FKAT Mirrors Cultural Wealth, Development Of Sabah Tourism - PM Najib

TAWAU (Sabah, Malaysia) April 9 (Bernama) --- The Tawau International Cultural Festival (FKAT) reflects two dimensions which the people can be proud of, namely the cultural wealth and rapid growth of the tourism sector in Sabah, said Prime Minister Najib Razak. He said FKAT showcased the beauty and uniqueness of the cultures in Sabah which had 35 official ethnic and 217 sub-ethnic groups. “I was told that in Tawau alone, there are 29 ethnic groups, each rich with its customs, language, handicraft, music and food. “This is the wealth that all the people of Sabah should be proud of,” he said at the launch of FKAT 2018 at the Tawau Municipal Council Building compound here Sunday night. Najib added that FKAT reflected the Sabah tourism sector which was thriving, recording 3.7 million tourist arrivals in 2017. “Of this, 1.2 million were international tourists while 2.5 million were locals. “These tourist arrivals generated an income of RM7.83 billion for Sabah in 2017 with an eight-percent increase from the RM7.25 billion in 2016," he added. Najib said Musa had given priority to tourism and this boosted the sector further as Sabah was a popular destination in the country. He officiated the festival with a beating of the gong seven times to symbolise the seven times the festival has been held, before a minute-long fireworks show began as well as a cultural show of the dances of the 29 ethnic groups in Tawau, besides participants from Thailand, Indonesia and China. --BERNAMA