Image source: uemsunrise.com

Iskandar Malaysia aspires to honour planet Earth by becoming a greener city. In lieu of this, master developer UEM Sunrise has lined up a feast of live performances, outdoor activities, workshops, visual arts, bazaars, and street circus acts.

Iskandar Eko is on its 8th year now and is Iskandar Puteri’s platform for locals to showcase their talents and share their ideas on working, playing and living green. These efforts are designed to initiate change and reduce local environmental impact.

The public festival was free for the public to attend, and aspires to strengthen appreciation for natural resources from an urban context. The event highlighted new trends in the Malaysian culture, with programs and works from local artists and artisans. Their aim was to get together to promote Iskandar Malaysia in fervour of making a difference to protect the environment and prevent rapid deterioration.

Said UEM Sunrise Berhad Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib, “Iskarnival Eko reflects the vibrancy and highlights the creative communities in Johor as well as beyond, providing a platform for them to showcase their talent and products to an eco-conscious township.

“As a responsible property developer; we design living, working and recreational environments to be conducive and also improving social conditions whilst taking initiatives to conserve natural resources and protect the environment,” he added.

“Around 100,000 visitors are expected to make their way to Puteri Harbour on both days for Iskarnival Eko whereby we hope to influence these communities and the public to become eco-conscious and more alert of our environment,” Anwar said.

Visual artist and sculptor Andi Ramdani from Indonesia honoured the event by repurposing a large scale interactive installation, inspired by the Malay Archipelago called Kebab from another festival in Kuala Lumpur.

The harbour front featured sculptures made by recycled car parts, attributed to endangered animal species such as the tapir, hornbill, and seahorses, to highlight the fragile environment.

And this year, there was an additional venue at Puteri Harbour – the Sandy Beach. The beach featured a giant and adrenaline filled inflatable slide called Slide the City. The water used for this feature was recycled through a giant filtration system, which will allow participants to have fun with this game without using an excessive amount of water.

On the 30th of November, there was also an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) concert on the Sandy Beach. The concert featured both local and international artists, and the party started from 6pm onwards until late.

Among the celebrated artists who graced the event with their presence were rising South Korean female star, DJ Jina, DJ Derina Derin a familiar name in the nightclub scene of Bandung, Indonesia, and RTM Big Gig Concert that will feature Akim & The Majistret, Ella, Ramli Sarip, Zainal Abidin, Man Kidal, Hillary Ang, Jeffrydin, K-Clique and Gerhana Ska Cinta.

On the second day, the RTM’s Bintang Pujaan 10 concert was attended by singers like Zamani, Siti Noordiana, Shiha, Wany Hasrita and Syafiq Farhan.

The cultural and street performances this year included names like Rainforest World Music Festival performance from Sarawak At Adau, Dikir Barat, Drum Funk, Nyoba Kan & Souls Impact Percussion, Rithaudin Dance, International Street Circus and Viva Circus.

And filling in the gaps between the performances, visitors could visit the Eko Bazaar, Eko Film Screenings and Eko Conscious Market. These venues encouraged entrepreneurship and the recycling of items. Available in the bazaars were arts and crafts, vintage items, accessories and collectibles, all locally sourced from Johorean entrepreneurs.

Also in conjunction with Iskarnival Eko was the largest tree plant giveaway ever. Johoreans were encouraged to swing by the event to get some of the plants to decorate their homes with. The tree giveaway event was supplemented by workshops from NGOs that spoke of assisting with recycling and green living practices.

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(9th December 2019)