MIRI – The Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin Patriotic Cup Traditional Southern Lion Dance Championship 2025, held at Emart Riam on Sunday, served as a vivid testament to the increasingly vibrant participation of young people in preserving Sarawak’s cultural legacy.
Transport Minister and Senadin Assemblyman Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, who presided over the concluding ceremony, underscored that youth involvement is vital for sustaining and evolving traditional practices across generations and ethnicities.
He emphasized that lion dance should be recognised not merely as a ritual but as a shared cultural treasure of Malaysians, reflecting a spirit of ethnic harmony.
“Lion dance is no longer exclusive to one race, but has been accepted as a shared heritage of Malaysians that reflects harmony and goodwill among diverse communities,” Lee remarked.
Hoping more young people will embrace this tradition so it continues to thrive and become a community source of pride in the years ahead.
Organised by the SUPP Riam Sub-Branch Youth, the championship attracted multiple teams and showcased their skills with enthusiasm.
Lee expressed his desire for the event to become an annual cultural highlight for Miri, encouraging competitors to uphold sportsmanship and mutual respect, while using this platform to cultivate stronger bonds.
This championship follows calls earlier this year by Lee for parental support in encouraging children to learn lion dance not only to deepen cultural understanding, especially of Chinese heritage, but also to develop discipline, focus, stamina, and teamwork through physical training.
During a January lion eye-dotting ceremony held at Miri’s Wai Sheng Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe Association, he affirmed the artform’s role in nurturing inclusivity and personal development among children.
Additionally, in March at MYY Mall in Lutong, Lee highlighted lion dance’s significance in Sarawak, likening it to a symbol of the state’s multicultural identity.
He described the ritual of eye-dotting as essential to ‘awaken’ the lion, a vital tradition before performance which now resonates across ethnic lines as a refined representation of unity.
By combining tradition and youthful energy, this year’s competition not only celebrated a cultural art but also reinforced the notion that heritage and those who carry it forward unites Sarawak’s diverse social fabric.