Wednesday, May 28, 2008

WEDNESDAY-28TH MAY 2008- 30,000 EXPECTED TO ATTEND NATIONAL-LEVEL KAAMATAN OPEN HOUSE

30,000 expected to attend national-level Kaamatan open house

KOTA KINABALU:

Some 30,000 people are expected to attend the national-level Tadau Kaamatan 2008 open house to be held at the Padang Merdeka here this Saturday, starting at 7.3Oam. Various interesting programs and activities have been drawn up for the one-day event which would be graced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, according to the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage in a statement yesterday. Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah is the guest of honour for the auspicious celebration with the theme ‘Peace Through Culture’. Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal and State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun are the organising joint- chairmen while the adviser is the Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is the President of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association. In another development, City Police Chief ACP Ahmad Sofi Zakaria yesterday said Jalan Padang (between the Jalan KK By-Pass/Jalan Istana junction and KFC junction) and Jalan Istana will be closed to traffic on May 31 from 7am to 12 midnight. He said traffic policemen would be stationed at strategic points to monitor the traffic flows. The parking areas at Kinabalu Club (30 lots), along Jalan Padang (190 lots), DBKK area (155 lots and Jalan Dewan (120 lots) will be reserved for the dignitaries’ (VVIP/ VIP) vehicles. There are some 1,080 lots of parking designated for the public at Asia City, Kg Air, Jalan Tugu and Jalan Gaya areas, said Ahmad. Compound fines will be meted out on motorists, motorcyclists and public transport vehicles which are found parked indiscriminately, he said.