One of the largest turnouts for a state gathering was held in conjunction with the 78th birthday of the Head of State, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), on Saturday, September 20.
The invited guests made up of state leaders, civil servants, community leaders and other invited guests, totalling to almost 5,000 guests – making it one of the largest state event ever organised.
The occasion, going by the title “Menjunjung Kasih”, left many feeling nostalgic as guests were entertained by special performances and videos to showcase the Head of State’s life journey; a skit to re-enact his earlier days as Chief Minister; and scores of performances by musicians playing to songs of the late P. Ramlee – one of the Head of State’s favourite artist of all time.
The Head of State launched a book ‘Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib – The Visionary Builder of Modern Sarawak’, which tells stories of his time as Chief Minister through various pictures and quotes from his speeches.
Each of the representatives from the ethnic groups of Sarawak also presented a gift to the Head of State, as a sign of appreciation for his contribution to the state. The event concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony by the Head of State and wife, Toh Puan Raghad Kurdi Taib.
After serving as Chief Minister for 33 years, Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud was appointed the seventh Head of State on March 1, earlier this year.
