Baba Nyonya International Festival Opens Friday

MELAKA (Malaysia), Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam is scheduled to launch the three-day Baba Nyonya International Festival at the Jonker Walk World Heritage Park here on Friday. State Women, Family Development and Welfare Committee chairman Norpipah Abdol said Wednesday that this second such festival was aimed at promoting tourism based on the diversity of communities and culture. "It will create awareness in the world community on the existence of the Baba Nyonya identity as a platform to enrich Malaysian culture and the arts," she said in a statement. The activities at the festival would include a cooking demonstration by chef Florence Tan as well as demonstrations on weaving flower embroidery, making the "onde-onde" traditional cake, sewing beaded shoes and wearing the "kebaya nyonya" attire. Norpipah said the highlight of the festival would be a dinner on Sunday which would be attended by the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor. -- BERNAMA Malaysia