44 Countries Confirm Participation In Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival

JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- A total of 44 nations have confirmed their participation in the Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival, scheduled to be held at Bukit Layang-Layang here from Feb 12 to 16.

Malaysia Kite Council president Datuk A. Rahim Nin said the 27th edition of the festival would welcome three new participants, namely La Réunion, Tasmania and Tahiti, with 376 international and local kite enthusiasts taking part.

“The festival’s main highlights include showcases of modern and traditional kites at both international and national levels, along with competitions for wau and other traditional kites. A special gallery will be set up to display kites from different countries.

“We anticipate over 500,000 visitors for this year’s festival, themed ‘Stay Clean, Enjoy Fly’,” he told a press conference today.

A. Rahim, who is also Johor Kite Association president, said the festival’s opening ceremony would be held at Astaka Tradisional, Bukit Layang-Layang, on Feb 15 at 8 pm and would be officiated by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

Acknowledging the strong response from international and local participants, A. Rahim said the Johor government has agreed to organise a national-level kite festival in October this year.

“Moving forward, the kite festival will be held twice a year, at the world and national levels, to allow for a more spectacular and lively celebration,” he said.

First introduced in 1995, the Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival has drawn participation from countries such as Indonesia, China, Singapore, Thailand, England, Australia, Portugal and Argentina. It is also listed in Johor’s and Malaysia’s tourism calendars.

Meanwhile, A. Rahim said that in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship this year, the Perlis government has agreed to host an ASEAN Kite Festival in May, featuring participation from all 10 ASEAN member states.

“We will also collaborate with the Perlis government to organise the Perlis International Kite Fiesta on Feb 18 and participate in the Satun International Kite Festival in Thailand from Feb 20 to 23,” he said.

-- BERNAMA