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🇲🇾 Malaysia /Good News

Water festival puts Kuala Perlis on the international map

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Kuala Perlis International Water Festival is promoting the Malaysian town’s fishing culture, traditional boats, coastal heritage and local food.
  • Perlis officials say the event can increase spending on food, accommodation, handicrafts and tourism services.
  • The festival’s third edition is being held in two stages, from Sept. 4 to 6 and Sept. 18 to 20, with traditional and cultural performances.

Kuala Perlis is using an international water festival to present its coastal identity, heritage and tourism potential to visitors from around the world.

Perlis Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah said the state wanted the town’s distinctive character to become more than a heritage to preserve. It should also become a tourism product that generates income for residents and the state.

Kuala Perlis has strengths of its own. Here we can see the lives of fishing communities, traditional boats, coastal culture, seafood, local gastronomy and the beauty of the estuary and waters.

· Abu Bakar HamzahThe Perlis Menteri Besar described the local features promoted by the festival.

The festival is designed to support local economic activity by increasing spending on food, drinks, accommodation, handicrafts and tourism services. Abu Bakar said it was not simply an entertainment event or a water-sports competition, but a platform to introduce Kuala Perlis and its heritage.

“Kuala Perlis has strengths of its own,” he said. The town offers views of fishing communities, traditional boats, coastal culture, seafood, local gastronomy and the beauty of its estuary and waters. “All these elements are assets that cannot be recreated elsewhere.”

All these elements are assets that cannot be recreated elsewhere.

· Abu Bakar HamzahHe emphasized the distinctive character of Kuala Perlis and its coastal heritage.

The third edition opened at Dataran Kampung Wai with a royal boat procession, decorated boats, a water symphony, cultural performances and a guest appearance by singer Misha Omar. Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail officiated at the opening.

The annual event runs in two phases, from Sept. 4 to 6 and from Sept. 18 to 20. Abu Bakar also said it was intended to keep the state’s heritage alive for younger generations. Traditional boats, rowing skills, coastal life and culture shaped by people’s relationship with the sea should not remain only in history books, he said. Young people should learn about them, take part and feel proud of them, while traditional elements receive a modern renewal.

We do not want this heritage to remain only a historical record. We want young people to know it, take part in it and be proud of it.

· Abu Bakar HamzahHe explained the festival’s goal of passing maritime traditions to younger generations.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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