Christmas parade in Sibu expected to draw 5,000 people

The Association of Sarawak Churches (ACS) Sibu Branch will hold the Christmas Parade 2023 at the town square on Dec 9.

Themed “Emmanuel, God Is With Us”, the parade is organised by St John’s Anglican Church, Sibu.

Archdeacon Joseph Dusit Ijau, who is the organising commitee chairman, said the procession was expected to start around 7pm from the town square.

A long list of churches will be taking part.

Among them are Roman Catholic Church, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC), Methodist Church, Iban Methodist Church Sarawak Iban Annual Conference (SIAC), Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) and Borneo Gospel Conference (SIB).

“We expect about 5,000 people in Sibu will join us this time.”

He said ACS chairman Rt Revd Datuk Danald Jute, who is also Bishop of the Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, would also be joining the parade, along with Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) director Datuk Jack Aman.

Joseph will join other church leaders in the lighting of the Unity Candle at 6.40pm, one of the highlights of the parade which started in the 1970s.

“We hope the weather will be in our favour just like last year,” said Joseph, who is also the vicar of St John’s Anglican Church, Sibu.

The parade last year attracted a huge crowd of several thousand people.

This year’s route will be from the town square and pass through Jalan Bujang Suntong, Jalan Pulau, Jalan Channel, Jalan Mission, Jalan Central, Jalan Wong Nai Siong and Jalan Ramin before ending at Jalan Kampung Nyabor.