KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government will collaborate with a non-governmental organisation to organise Borneo Rhythms of Rimba (ROR) 2024 festival this year.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew agreed with Sandakan-based Future Alam Borneo (FAB) to revive the festival after it was discontinued in 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We will render the necessary assistance to Future Alam Borneo so that it can achieve its objective of raising public awareness of the importance of protecting and conserving the environment for future generations.
"I am glad the organisers are capitalising on Sandakan's rich natural heritage to hold a meaningful festival in the interest of public education," Liew said after receiving a courtesy call from FAB recently.
The festival will be held on Sept 21 and 22 at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok, Sandakan.
Organising chairman Anton Ngui Tze Vun said the Borneo ROR Festival 2024 will serve as a platform to raise the level of environmental awareness through engagements with the general public, particularly young people.
"Through this festival, we want to expose Sabah's rich heritage and biodiversity to the rest of the world.
"We are trying to get well-known environmentalists or conservationists from the US, the UK and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam to come and share their experiences," he said.
The event is expected to host more than 5,000 people over the two days.
Ngui added that the programme lineup includes workshops on recycling, 'Experience the Pristine Rainforests' via tree-climbing, and a music segment.
"There will be something for everyone. Children will have hands-on experience through art and craft activities," he said.