Pangkalpinang host 4-day Islamic Malay festival
Pangkalpinang host 4-day Islamic Malay festival
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pangkalpinang, Bangka-Belitung
State Minister of Tourism and Culture I Gede Ardhika opened on
Saturday an Islamic Malay festival in the town of Pangkal Pinang,
Bangka-Belitung (Babel) province, in the hope that the four-day
event would further unite and strengthen ties among the Malay
people.
It is the first festival of its kind to take place in
Pangkalpinang, the capital city of Bangka-Belitung.
The minister said the festival, organized by the local
administration, could introduce and promote Malay culture among
other countries.
Moreover, the event could bring positive economic development
to the three-year old province, he said.
"Through the festival, the province could introduce to other
countries the potential of the province's rich natural resources
and its tourist attractions and thus attract much-needed foreign
investment," he said.
The opening ceremony was attended by the president of the
Malay World Islamic World (DMDI), Datuk Seri Muhammad Ali bin
Muhammad Rustam, who also serves as the chief minister of Malacca
state in Malaysia.
The DMDI was founded five years ago and has its headquarters
in the town of Seri Negeri Ayer Keroh, Malacca.
Datuk said the Muslim Malay community should unify its vision
and mission to preserve their own culture.
During such a global era, the Malay people should change their
approach to life. So far they have worked as government or state
officials or served as artists, he said.
"Such a pattern should be changed, so that the Malay people
can also master technology and become entrepreneurs. We should
not be left behind by Western nations," Datuk added.
Also present at the DMDI festival that will last until Dec. 17
were representatives from 20 provinces, including West Sumatra,
Riau, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, East Kalimantan and Jakarta.
Other countries, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei Darussalam
and Sri Lanka also sent delegates.
"We have invited several countries to witness directly the
potentials of tourism in Bangka-Belitung. It can attract foreign
visitors. Besides, we also hope investment will come from
abroad," provincial governor Hudarni Rani said.
Despite heavy rain almost the whole day on Saturday, thousands
of local people enthusiastically showed up to watch various Malay
cultural attractions during the event.
The festival among other things featured the striking of 33
giant traditional drums (bedug) accompanied by Malay zapin music.