Kota Kinabalu: The United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur continued its music diplomacy by bringing in one of America's hottest rock bands – ASIDIC - to entertain music lovers at the Black Box venue at Suria Sabah on Friday. "The U.S. budget is a matter decided by Congress and the State Department and we hope to continue this next year as this is an investment in people (ties)," a spokesman said, when asked if such concerts would fall victim to new President Donald Trump's cost-cutting.

This was clearly what Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun meant when he said the aim of having SIFF was not really to select the best performing country but more towards promoting peace and making new friends. “The Sabah International Folklore Festival is a symbol of peace in the world. The 16 participating countries are symbolically showcasing this message,” he said when launching the event.