Get to know, familiarise with each other’s culture, says Saifuddin

SIBU, Sept 14 — Malaysians have been urged to get to know and familiarise themselves better with the culture of the country’s ethnic groups.

This is to inculcate greater understanding among the people on the richness of the culture of fellow Malaysians, said Minister of Communications and Multimedia Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah today.

“We want to celebrate the richness of our culture and one aspect of this is native culture.

“For example, in Sarawak music culture, there is the ‘Sape’ and in Sabah, there is ‘Sundatang’, both of which are not so familiar with those from the Peninsula although they signify the richness of Sarawak’s and Sabah’s culture,” he said.

He was speaking to newsmen before witnessing the full dress rehearsal for the Malaysia Day 2020 celebration at the Sibu Indoor Stadium here.

On the celebration, themed MalaysiaPrihatin (Malaysia Cares), Saifuddin said the patriotic spirit remained the same although the focus is now slightly different from before.

At a time when the country is still in battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, he said new patriots have emerged in the form of frontliners comprising doctors, nurses, hospital workers, security forces and journalists.

“They have made tremendous sacrifices and some even have lost their lives. We are proud of our patriots,” he said.

Apologising to the people of Sibu for not making the celebration an event open to all due to the strict standard operating procedures set by Health Ministry (MOH) to curb Covid-19, Saifuddin invited them to watch it via live telecast on RTM1 and live streaming on TVSarawak’s Facebook page.

Also present today was Sarawak Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Stephen Rundi Utom who is the co-organising chairman of the event. — Bernama