SIBU: Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is an important cultural platform to commemorate ancestors and establish a bloodline connection between descendants and their forefathers.
Stating this, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Michael Taing described how people can now enjoy the shade under the trees as a reminder of the hard work and sacrifices of their ancestors.
“Clearing weeds and wiping tombstones during the tomb-sweeping process is like engaging in a cross-temporal dialogue with ancestors, evoking indescribable emotions and deepening the understanding of the meaning of remembering ancestors,” he said at the Sibu Teochew Clan Association’s (STCA) Ching Ming Festival fellowship night here on Sunday (April 5).
Tiang who is also Pelawan assemblyman stated that STCA’s Ching Ming Festival memorial ceremony showcases a profound cultural heritage, embodying not only the spirit of remembering ancestors but also reflecting the Teochew clan’s emphasis on the transmission of traditional culture from generation to generation.
He also praised STCA for its long-term dedication to managing its cemetery site, describing its beautiful environment and excellent management, fully demonstrating the association’s role in serving the well-being of its members.
The cemetery, he noted, is orderly and not overgrown with weeds, showing the association’s years of careful management.
He mentioned that the annual Ching Ming Festival memorial activities not only involve the elderly but also attract many young people and children, who, through playing drums and gongs, performing traditional instruments, and preparing various offerings, ensure the continuation of Chinese culture and prevent it from being diluted by the tides of time.
“I believe that this cross-generational participation gives the younger generation the opportunity to learn and experience traditional customs firsthand, preventing precious culture from being gradually lost in the changing times, which is truly invaluable.
“I am especially pleased to see the participation of the younger generation. Cultural heritage cannot be preserved by elders alone, it also needs the younger generation to carry it forward.
“I hope that in the future, more young people will step forward and work together to continue our culture and our spirit,” he said.
In addition, he revealed that an additional RM200,000 has been allocated to repair the STCA’s Cemetery parking lot site, adding to the previously allocated RM200,000 for the repair of its Pavilion, bringing the total to RM400,000 to improve the overall facilities.
According to him, the repair work has already commenced, and some statues are currently being shipped from China, while urging the clan members to wait patiently for the project to complete.
Also present were STCA Honorary Adviser, Penghulu Chua Hiong Kee and STCA chairman, Kapitan Su Ngio Kee.
