Sempurai (sixth left) presides over the official opening of the 2022 Sibujaya Carnival on August 31.
SIBU (September 3): The popular Sibujaya Carnival is returning after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, the event will help revive businesses in the town.
The two-week carnival runs from August 31 to September 18.
“The 2022 Sibujaya Carnival is back to excite local tourism. With special events like Water Fiesta, Battle of the Bands, beauty pageant, tribal food fair and motocross championships, it can attract local visitors and tourists to Sibujaya and Sibu in general.
“The rapid development of Sibujaya has been welcomed by those visiting the town and returning from the outstation.
“We can see the potential of Sibujaya once the Pan Borneo Highway is completed, where it will be a stopover hub for those traveling from Kuching to Sibu, Bintulu and Miri and vice versa,” he said.
Sempurai said another road connecting Lanang Bridge via Jalan Kong Yit Khim to Sibujaya also acts as a bypass and could stimulate development in Sibujaya and surrounding areas.
In addition, Sempurai believes that Sibujaya Carnival 2022 can also become an annual event to attract local and foreign visitors through the Water Fiesta and compared it to Thailand’s Songkran Festival.
He added that with the inclusion of the motocross championship, SRDC hopes it can become an annual event to attract riders and spectators both from outside and across Malaysia.
“Council will continue to support the carnival as it can help Sibujaya boost its local economy and bring in local tourists and visitors.
“We must thank our Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for his visionary planning of Sibujaya when he was Housing Minister. We can see a lot of development in Sibujaya as a vibrant and vibrant twin city of Sibu,” he said.
