A full turnout at State Govt Open House
Published on: Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Nearly 50,000 people attended the Hari Raya Open House hosted by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and the State Cabinet at the Likas Sports Complex, here, on Monday.Describing the turnout as overwhelming, Musa said it was a testament to the spirit of unity and togetherness which is well-preserved in the State."Those who came were from various races and religions, from all walks of life... this shows that we live in peace and harmony in the State. Apart from greeting the attendees, I have also visited the camps on the compound of venue that provided food and I am pleased to note that everyone is happy with the food and drinks served during the open house.
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"This is what we want to see, the sense of togetherness exists among us. We, in Sabah came together to celebrate Hari Raya and the State Cabinet and I thank everyone for celebrating with us," he said, when met after the event.The event was also graced with the attendance of Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and his wife, Toh Puan Norlidah R.M. Jasni.Also present were Musa's wife Datin Seri Faridah Tussin, Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Datuk Raymond Tan as well as other Cabinet ministers, assemblymen and Members of Parliament.A variety of dishes from oxtail asam pedas to grilled lamb were served during the open house which started from 10am-1pm.
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Attendees were also entertained to an array of performances, not only on the main stage but also around the venue.Among those who attended the event was Winnie Koh who was deighted to have the chance of celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri together with people from different backgrounds.
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"This is the first time for my family and I to attend the Chief Minister's Raya open house as previously we would go back to our hometown in Beaufort to celebrate Aidilfitri with our relatives."This year, we planned to celebrate Hari Raya in Kota Kinabalu and to attend this annual event to experience it ourselves."From what I see, the atmosphere is lively with various races coming together to celebrate this occasion," she said, while adding that her family would like to attend the same event next year.For Siti Aisyah Muhasim from Keningau, it was her second year attending the open house with her family."We could not return to our hometown as my husband is a security force personnel and only has a short break from his duties," she said.As for Lee Murugan from the peninsula and had only stayed in Sabah for about a year, he was attracted to the cultural diversity in the State."I think there is not much difference in terms of celebration of Hari Raya between the peninsula and the Bornean states."I used to attend the Prime Minister's Hari Raya Open House as well."But what fascinates me most is the diverse ethnic groups in Sabah as in the peninsula, usually we would see the Malays, Chinese and Indians as the main races who share the joy of Hari Raya."Here, in Sabah, we can see more ethnic groups regardless of religions who celebrate this festivity... this is exactly what I have been looking for all this while as we can learn about one another better," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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