Kota Kinabalu: A total of 100 food and beverage traders are taking part in the Jamuan Bersama Rakyat (Feast with the People) programme, held in conjunction with the State-Level Christmas Celebration 2025, which began on Tuesday night (Dec 16).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the four-day programme offers free meals to visitors while directly involving the local hawker community as food providers.
“Traditionally, festive celebrations are marked by open houses where guests are served food and drinks, and this people’s banquet follows that same spirit,” he said.
Ewon explained that 100 small traders had been identified to supply a variety of popular local dishes, including traditional cakes and snacks.
“They are hawkers from around Kota Kinabalu and must meet specific standards set by the City Hall (DBKK), including halal compliance, food quality and health screening, to ensure visitors are well looked after,” he said.
He described the initiative as a form of government support, particularly through the entrepreneurship portfolio, by giving local small traders the opportunity to become official suppliers.
“This banquet is held free of charge and visitors can enjoy their choice of food at the stalls operated by the participating small traders,” he told reporters after an interview session at Sabah FM at the Communications Ministry Integrated Complex here on Tuesday.
Ewon said celebrations of this nature could serve as a meaningful platform to strengthen ties among Sabahans of different races, religions, languages and cultural backgrounds.
“This is the first time such an event has been organised, and to me it highlights Sabah’s uniqueness where, despite our diversity, the people are able to work together to make religious and community celebrations a success,” he said.
He added that he had proposed to the State Cabinet that the Christmas celebration jointly organised by the Sabah Council of Churches (SCC) and DBKK for the past 19 years be elevated to a state-level event, with the Jamuan Bersama Rakyat included as part of its official programme.
The public is invited to attend and enliven the State-Level Christmas Celebration 2025, which runs from Dec 16-19 at Padang Merdeka here.
