PERWAKILAN New Zealand had on Saturday, 20 March 2010 participated at the Southeast Asia Night Market, a biannual event organized by the Wellington City Council, Asia New Zealand Foundation and communities from the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Though the weather was quite chilly with cold breeze blowing from the harbor front, the Malaysian stall was packed with customers who could not get enough of satay and ketupat, roti jala, roti canai, chicken curry, vegetarian dhal, curry puff, and variety of kuih-muih (kuih lapis, kuih bakar, bingka, kuih seri muka). Teh tarik was undeniably the favourite of the day, which was a hit with the crowd who enjoyed the arts of pouring hot tea mixed with condensed milk back and forth at speed between two vessels, giving the tea a thick frothy top and stronger flavour.
Aside from the food, the young dancers from the Wellington Malaysian Student Organisation (WMSO) took the giant stage located on the lagoon near The Boatshed and mesmerized the crowd with their graceful renditions of zapin and a traditional Malaysian dance crooning to the tune of Siti Nurhaliza's Kurik Kundi. Other performances included the Cynthia Alexander Group, a band from the Philippines, an open-air Indonesian puppet theatre and gamelan orchestra, Singapore's lion and dragon dancers, and Thai kick-boxing, on top of the presence of various authentic Southeast Asian food and craft stalls.
The event was a success and it was an opportunity to showcase Malaysia to the rest of New Zealand. PERWAKILAN New Zealand will continue to take part in similar events from time to time as part of the ongoing activities to promote Malaysia.
High Commission of Malaysia in New Zealand
Wellington
21 March 2010
