Iskandar Puteri celebrates city status with Iskarnival 2017

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 9): Iskandar Puteri will officially receive its city status on Nov 22.

In celebration of its new status, the annual Iskarnival jointly organised by Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), UEM Sunrise Bhd and Khazanah Nasional Bhd will feature two special events — Iskarnival Kool and Iskarnival Aktif.

Iskarnival 2017 will be the sixth event since its inception in 2012. The Johor-based carnival, which attracted about 97,000 people last year, aims to achieve higher footfalls this year, Khazanah director Selvendran Katheerayson said at a press conference today.

"lskarnival intends to enhance participation of the local community in lskandar Puteri. Iskarnival continues to highlight opportunities available for the local community while promoting social inclusion activities as a collective effort to create a vibrant environment in lskandar Puteri.

"Following the 10th anniversary of Iskandar Malaysia last year, we celebrate another significant milestone this year  — lskandar Puteri's city status, which will provide further impetus and added momentum to its continued growth and development," he said.

Led by UEM Sunrise, Iskarnival Kool will be held on Nov 25 and 26 at Puteri Harbour.

The two-day event will see over 1,000 local talents, of which 53% are Johoreans presenting 188 activities, including performance arts, workshops, bazaars, recreation and music performances, said UEM Sunrise managing director and CEO Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib.

One of the highlights of the event will be a performance by US-based singer Yuna, veteran local artiste Sheila Majid and musical band Plague of Happiness.

"Iskarnival Kool aims to highlight the many opportunities available in the new 'creative economy' for the local community, especially to Johoreans, and showcase talents developed over the last 10 years within Iskandar Malaysia's inception and history," he said.

Iskarnival Aktif, on the other hand, is scheduled to run on Dec 2 and 3 at EduCity Sports Complex. Spearheaded by IIB, it will offer a variety of sports and fitness events ranging from international sports tournaments, to demonstrations and workshops.

There will also be free concerts by renowned artistes, including Datuk Zainal Abidin, Alleycats and Joe Flizzow.

IIB CEO Datuk Ir. Khairil Anwar Ahmad said Iskarnival supports the company's mission to steer economic, social and environmentally sustainable growth in Iskandar Malaysia. It also puts Iskandar Puteri on the map as a preferred destination for sports, education, lifestyle, investment and careers, he added.

"The carnival supports our mission and we have received 80,000 to 100,000 visitors annually since we first organised it in 2012," he said.