka, yesterday. He revealed that there had been a huge increase in stall participations with over 100 stalls livening up Carpenter Street.
“This is a street festival where all our senses will awaken,” he exhorted.
Sim expressed his gratitude towards the state government for supporting the event, while also commending Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s strong stance for Sarawak.
“For instance, we can see that the chief minister will not allow any bullying of Sarawakians in any form when he made the policy to take over the fresh water supply which is supposed to be under the federal government,” he said, mentioning other projects taken up by the state government such as rural electrification and construction of bridges. “We can see that when the federal government reneged on the 20 percent oil and gas royalty they promised, Abang Johari came up with a mechanism to charge five percent sales tax on oil and gas from Sarawak,” while suggesting the sales tax be increased to 20 percent.
