KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The Malaysian Embassy in The Hague participated in the 9th Embassy Festival 2022 held in The Hague, Netherlands last Saturday, showcasing the best of Malaysian multicuture, traditional food and games to the Dutch public.
The annual festival which returned after a two-year hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic, attracted participation from 55 embassies and more than 50,000 visitors.
Among the dishes promoted at the Malaysian pavilion included nasi lemak and snacks like karipap and roti jala, as well as selected tropical fruits such as durian musang king, mangosteen and dragon fruits which were flown from Malaysia, according to a statement from the embassy sent here.
The Embassy also showcased the sepak raga game at the Creative Arena.
Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Datuk Nadzirah Osman said that she was surprised by the overwhelming number of visitors to the Malaysian pavilion and the interest shown for Malaysian food and tropical fruits by the Dutch visitors and the international community at the festival.
“Overall, our participation in the Embassy Festival has achieved its aim to promote Malaysia to the local and international communities.
“I believe that our participation in the Embassy Festival is another catalyst in promoting Malaysia to the Dutch community and also the international community residing in the Netherlands,” she said in a statement.
Nadzirah said Malaysia-Dutch bilateral relations have been excellent in many aspects such as trade and investment, agriculture, water management and tourism.
Malaysia is among the popular destinations for Dutch tourists. Before the pandemic, Dutch tourists have been the fourth largest in terms of tourist arrival to Malaysia from the European continent.
More than 80,000 Dutch tourists visited Malaysia each year.
Apart from promoting Malaysia, the Embassy took part in the ASEAN programme at the Festival. The ASEAN Committee in The Hague (ACTH) comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam had formed an ASEAN Village at the Embassy Festival to enhance awareness about the association.
“ASEAN remains the cornerstone of Malaysia’s foreign policy. Malaysia will continue to work with the ACTH to promote ASEAN’s interests and identity in the Netherlands,” Nadzirah added.
In August this year, the Netherlands completed its accession to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, making it among the 49 States Parties committed to promoting friendly multilateral cooperation and peaceful co-existence in the region and beyond.
According to the statement, the Embassy is also planning to host various programmes this year in conjunction with the 65th National Day as well as the 65th Anniversary of Malaysia-Netherlands bilateral relations.
Programmes that have been lined up include National/ Malaysia Day picnic among Malaysians, National Day Reception, Sarawak’s traditional Sape concert, cooking demonstration by Chef Datuk Ismail Ahmad, seminar on Malaysia-Netherlands cooperation and a Malaysian film show.
