News & Updates
Final ‘Freedom of Entry to City’

Date Posted: 03 Apr 2009

KOTA KINABALU: The "Freedom of Entry to the City" event will be organised for the last time this year before being replaced by other events in the future.

Held for the first time in 2007, the ceremony is jointly organised by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), which showcases the presentation of a key and procession to enter the city by naval contingents representing several participating countries, besides Malaysia.

DBKK deputy director general of operations, Joannes Solidau said this year's event will be held on April 18.

"Actually, the presentation of a key, representing full permission to enter the city, is only done once in 2006. The events in the ensuing years are just the re-enactment or refreshment of memory on the celebration," he said during a press conference yesterday.

He believed many other events involving the navy would be organised in the future to promote the city and the state in general.

Chief of Staff of the Malaysian Naval Base Region II, Captain Yeow Ho Siong said the navy would still have joint collaboration with DBKK in the following years with events that promote military tourism in the state.

"I believe we can still organise events for the Malaysian Navy and those from other countries next year but it may not be called the ‘freedom of entry into the city' anymore. We may have an event which only involves naval procession, maritime exhibition and other accompanying activities," he said.

He said the navy would always play its part to promote the tourism industry by welcoming foreign navies to enter Sabah's water and the city.

The move to change the event may also be due to the economic recession where the organisers could hardly get sponsorship from the corporate sector, Yeow added.

He said this year's celebration would see the participation of navies from Brunei, Indonesia, India and the US. A total of 16 contingents would be involved in the entry procession into the city which would commence from the road near Gaya Centre.

"The contingents will march along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, passing the Segama Waterfront and the central market before ending near the junction to Jalan Sembilan Belas at Sinsuran Complex.

"Apart from the procession, there will also be a precision drill, maritime demonstration and exhibition (involving 15 booths), and children's colouring contest," Yeow said.

He also said the evening activities would proceed with the "Sunset Ceremony" at the main stage at Segama Waterfront which, among others, will include a precision drill, stage presentation from Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and fireworks display.

Solidau said in conjunction with the event, certain roads in the city will be closed on April 16 for the rehearsal from 7:30am to 11am. On April 18, the roads will be closed from 7am to 11am and from 6pm to 11pm.

Among the roads affected are Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens (half lane) and other passages from the front of the central market to Gaya Centre as well as the road leading to the other side of the central market.

Also present at the press conference were STB chairman Tengku Zainal Adlin, representatives from the police and the main sponsors, namely Celcom Mobile Sdn Bhd, Nestle Products Sdn Bhd, Charm Enterprise and Preston Shipyard Sdn Bhd.

(Source: New Sabah Times, 03 Apr 2009)

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