Kota Bharu: The ASEAN Unggas Festival 2025, organized by the Kelantan government and held for the first time today, serves as a platform to strengthen relations among member countries. It received nearly 1,000 participants.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kelantan State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor stated that the festival’s organization is also an effort by the state government to introduce Kelantan on the international level. “We are very satisfied with the response … It reflects a shared interest in competitions, thus becoming a tourist attraction and opening opportunities for bird enthusiasts to generate income and strengthen relationships among ASEAN countries,” he told reporters after officiating the festival here today.

The festival features five competition categories: the zebra dove, spotted dove, myna, Serama chicken, and Queen chicken, and will be included in the state’s annual tourism calendar. Kamarudin highlighted that the festival received the highest response from Thailand with 100 participants, followed by Indonesia (10), Singapore (five), and Brunei (two).

Meanwhile, Sabri Ab Latif, 51, from Pattani, Thailand, whose entry won the songbird category, expressed that he began visiting Kelantan at the age of 25 due to his interest in songbirds. Sabri, who keeps 30 songbirds, shared that through his hobby, he has managed to create a network of contacts throughout the country, especially in Kelantan, with many even obtaining hybrid bird seeds from his flock. “This activity is not only a profitable hobby but also a platform to get to know the culture and arts of ASEAN countries, including Malaysia,” he said.

In the pigeon category, Nordin Lae Mina, 42, from Songkla, Thailand, who emerged as the winner, said he began learning Malay after participating in bird competitions in Malaysia. “Before, I didn’t understand Malay at all, but after participating in various competitions in Malaysia for several years, I started to master the language,” he said. Nordin, a former teacher, now works full-time in bird farming and owns almost 200 birds due to his keen interest in the field.