Nearly 27,000 attend Astana’s Aidilfitri open house, TYT touched by S’wak’s strong unity

Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Mar 23: Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi expressed their heartfelt appreciation following the successful Aidilfitri celebration held at the Sarawak State Astana on the first and second day of Syawal, which drew close to 27,000 visitors.

Wan Junaidi said the overwhelming turnout, including about 25,000 visitors on the first day and nearly 2,000 on the second, exceeded initial expectations and reflected the strong spirit of unity and kinship among Sarawakians.

He said visitors came from various areas including Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Betong, and Sibu, as well as the wider Kuching city area, highlighting the continued importance of festive gatherings in strengthening social bonds.

Describing the celebration as lively and meaningful, he said he and his wife were touched by the presence of people from diverse age groups, races and religions, which underscored the unique multicultural harmony in Sarawak.

“The presence of nearly 27,000 visitors who came to extend their Hari Raya greetings to me, my wife, and our family was deeply moving,” he said.

To cater to guests on the first day, a total of 14 stalls, mostly operated by small traders from around Kuching, served a variety of traditional dishes such as satay, ketupat, rendang, curry, ice kacang, kolok mee, mee jawa and the iconic Sarawak layer cake.

The governor also expressed gratitude that food and beverage supplies were sufficient to accommodate all visitors throughout the event.

He noted that the celebration was further enlivened by guests dressed in their respective ethnic traditional attire, while he wore a tengkolok and his wife donned a baju kurung adorned with keringkam, reflecting Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage.

He and his wife extended their appreciation to all visitors who took the time to attend, expressing hope that Aidilfitri celebrations would continue to serve as a platform to strengthen unity and foster closer ties among the people of Sarawak. — DayakDaily