KUALA TERENGGANU: Malaysia’s Sikh culture will continue to be showcased at its best during carnivals nationwide and overseas, to woo tourists to the country.
Malaysian Punjabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MPCCI) president Datuk Seri Daljit Singh Dhaliwal said the annual celebrations to usher the Sikh New Year of Vaisakhi was one such excellent platform.
“We are working very closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to exhibit the diverse culture of the country and the harmony shared by the different races to the outside world.
“At the same time, the Vaisakhi celebrations have proven to be a crowd puller for tourists,” he said.
Daljit said the just concluded ‘My Vaisakhi Fest 2017’ at the Malaysia Tourist Centre in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur was a fine example.
The festival, held a la an open house, saw a large turnout of locals and tourists flocking to experience an evening of colour, music, song and dance.
The event also presented the various authentic Punjabi food that was served piping hot like puree, jilabi and ladoo.
Opening the curtains was the Sri Dasmesh Bagpipe Band who ushered in Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and the guests, followed by several marching tunes.
There were also performances by the Bombay Beat Dancers, Punjabi Virsa, the bhangra group and a duet performance of Hindi songs.
Daljit said that despite being a minority in the country, the ministry gave sufficient attention to promote Sikh culture which was a tourism seller.
Nazri gave credit to the Sikh community in preserving and promoting their culture, with their dances, music and songs that could be a ride-on for promotional campaigns by the ministry.
He described the community as disciplined, hard-working, loyal and being helpful to the underprivileged by providing free vegetarian meals at temples and selected places.