16,000 Participants Dance To The Tunes Of 1Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Some 16,000 people took to the field at Dataran Merdeka here for the Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia (1Malaysia Holiday) Dance Tourism Carnival, dancing in harmony to the cultural tunes of the country's various ethnic groups. The prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor, who opened the carnival Saturday, described the event as a participative tourism involving many people to promote the richness of Malaysian culture to the world. "The dance moves, rhythmic songs and musical instruments used and the attire worn, symbolise the diversity of our culture," she said. She said the carnival, which was held for the third time and fusions the 'Malaysia Truly Asia' medley of dances and seven other traditional dances, was a medium to nurture unity in a fun and effective way. "I believe the diversity of dances and the cultural uniqueness of every community can be appreciated more deeply and will further boost unity among the society," she said. "Dancing is a recreational activity for good health; every movement which has been skillfully choreographed produces an elegant dance performance." The carnival is an annual event held on the first Saturday or Sunday of December. Rosmah also joined the participants in the dance, which enters the Malaysia Book of Records for having the most participants in a dance event. There were 12,000 participants in 2009 and 15,333 last year. Present was Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen. -- BERNAMA