SYMPOSIUM ON PUTERI SANTUBONG LEGEND TO BE HELD NEXT YEAR - NANCY

KUCHING, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- A symposium on the legend of Puteri Santubong is set to take place next year to ensure the continuity of one of Sarawak's renowned folklores. 

Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri made the announcement at the opening of the Santubong Day Programme near here today, adding that it would celebrate the richness of the state's local culture and raise awareness about the area's historical value.

"Santubong is an area rich in history and stories. The discovery of artefacts here confirms its importance in yesteryear's world trade," she said, adding that even though Santubong has developed, it retained the potential to be an international-class tourism destination based on its uniqueness and natural beauty.

She expressed hope that Mount Santubong's natural beauty and historical sites would attract more international tourists as they were important assets in need of preservation and could be transformed into a creative industry that could improve the standard of living of locals.

"Santubong is a heritage gem that we need to appreciate and preserve. I call on all residents to work together to protect this area's natural and cultural treasures," she said, adding that the symposium was organisedi n collaboration with the National Archives.

On a separate matter, Nancy said that as Santubong MP, the welfare of students, especially those currently studying in higher education institutions, were her priority and that RM69,100 in educational assistance has been disbursed to 258 recipients so far this year, while RM117,300 was distributed to 314 students under the same financial assistance scheme was distributed to 314 students last year.

-- BERNAMA