KUCHING: Nearly 27,000 visitors thronged the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house hosted by Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi at Astana Negeri Sarawak on the first and second days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
In a special message of appreciation, Wan Junaidi expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response, describing the turnout as deeply touching.
He said about 25,000 guests attended on the first day alone, while nearly 2,000 more visited on the second day.
“The presence of visitors far exceeded our initial expectations, but it clearly reflects the strong sense of kinship among the people,” he said, noting that guests came from various areas including Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Betong and Sibu, as well as Kuching residents.
To cater to the large crowd on the first day, 14 stalls mostly operated by small traders from around Kuching served a wide array of traditional dishes such as satay, ketupat, rendang, curry, ice kacang, kolok mee, mee jawa and the iconic Sarawak layer cake.
Wan Junaidi said he was grateful that food and beverages were sufficient for all guests.
He added that the celebration was lively and heart warming, with people from all walks of life, ages, races and religions coming together in a spirit of unity.
“The value of this unity is priceless,” he said.
The event was further enlivened by guests dressed in their respective traditional ethnic attire, while Wan Junaidi donned a tengkolok and Fauziah wore a baju kurung adorned with keringkam, reflecting Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage.
The Head of State and his wife also conveyed their heartfelt appreciation to all guests who took the time to attend, expressing hope that the festival would continue to strengthen bonds and unity among the people of Sarawak.
