Arab fest kicks off at i-City

The Arab Malaysian Festival 2011 kicked off in style at i-City Shah Alam recently. The festival, which was meant to rekindle the spirit of Ramadan showcased a vibrant tapestry of Arab and Malaysian culture.

The festival that is being held at the i-Walk until Aug 31, saw many visitors enjoying incredible shopping deals offered by exhibitors at the Arab bazaar. Tourism Malaysia acting director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin launched the festival on behalf of Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Knick-knacks: The womenfolk will be awed by the various accessories on sale.

“The festival is a good way to instil a bond between people from the Middle East and us, Malaysians. “Through this, it shows that Malaysia respects different cultures,” he said at the launch. On the day of the launch, organisers Media Hub Connection, broke fast with some 200 orphanage and senior citizens from the Islamic Relief Foundation. The food, courtesy of Hadramawt Restaurant, offered a wide range of Lebanese food to the children and senior citizens from Kota Damansara, Subang and Taman Medan.

Mesmerising: The audience were captivated by the Tannoura dance performance.

Khairul Mohd Kamed, 13, said it was his first time at i-City and he loved the ambience. “I have never been to i-City. It is like being in a different country all together. I cannot wait to look around,” he said. A senior citizen from the foundation, Helmy Mohd Wahid, 72, said the idea of having an Arab festival was a good one to let Malaysian learn more about the Middle Eastern culture. “We do not really know what their culture is really like until we experience it ourselves,” he added.

Spoilt for choice: Visitors can buy Middle Eastern handicraft and products at the festival.

Those present at the dinner enjoyed a variety of cultural and musical performances such as the Tannoura dance.

-thestar online.