BINTULU: The people should not regard Bintulu as a place where they can make money only but also a town of healthy people who know how to set time aside to have some fun.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in pointing this out yesterday said even though Bintulu was an industrial town where activities were supposed to be concentrated on manufacturing and so forth, the people must not get bogged down by work and the thought of making money.
“We must have some time for fun,” he said when speaking at the closing of the 4th International Borneo Kite Festival held at the old airport site here.
Taib said he would like to see Bintulu not just as a place capable of creating economic opportunities and wealth but also a town of robust people full of zest for life.
“It must have been quite fun for the people in Bintulu to see their skyline made more jubilant,” he said as he looked up at hundreds of colourful kites flying high in the air.
“I understand the 250 participants in this year’s festival come from 13 countries,” he said, noting that the participation was better than last year’s.
The festival started last Monday. While thanking the organiser — Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) — and others involved in making the event grander this year, Taib noted that the response from foreigners towards the annual event had been improving since it started in 2005.
“Thank you for making the occasion a happy one. I congratulate the organising committee for making this year’s festival much livelier,” said Taib who is also the chairman of BDA.
Taib also praised the organising committee for its success in flying 1,655 kites simultaneously on Aug 17 during Pesta Gudi Sarawak, and with that getting the event recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR). |
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The festival was also organised in conjunction with BDA’s 30th anniversary and Sarawak’s 45th year of progress within Malaysia.
The foreign participants in the festival came from Australia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, China, France, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, India and Indonesia. The foreigners demonstrated their giant kites of various designs.
The Malaysian states that took part in the event were Johor, Penang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Selangor, Perak and hosts Sarawak as well as Kelab Mas. The side events included kite workshop for students and business expo apart from night entertainment activities.
In the National Grand Prix Award 2008 category (an award introduced by the Malaysia Kite Council for the first time), the first prize went to Mohd Helmi Ali Hassan of Kelantan.
He walked away with a Yamaha Ego motorcycle worth RM5,000.
The second prize winner was Mohd Hafizi Mohamed, also of Kelantan, who received a 40-inch LCD television worth RM3,000 while the second runner-up was Wan Mohd Nakudin of Terengganu who won himself a DVD home cinema worth RM1,500.
It was also announced that the three winners of the award would be required to compete in all the three international kite competitions - the Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival in Johor, Kota Baharu International Kite Festival in Kelantan and International Borneo Kite Festival in Bintulu.
Two kite flying specialists from New Zealand, Peter Lyn and Greg Hanson presented a giant kite in the form of a hornbill measuring 40 feet by 80 feet to the state government.
BDA deputy chairman Dato Sri Celestine Ujang, Jepak assemblyman Datuk Talip Zulpilip, Bintulu Resident Dr Razali Abon, BDA general manager Mohidin Ishak and the Malaysian Kite Council secretary Ismail Matair were among those present at the function.
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