The Melaka River Festival, running through September, just had one of its biggest weekends yet.
A record-setting replica
At a ceremony in Melaka Tengah on 19 July, organisers picked up a Malaysia Book of Records certificate for the largest replica of konda kondi, a traditional stick-and-block street game that many older Melakans grew up playing in their kampung yards. The replica measures 3 by 6 metres and was built with local company Nuhae.
It is the state’s fourth tourism-related Malaysia Book of Records entry in the past three years, part of a push to turn nostalgic local games and food into photo-worthy attractions rather than let them fade. Organisers had also aimed to produce 10,000 pieces of kuih keria, a traditional Melaka snack, as a second record attempt, following a 50,000 onde-onde record set at last year’s festival.
This is the 17th edition of the Melaka River Festival, and the first to span three districts, Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin, with more than 30 programmes on the calendar between now and September.
Fishing tournament to return bigger
The same ceremony handed out prizes for the festival’s freshwater fishing tournament, which drew 1,123 anglers competing for a total prize pool of RM30,000. The Melaka River and Coastal Development Corporation (PPSPM), which organises the festival, has confirmed the tournament will return next year on a larger scale after the strong turnout.
If you fish, or are simply curious how a river tournament works, it is worth watching for next year’s dates once they are announced. For now, the wider Melaka River Festival still has months of river and beach events to come, and a Melaka River Cruise remains one of the easiest ways to see the festival’s main stretch of water for yourself.
