SAIL MALAYSIA RALLY 2016 PASSAGE TO THE EAST

Sunday July 31/2016

1) Charles O Pang with VIPS during the welcoming reception at Sandakan Yacht Club

2) Charles O Pang with VIPs, officials and participants of Sail Malaysia 2016 at Sandakan Yacht Club

OLEH:  THOMAS CHIN  CHOON TOY

www/sabahinsider14.blogspo.com

SANDAKAN: Participants of the "Sail Malaysia Rally 2016" arrived here on Friday and their boats are now berthed off Sandakan Yacht Club.

They were hosted to a welcoming reception by the Sandakan Municipal Council on Friday evening and expected to remain in Sandakan until this weekend.

The 29 sail boats are on the second last stopover of the rally before moving on to Tawau next week. The participants that continued the "Passage to the East" journey to the east coast of Sabah are from nine countries.

In his address during the welcoming reception, guest of honour Karamunting Assemblyman Charles O. Pang welcomed the participants to Sandakan.

"Your presence here certainly goes beyond the spirit of mere healthy sailing, it exemplifies how a rally event like the Sail Malaysia helps to grow and develop the sport of sailing in Sabah," Pang said.

Pang commended Sail Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Tourism Board, Sandakan Municipal Council, Sandakan Yacht Club and other relevant agencies for making the rally a success.

"As the oldest sailing club in Malaysia, the Sandakan Yacht Club has indeed played an integral role in the history and development of sailing in Malaysia," Pang said.

Also present at the welcoming reception were Sabah Parks chairman Dato Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood, Sandakan Municipal Council secretary Jeffrey Aman, Sandakan Municipal Council Finance Director/ Treasurer Peter Stephen Ampadu, Sail Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Sazli Kamal Bashah , Sandakan tourism players including Datuk John Lim, SYC commodore Richard Lim and SYC general committees.