Rodziah (seated third right) posing for a photo call with her organising committee members.

BINTULU: Colourful kites of different sizes and shapes will fill the skies over this town thanks to more than 172 kite flyers from 21 countries including Malaysia who are expected to participate in the 12th Borneo International Kite Festival (BIKF) 2016.

“This kite-flying event will continue to be the major tourism attraction for Bintulu to the world,” said Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) general manager Rodziah Morshidi.

Speaking to the media after chairing the festival’s organising committee meeting at Wisma Bintulu yesterday, she said BIKF 2016 and the trade and expo will be held from Sept 28-Oct 2 at the Bintulu Old Airport site.

Rodziah said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem and his wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu are expected to officiate at the opening ceremony on Oct 1.

“We welcome all visitors especially kite flyers to join us at this event,” she said.

Rodziah also reminded the public to prioritise cleanliness by keeping the venue of the festival clean during and after the event.

This year’s edition has attracted participants from 20 countries namely China, England, Japan, Vietnam, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Turkey, India, France, Kuwait, Taiwan, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, Brunei and Colombia.

Meanwhile, local participants include kite flyers from Johor, Sarawak, Pulau Pinang, Terengganu, Putrajaya, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Perlis and Kedah. Participating teams include Team Impian (Malacca), Kelab Pelayang Pasir Gudang (Johor), Windancer Kuala Lumpur, Layang King KL, De Junction Kite (Malacca) and Fly N Smile (Kuala Lumpur).

The event will be divided into national and international categories.

Planned activities include the 3rd Asia Pacific Sport Kite Championship, modern and traditional kite-flying performances, kite-flying performances by international kite flyers, a kite-making workshop, stunt kite performances, synchronised revolution kite performance, a cooking contest, a drawing and colouring contest for children, karaoke, cultural performances and more.