A section of the Kuching Festival food fair. – File photo

KUCHING: This year’s Kuching Festival has been cancelled as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

This was confirmed by Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng who said the decision to cancel the annual festival was to avoid large crowds from gathering.

“It is only another two months plus to go before we hold the Kuching Fest, which has always been an event that will draw large crowds.

“So we decided to postpone the festival to next year because the health and lives of our fellow Sarawakians are our utmost priority,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.

He believed that the cancellation of the Kuching Festival this year was the first in history since the council first organised the popular event in 1986.

He also said Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian has given consent on postponing the event to next year.

The Kuching Festival has always been a highly anticipated event which never failed to attract thousands of people with its wide variety of food every year.

Meanwhile, with Kuching about to celebrate its 32nd anniversary as a city on August 1, Wee said the celebration this year would be a low-key event.

“We will have a simple ceremony to mark Kuching City Day on August 1.

“Our first discussion on the ceremony has been held between MBKS and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU),” he said.