Kuala Lumpur hosted the inaugural “Quryltay” conference, bringing together ethnic Kazakhs from Southeast and East Asia, El.kz cites MFA.
The event, organized by the Kazakh diaspora in Malaysia under the auspices of the Otandastar Foundation and with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Malaysia, became an important platform for discussing key issues of cultural and economic interaction within the Kazakh diaspora. Participants of Quryltay held three panel sessions on the topics: “Preserving Kazakh Culture and Language Abroad”, “Cross-Border Connections – Challenges of Life in Malaysia”, and “Doing Business in Malaysia”.
In his opening speech, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Malaysia Bulat Sugurbayev emphasized that the shared sense of belonging to the Kazakh people unites Kazakhs around the world into a strong community, and each Kazakh, wherever they are, contributes to the development of our Homeland.
The President of the “Otandastar Foundation” Daniyar Kadyrov highlighted the key aspects of the Foundation’s work and stressed the importance of international cultural initiatives in raising Kazakhstan’s global recognition. He also pointed out that the main goal of quryltays is to unite Kazakhs around the world.
The “Quryltay-2024” forum brought together representatives of diasporas, ethnographers, and cultural and art figures from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, and other countries in the region. During the plenary session, issues were discussed related to the preservation of cultural heritage, opportunities for the development of Kazakh youth abroad, prospects for economic partnerships between Kazakh communities in different countries, as well as the implementation of economic, scientific, cultural, and other projects in Kazakhstan.
Forum speakers included the president of the Kazakh diaspora in Malaysia, Bayan Nishan; ethnographer and the creative mind behind the “Sandyk” restaurant and “Tary” café, Aigerim Musagazhinova; the deputy dean of the Faculty of Languages at Universiti Malaya, founder of “Murai Production” Aisaule Abilda; founder of the “Sana” Foundation, and many others. The event’s program featured vibrant performances by Kazakh artists, dance shows, and a display of traditional Kazakh clothing, reflecting the richness and uniqueness of Kazakh culture. During the event, the Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Karakat Abildina performed the “Tusaу Kesu” ceremony.
“Quryltay-2024” in Kuala Lumpur became another step towards the creation of a united community of Kazakhs beyond the historical Homeland, focused on preserving native traditions and linguistic heritage.