Locally known as beca, it is set to be featured at the world expo starting in October and will give millions of global visitors a quaint insight into Malaysia’s culture and tourism.
“These three-wheeled beca are handmade and customised by traditional trishaw makers in Melaka. It took about two months to build and assemble the eight units which were presented by the tourism, arts and culture ministry to Expo 2020 Dubai,” said Tourism Malaysia Dubai director Shahrin Mokhtar.
He said the trishaws arrived in Dubai recently.
“The beca portrays a unique trait of Malaysian heritage, culture and society. We are happy to be given the opportunity to display part of our Malaysian heritage at the expo as a visitor attraction,” Shahrin told FMT.
Expo 2020 Dubai, themed “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, is a global event participated by over 190 countries and organisations. It will open its doors on Oct 1 and run for six months. The expo was postponed by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shahrin said the Malaysia pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is themed “Energising Sustainability”. Malaysia’s participation at the world expo is led by the science, technology and innovation ministry.
“The trishaws shaped Malaysia’s transportation system during the early days, especially among the Peranakan community of Melaka and Penang, and the Malay community of Kelantan and Terengganu, where they were used to transport goods and people.
“Today, they are popular tourist attractions, many decorated with artificial flowers with a boom box under the seat, providing local and foreign tourists a scenic, relaxing spin through streets and alleyways,” he said.
He said the expo presented a “wonderful opportunity” for Malaysia to showcase its attractions to the anticipated millions of visitors from the UAE and all over the world. “This will create greater awareness about our country and pique their interest in wanting to visit Malaysia.”
Culture and tourism will be key highlights at the Malaysia pavilion’s “Energising Harmony” segment, where visitors will get a glimpse of how Malaysia is “Truly Asia”, with its diverse cultures and people of multi-ethnicities living in harmony and contributing to the nation’s progress.
Malaysia will also fly in a cultural troupe who will put up daily cultural shows and craft demonstrations at the pavilion’s amphitheatre.
The world expo, governed by the Bureau International des Expositions, will feature innovations, breakthroughs and ideas from around the globe to enable action towards a better world.