LAWAS: The Ngiling Bidai – a ceremony to close the Gawai Dayak celebration – at Rumah Ajan Anak Renang in Meragang over the weekend was colourful, boisterous and merry.
The event held in this longhouse at the foot of the mountain range in Meragang was also to launch an RES project for Lawas District.
It was officiated by Bukit Sari state assemblyman Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who is also Resource Planning and Environment Second Minister.
The Gawai atmosphere was provided by performances by the visiting Lun Dayeh cultural troupe from neighbouring Sipitang in Sabah, Limbai Sadaman cultural troupe from the Kedayan community, and the Iban community.
Youngsters paraded in traditional costumes in the Kumang Gawai and Keling competition.
Awg Tengah commended the community for the progress achieved, saying the longhouse expansion and academic achievements of Ibans – a minority in Lawas district – could be viewed as a feather in their cap.
The interaction between the larger communities of the Lun Bawang, Malay and Chinese and minority communities in Lawas is a picture of harmonious existence in this northern-most district of Sarawak.
Awg Tengah thanked them for their support of the BN in the state and parliamentary elections, which facilitated government efforts to provide them with electricity, roads upgrading and other projects.
The Ngiling Bidai at Rumah Ajan stretched into the wee hours as longhouse folks celebrate their first Gawai Dayak with electricity from the grid system in Lawas, and the merrymaking continued after the ‘ranyai’ was brought down way after midnight.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Boisterous end to Gawai merrymaking
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