SIBU: Chairman of Sibu Municipal Council Datuk Tiong Thai King believes Sibu could blossom into a tourist haven through cultural developments as one million tourists from China alone toured Malaysia last year.
Speaking at the opening of the Chinese Cultural Stage at the on-going Borneo Cultural Festival on Saturday, he praised Sibu folks for not only having treasured their culture, but willing to share it with tourists.
He said visitors had been charmed by this colour of harmony painted in the spirit of 1Malaysia.
“A professional speaker visiting Sibu once said for a nation to progress, it must have the three basic elements of law, religion and culture going together; this is what we have here.”
He advised the people to learn the lessons from the Cultural Revolution in China in the late 60s when the government there destroyed their rich culture.
He said the effects made the world to turn to countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia to study Chinese culture.
He said China had realised its serious drawbacks today when some residents possessed low morale, so much so that they were not well accepted by the world as they stepped out of their nation.
“Now, China is taking great steps to restore their cultural values; they now realise they cannot progress without cultural development.”
Tiong said if a society did away with their cultural values, people would become cold and indifferent towards others.
He said the Chinese in Malaysia had been looked up to for their achievements through education and determined spirit, and this had come about because of their strong spirit which is deeply rooted in their culture.
“In Malaysia today, we are not talking only about Chinese cultural development, but the sharing of cultures among people of all races; this is how we enrich ourselves.”
In the speech of the president of Sibu United Chinese Association (UCA) Ting Huat Chie – the umbrella body for Chinese associations that hosts the Chinese cultural stage in the on-going festival – he refuted negative remarks on the aim of hosting such a cultural grand event.
Continue reading at: Tourism in Sibu can prosper through cultural development
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