KadazanDusun Cultural Village - Same experience minus long journey

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah – known for its multi-cultural communities and diverse ethnic groups – is a cultural haven for tourists who are often eager to see the state’s traditional houses.

Visitors can now opt to cut down on the number of road trips to remote villages and visit the newly launched KDCA (Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association) Cultural Village in Penampang instead.

Also known as Koisaan Cultural Village (KCV), the houses in the area were underutilised, as they were only open to the public several times a year, mainly during the Harvest or Kaamatan festival in May.

KCV chairman Sairah Indan said it had upgraded the houses and opened the place to visitors from Feb 19.

Visitors can now tour the cultural houses and learn about the natives’ traditions through exhibitions and performances at an open stage there for a fee (RM25 for locals and RM35 for foreigners).

Visitors can also see and experience for themselves some of the traditional sports of Sabah’s Kadazandusun community.

“As it has a limited land area of just 3.6ha, we can only accommodate 11 houses for now.

“We are searching for a bigger area to accommodate all of the 40 ethnic houses available in Sabah,” Sairah said.

The 11 houses available for viewing at the moment are the Beaufort Bisaya House, Penampang Kadazan House, Kota Belud Tindal House, Ranau Liawan House, Kuala Penyu Tatana House, Keningau Gana-Kuijau House, Tuaran Lotud House, Tambunan Tuhawon House, Papar Kadazan House, Murut Lansaran House and Kudat Rungus longhouse which also accommodates other ethnic group such as the Tobilung, Tinagas, Tombonuo and Kimaragang.

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Huminodun film positive step in sharing cultural heritage

KOTA KINABALU: Huminodun, the world’s first Kadazan language movie, is a key to keeping the Sabah cultural heritages alive, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.

The Chief Minister said, showcasing the film to the public is a positive step in sharing cultural heritage knowledge, especially to the younger generation.

“At a time when indigenous languages are going extinct or not spoken as widely as they were before, we risk losing our cultural identities,” said Musa, in the text of his speech delivered by Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, during the movie launch at Imago Mall here yesterday.

“When a language dies, so does its culture. We run the risk of losing generations of knowledge and identity if we do not preserve, protect and expand the use of the Kadazan language and other indigenous languages,” Musa emphasized.

Musa also applauded the movie’s executive producers, Pairin, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi, Tan Sri Dr. Herman Luping, and Kinsabina Group Sdn Bhd CEO, Datuk Francis Goh, and Siung Film Productions for creating a platform to showcase Sabah’s creative talents.

“The state government has identified the creative industry as an important area of development and seeing the work of so many Sabahans brought to life through this film complements our aspiration,” said Musa.

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Sabah and Hungary plan tourism tie-up

KOTA KINABALU: Hungary and Sabah are planning a tie-up in tourism and cultural exchange, besides business dealings.

Hungarian Ambassador to Malaysia Attila Kali said there were many aspects in which his country could work with Sabah.

“From what I have seen here, Sabah is unique in so many ways, just like Hungary. I was introduced to the various cultures of Sabah, its lifestyle and so many other interesting elements,” he said after meeting the Kadazandusun community here yesterday.

Kali, who arrived here on Monday, said it was important to note that Sabah was very much involved in the preservation of its diverse cultures, as was the case with Hungary.

“This is definitely one of the things we can work together in,” he added.

The envoy said he had met State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and members of the various chambers of commerce.

At the meeting with the Kadazandusun community at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association here, Kali was treated to traditional performances besides being served local food and drinks.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah and Hungary plan tourism tie-up

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Mount Kinabalu - A journey armed with courage

WHY do people climb mountains? Because it’s there, some would say. Mount Kinabalu in Sabah is no exception. Thousands climb it every year.

In his novel Maskerade, Terry Pratchett writes: “A huge mountain might be scaled by strong men only after many centuries of failed attempts, but a few decades later, grandmothers will be strolling up it for tea and then wandering back afterward to see where they left their glasses.”

It’s an overstatement for sure, but with the number of people that have scaled its heights of 4,095m, it can’t be that hard, no? Having been there over the Merdeka holiday, I’d say that it wasn’t difficult — at least in terms of hiking or mountaineering skills — but it certainly wasn’t easy either.

I made the trip with 20 others in a fundraising campaign called Klimb Kinabalu 2017, organised by the National Cancer Council (Makna). Our group comprised Makna staff, volunteers and individuals connected to the organisation, along with four employees of sponsor AirAsia.

The plan is to reach the summit a.k.a. Low’s Peak on Merdeka Day, Aug 31. Meanwhile, fundraising began on May 19 and will continue until Sept 16.

Unfortunately, I didn’t reach the peak. Despite my best effort I was still too much of a couch potato and I missed the 5am cut-off time at Sayat Sayat (the last checkpoint before the top) by five minutes. But I feel blessed to have made it that far, and I’m already planning to try again.

BEST, HEALTHIEST LIVES

The Kadazan Dusun people of Sabah consider Mount Kinabalu sacred. And after the 2015 earthquake that took the lives of 18 mountain guides and climbers, I felt there was an extra sense of poignancy to the ascend, as well as wariness.

Death and disaster can strike anytime, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from living their best, healthiest lives.

Chan Chee Kun, 47, from Ipoh, Perak was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in August 2015. On the night prior to our climb, he told us: “I was feeling very low for about six months after that. But then I went through some things and I started to read.

“In one book, the author said, ‘I have this disease and it means I’m going to die. But everybody is going to die sooner or later. Just that my chances of dying may be faster than yours. But perhaps, also, your death may be faster than mine’.”

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Tambunan – the Switzerland in our midst

TAMBUNAN: Tambunan these days is synonymous with deputy chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and the stop-over for motorists plying the old Kota Kinabalu-Keningau Road.

To some, Tambunan is associated with the tales of Mat Salleh, the man who fought the British colonialists. Photographers can never get enough of the rustic panoramic view of paddy fields when viewed from a vantage point as one approaches Tambunan from Kota Kinabalu.

But there are actually 15 good reasons why visitors should make Tambunan their next getaway, according to the Tambunan District Office which has been promoting Visit Tambunan Year 2017. It even dubbed the land-locked district 80 km from Kota Kinabalu as ‘Switzerland of the East’.

In1985, Tambunan was thrust into the political limelight when its famous son and now deputy chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan was sacked from the then ruling Berjaya party and the district was ostracized, abrogated and isolated. What happened next has been described as the emergence of Kadazandusun nationalism driven by the so-called ‘Tambunan Spirit’, concluding with the shocking defeat of Berjaya. The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s more than three decades since Tambunan became famous but the district of about 25,000 people retains its easy, rustic village ambience with no major industry to speak of. There have been some attempts at developing industries using the bamboo found widely in Tambunan. But with no commercial planting, an ambitious chopsticks factory quickly ran out of supply. There was also an attempt at producing tapai (a homemade alcoholic brew made from rice) but that too fizzled out though Tambunan remains an important paddy growing district.

It is no surprise therefore that when it comes to attracting visitors, the district covering 134,540 hectares (almost twice the size of Singapore at 71,910 ha) is counting on most things natural.

Under the Visit Tambunan 2017 initiative launched by Chief Minister Datuk Musa Haji Aman in November 2016, the Tambunan District’s tourism action council identified 15 attractions.

Located in a valley west of the Crocker Range and with most economic activities being agricultural, words such as ‘emerald’, ‘green haven’, and ‘sanctuary’ have been used to describe Tambunan. A 90-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu on the old winding road with numerous severe bends is a daunting challenge to faint-hearted drivers, what with the many heavy duty trucks that once plied the route. Many trucks have since chosen the straighter though no less hilly Kimanis Road to transport goods to and from Keningau.

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Kaamatan Harvest Festival - The rice festival of Sabah

Not so very long almost all the natives of Sabah used to grow rice.

The Pesta Kaamatan is Sabah’s very own, rice harvest festival.

Planting of rice was the mainstay of their diet and there were many taboos and customs regulating the planting of rice to ensure a bountiful crop in the old days.

As most of our people have now converted to various other religions, most have forgotten about the true meaning of the rice harvest Festival.

In the old days it was a form of giving thanks to the Rice Spirit “Bambarayon or Bambazzon for an abundant harvest and to ensure that they would have another successful rice crop the following year.

It used to be celebrated during the full moon after the rice harvest in each village.

In the old days only one crop of rice would be grown in a year and it was extremely important that the crop was bountiful.

This was especially true with the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut people, who were all growers of rice in Sabah.

They each had their own social orders and religious belief systems in which the female Bobohizans ( Traditional Priestesses of Sabah) played the most important role.

Historically, the British Colonial office of Sabah (North Borneo in the old days) finally condescended in declaring a 2-day Public Holiday to the natives after their leaders asked for it. (OKK Sodomon of Bingkor, Keningau, is the main person main accredited with this as he was the main local leader who approached the Colonial Government for this holiday.)

Today this festival of the rice harvest is celebrated on a very grand scale on the 30th and 31st of May annually at the KDCA ( Kadazan Dusun cultural Centre).

However in the old days the festival would usually have been celebrated in the village by bobohizans performing ceremonies to the rice spirit followed by much feasting and merry making.

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Kaamatan Harvest Festival - Kadazandusun art form in the spotlight

KOTA KINABALU: A little known Kadazandusun art form called hiis or poetry recitation took centre stage at a cultural extravaganza to mark the end of Sabah’s month-long Kaamatan or Harvest Festival.

The recitation by a group of secondary school students from Bundu Tuhan near Mount Kinabalu was the first to be featured at the state-level Kaamatan celebration.

The poem tells about the everyday life of the Kadazandusun community, including how the padi is harvested.

Earlier, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman harvested seven padi stalks to open the festivities at the Hongkod Koisaan (Unity Hall) in Penampang.

Also present was Huguan Siou or Kadazandusun paramount leader Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister.

A group of bobohizans or Kadazandusun elders from Penampang later performed a thanksgiving ceremony for a bountiful harvest. This was followed by a series of ethnic dances from the various districts, including the sumazau of Penampang, sazau of Papar and mongigol of Kudat.

Meanwhile, Kerinah Mah outshone 43 other contestants to take home this year’s Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Queen) crown.

In second spot was Shareene Francis Loudin of Penampang while third placing went to Arveyna Pamella Januin of Papar.

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Kaamatan Harvest Festival - Kota Kinabalu lass the top choice

Penampang: Kota Kinabalu representative Kerinah Mah, 22, was crowned Unduk Ngadau 2017 at the Hongkod Koisaan, Wednesday night.

She beat 43 other beauties, taking home prizes worth more than RM73,000. This included an RM6,000 cash prize, an ATI scholarship worth RM25,000, an Almacrest scholarship worth RM20,000, a return air ticket to Bangkok among others.

Shareene Francis Loudin of Penampang and Arveyna Pamella Januin @ Abdon from Papar were named first and second runners-up.

Shareene received prizes worth RM11,480 which included RM4,000 cash, while Arveyna received prizes worth RM9,660, of which RM3,000 was in cash.

Angel Sungkadhamai Marshal @ Linus (Likas), Bibiana Artecca James (Tambunan), Sharlina Gilbert Mojinun (Klang Valley) and Vanessa Claria (Tuaran) respectively took fourth, fifth, sixth and seven places.

The month-long Kaamatan festival came to an end Wednesday on a moderate yet cheerful note with a RM1 million allocation to the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) and yet another powerful display of multiracial and religious harmony that is uniquely Sabah's.

The spell of heavy rains and terrible traffic jam did not deter thousands of local and foreign visitors from flocking to the Hongkod Koisaan grounds to experience the carnival-like atmosphere.

Launched in Tambunan this year on May 1, the Kaamatan, which is traditionally the Kadazandusun thanksgiving celebration for a bountiful rice harvest, was celebrated at all levels from the districts down to villages and families throughout the month.

There had also been celebrations in the peninsula States of Johor, Perak, Penang as well as the Federal Territory of Labuan and Klang Valley.

For many years now, the spirit of the festival has been embraced by all races and faiths, each wanting to celebrate their own meaning of a harvest.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kaamatan Harvest Festival - Kota Kinabalu lass the top choice

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Kaamatan Harvest Festival special for multi-ethnic Sabah

PENAMPANG: The “Kaamatan’’ or Harvest Festival which is celebrated annually has considerable meaning to the various ethnic communities in the state, says Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

He said the festival was not only celebrated by the Kadazan Dusun and Murut people but it also saw more than 30 ethnicities in the state joining in the celebration.

Hence, he said the popular festival was where various ethnic communities in Sabah joined in the celebration and met family members and friends, as well as used it as a platform to foster brotherhood and unity.

“The state government will not hesitate to support and give backing to organising the Harvest Festival and it is also well received by the federal government, especially the prime minister, so this festival is not only celebrated at state level but also national level,” added Musa.

The chief minister said this when officiating at the closing ceremony of the state-level Harvest Festival celebration  here yesterday.

Also in attendance were Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau.

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Kaamatan must continue to be catalyst of stability, peace and harmony

PENAMPANG: Hundreds of people, in their traditional costumes, flocked the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) building here to celebrate the end of the harvest festival.

At the event today, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman cut the paddy as a symbol of harvest and hit the traditional gong to close the state-level Kaamatan Festival.

He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and Huguan Siou (Kadazandusun Paramount Leader), Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussein and Sabah Tourism, Culture, Environment Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

Earlier in his speech, Musa announced the state government has approved RM1 million allocation to upgrade and repair KDCA building.

"I urge the people of Sabah, regardless of their cultural differences, to continue support the government so efforts to develop the state can be successfully implemented," he said.

Musa also hoped the Kaamatan festival would continue to be a catalyst for inspiration and strength to the people in ensuring stability, peace and harmony.

Meanwhile, Pairin said Kaamatan, like other cultural celebrations, was a season of forgiveness and urged the people to respect one another and remain united.

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Gawai celebration unifies Dayaks across Borneo

THE Gawai celebration remains one of the common traits that links all the native communities in Borneo – a day when they show thanksgiving for a bountiful paddy harvest and pray for a plentiful year ahead.

As a rose is still a rose by any other name, these communities call their festival differently – for the Ibans, it is ‘Ari Gawai’; the Bidayuhs in general call it ‘Onu Gawea’; while the Kadazan-Dusuns in Sabah celebrate ‘Kaamatan’.

Officially, Gawai Dayak in Sarawak is observed on June 1 and 2 – first gazetted as a public holiday in 1965, while Kaamatan in Sabah is celebrated on May 30 and 31.

The Dayaks in Indonesian Borneo also celebrate their own version of the festival, with rituals based on those practised by the Kanayatans – a Dayak sub-ethnic group in West Kalimantan.

It is learned that in West Kalimantan, the occasion was first held on a large scale in 1964 and like Sarawak, the Dayaks there also call the celebration ‘Hari Gawai’. However unlike Sarawak, there is no official date for Gawai in the Indonesian province – it can be held at any time from late April to June.

The local governments in the West Kalimantan have made the initiative to preserve the tradition by holding the celebration on regency, provincial and national levels. Originally, Gawai was only observed at village level or at the most, district level.

The rituals

In West Kalimantan, the first thing on the list of rituals would be the ‘ngampar bide’ – literally, the rollout of the mat. This symbolises the wish for the celebration to run smoothly, apart from marking the start of the festival. This ceremony would be attended by local Dayak community leaders who apart from overseeing all the preparations for the occasion, would also discuss issues and happenings affecting their communities.

After the ‘ngampar bide’, an assembly will take place at the main venue of the celebration the following day. This is perhaps the most spectacular of events where Dayaks from all across the province would arrive in their colourful traditional attire and gather to display them to the public.

It is also during this time that top-ranking local government officials – for the province-level celebration, it would be the governor – would deliver their special Gawai address to the crowd.

Regardless of which level of celebration – regency, province or national – this event would gather thousands of visitors.

Next comes the core ritual known as ‘Naik Dango’, where the dancers deliver harvested rice to the ‘dango’ (rice silo). This elaborate dance is known as ‘ngantat ka dango’, which leads to the ‘nyangahatn’ – the recital of prayers and mantra upon the arrival of the rice at the ‘dango’.

The ‘nyangahatn’ is performed by a ‘Panyangahatn’, whose chanting contains words of gratitude for the sustenance and also songs to invoke the good spirits to come and gather inside the ‘dango’.

At the same time, the ‘nyangahatn’ also seeks for permission from the spirits to consume the rice for daily needs.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Gawai celebration unifies Dayaks across Borneo

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Gawai and Kaamatan festivals - Festivities that tear down racial divide

KUCHING: The Gawai and Kaamatan festivals together with other festive celebrations are a unifying force that bring people of diverse races in the country together for a common goal, said 1Malaysia Foundation Trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

The festivities, said Lee, have helped to foster inter-racial harmony, integration and unity, which are imperatives for a multi-racial country to succeed.

Unity nurtured among the people has made Malaysia unique and an example to the global community of a nation where different ethnic communities can live in peace and harmony and work together for the progress and well-being of the nation.

"We have been a harmonious society and it is necessary for us to further enhance and strengthen our inter-racial understanding and trust for one another despite whatever differences.

"We should continue with greater fervour and determination to strive towards building our multi-racial nation into a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny," said Lee in a statement today in conjunction with the Gawai and Kaamatan festivals.

The Dayak community in the state will be celebrating the Gawai festival to mark the end of the harvest season on June 1 and 2. The Kaamatan Festival is celebrated today and tomorrow among the Kadazandusun community and other races in Sabah.

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Kaamatan boosts demand for traditional costumes

KENINGAU: At this time of the year, Mohd Azrul Fildza Abdullah’s boutique, here is a hive of activity as he and his wife race against time to meet the numerous orders for hand-stitched ethnic costumes.

It is now Kaamatan time in the Land Below the Wind and this is when the locals don their traditional garments to participate in the various events that are usually held in conjunction with the festival‘s month-long celebrations.

“This is a busy time for me as I‘ve to complete all the orders I‘ve received for Kaamatan,” Mohd Azrul Fildza, 41, told Bernama recently when met at his small boutique, Azma Trading, which he runs with his 36-year-old wife Fatma Zainal.

Mohd Azrul, a Kadazan, has been receiving orders for the traditional garments since April.

“I‘ve stopped taking new orders because these clothes have to be sewn with great precision. Some ethnic groups” traditional clothes are quite tedious to sew. In fact, it may take me two or three months to complete one set,” he said.

The traditional outfit worn by the Kadazans in Penampang, also known as the sinombiaka, was easier to sew, he said, adding that he and his wife could complete three to five sets of these garments a day.

“For the sinombiaka, we just have to add gold-coloured and red lace trimmings to the clothes. In contrast, the Tindal (a Dusun sub-ethnic group) people who hail from Kota Belud have such intricate costumes which can take us two to three months to complete as they require embroidered motifs,” explained Mohd Azrul.

The Tindal sub-ethnic group“s traditional costumes, he added, were more vibrant to look at as they were adorned with red and yellow sequins and gold-coloured buttons.

Mohd Azrul“s boutique has earned a reputation as one of the best shops in the state to secure ethnic garments for Kaamatan.

He also receives orders for traditional garments from Sabahans residing in Peninsular Malaysia and even overseas.

“Several customers of ours working in countries like Japan and Australia have ordered clothes from us through our Facebook and Instagram (azmatrading) pages,” he said.

Kaamatan, an annual rice harvest festival, is among the major cultural festivals observed by the Kadazandusun - the largest indigenous group in Sabah - Murut and Rungus ethnic groups in Sabah.

The festivities, which usually kick off in the beginning of May and include carnivals and traditional performances, peak on May 30 and 31 which are public holidays in the state.

The climax of the celebrations will take place at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association‘s Hongkod Koisaan hall in Penampang, located on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu.

The people themselves will be the highlight at the closing events as they will all be resplendently decked out in their respective ethnic wear.

Interestingly, Sabah‘s traditional costumes come mainly in hues of black as it is believed that the colour symbolised power that is capable of protecting the wearer against evil spirits.

Some quarters also believed that the colour suited the lifestyle of the ethnic people whose forefathers had lived in a state of nature.

Sabah has over 30 ethnic groups, each with its own rich heritage of traditional costumes and cultural practices that reflect their unique identity.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kaamatan boosts demand for traditional costumes

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All invited to first ever Sandakan Food Festival

SANDAKAN: The first Sandakan Food Festival (SFF), themed Oceans, Land and Forests, will serve a culinary selection that is uniquely Sandakan, and Sabahan; gathering traditions from Chinese, Malay, Kadazan- Dusun, and more ethnic styles of cooking.

The festival will be spread over eight days, from Aug 26 to Sept 2 and hopes to attract both local visitors throughout Sabah as well as international food experts.

The festival is organised by Sandakan Tourism Association (STAN) with the support of Sandakan Good Food Club (comprising of a mixed bunch of Sandakan food enthusiasts) as a community-driven, not-for-profit effort to promote the town of Sandakan. Also involved are State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Tourism Board, Sandakan Municipal Council, and community leaders of Sandakan.

The core objectives of SFF are: to bring together culinary stakeholders from all sectors together for a collective showcase event; to use the festival platform to invite and introduce our varied cuisines to an international audience and media in attendance; to encourage the local communities to rediscover their food heritage and to develop pride in its diversity; and, to take the opportunity to catalogue the breadth of food and produce choices available in Sabah, in a comprehensive manner.

The festival village location will be at the open car park next to Yu Yuan Secondary School in Bandar Kim Fung. SFF is now calling for all Sandakan (first priority) and Sabah (wider priority) food industry people to produce unique local cuisine and creations to participants and make this a culinary showcase in Sandakan.

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45 ladies to compete in this year’s Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan

KOTA KINABALU: Forty-five Unduk Ngadau participants will be competing for this year’s state-level Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan.

The chairperson of the harvest pageant committee, Joanna Datuk Kitingan said that the increased participation is in addition to the Kiulu representative.

Speaking at a press conference, Joanna said that this time around the pageant will emphasize on the participants’ ability to speak their mother tongue and appreciate their own culture.

She said it was the continuity of last year’s theme ‘Embrace your culture, speak your mother tongue.”

Joanna, who is also the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) women council chairperson, said that the traditional costumes continues to be their pursuits to make sure that each district brings out the different costumes that is seldom worn so that the Unduk Ngadau learn to appreciate the varied cultures and costumes.

“The Unduk Ngadau Pageant has come a long way. It has kept the traditions alive and promote our culture in terms of being proud to wear our traditional costume and promote our culture tourism as well,” said Joanna.

Meanwhile, for the evening Wear Ethnic Concept, which started four years ago, it will continue to be a competition so that the designers will able to showcase their creative creation during the Sodop Pintutunan on May 27.

The top seven creative best designs will be showcased during the Sodop Unduk Ngadau on May 29.

Continue reading at: 45 ladies to compete in this year’s Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan

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Month-long Kaamatan festival begins

KOTA KINABALU: As Sabah celebrates a month-long Kaamatan, the city‘s harvest festival celebration is set to be a joyous, vibrant and grand affair with numerous exciting cultural events for all to enjoy.

Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai said the Kaamatan festive celebration will be held in the state capital from May 18-May 20, starting at the main venue at the Padang Merdeka which will host a galore of festivities beginning from 6pm until 11pm.

“This year’s city level Kaamatan will be celebrated with the theme ‘Kaamatan: The foundation for unity’, and will culminate with a grand ceremony by Huguon Siou (Paramount Leader) of the Kadazandusunmurut (KDM) community, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan,” he said.

In announcing the Kaamatan celebration at the press conference on Monday, Yeo said the opening ceremony will be followed by the hotly-awaited Lilundus Unduk Ngadau (beauty contest) as well as Sugandoi (singing competition), Magavau ritual and choir.

“There will also be other exciting events in store for everyone to enjoy, including a bicycle decoration gala, Unduk Ngadau Creative Traditional Dress competition, karaoke contests, as well as prize presentation for all the winners,“ said Yeo.

Furthermore, he noted the Kaamatan Cycling Challenge will also be held in conjunction of the Kaamatan which will witness 100 cyclists taking on the 22KM route starting from Padang Merdeka along Jalan Tun Abdul Rahman, Jalan Penampang until KDCA Cultural Village before returning to the starting point.

“The closing ceremony of the Kaamatan on May 20 will be officiated by federal Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Tun Said Keruak,” said Yeo, adding that the finale of the festival will culminate with the Unduk Ngadau finals for Kota Kinabalu and Likas, and state-level competitions which will be held at the KDCA Cultural Village.

Continue reading at: Month-long Kaamatan festival begins

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Month-long Sabah harvest festival begins

KOTA KINABALU: The chanting by bobohizan (Kadazandusun priestesses) during a thanksgiving ceremony in Tambunan district marked the launch of Sabah’s month-long Kaama­tan celebrations.

The event was held at Pisom­puruan Square in Tambunan, which is surrounded by padi fields and nestled in a valley in the Crocker Range.

The thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest was witnessed by Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Juhar Mahi­rud­din and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Also present was Huguan Siou or Kadazandusun paramount chief Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also Deputy Chief Minister.

In a symbolic gesture, Juhar harvested seven padi stalks and beat a gong seven times to mark the launch.

This was followed by cultural performances and a choir presentation of songs such as Tadau Do Kaamatan and Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan.

The crowd was also entertained with the sumazau dance of the Kadazan­dusun, as well as the monggigol sumandai dance of the Rungus and the magunatip of the Murut communities.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Month-long Sabah harvest festival begins

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Bornean 'tuhau' plant rises to prominence, thanks to Kadazandusun cousins

KOTA KINABALU: The use of the Bornean ‘tuhau’ plant as a key ingredient in a range of health, food and beauty products is gaining popularity among Malaysian entrepreneurs – and placing the highly-beneficial local herb in the spotlight.

Although commonly used as traditional food ingredient in Sabah, Kadazandusun cousins Deiseree Daniel Jambun and Marion St Joan Galid decided to take a different approach to tuhau and incorporated its extract into their ‘Love, Lusie’ beauty scrubs.

The move made them the first in the world to use the plant as a beauty product ingredient.

Scientifically known as etlingera coccinea, tuhau, or wild ginger, is endemic to Borneo. The plant is commonly found in the jungles of Sabah and Sarawak, and they are believed to be rich in antioxidants and antibacterial properties.

Deiseree, founder of Love, Lusie, said the idea of incorporating tuhau into beauty products came when she was eating pickled tuhau at her home in Kuala Lumpur last year.

“It came out of the blue and I texted my cousin (Marion), and the next thing we knew, we were already experimenting and distributing test products to our relatives and friends.

“It took us about three months to finally release them for sale in Aug last year. Since then, we have kept receiving positive feedback and orders," she said.

Their tuhau-infused beauty scrub is a certified hit with consumers, with marketgoers thronging the Love, Lusie booth at the Sunday market in Gaya Street here today. Customers could take their pick from scrubs for the body, face and lips.

The indigenous people of Sabah have, for generations, been using tuhau as a traditional remedy for stomach pains as well as wounds – apart from using it as a food ingredient.

For wounds, young tuhau shoots would be dipped in water and placed on the injured area.

"Post-partum women also use it to remove body odour.

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“(Indigenous people) use tuhau as their primary plant for medicine, because they know it is effective.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Bornean 'tuhau' plant rises to prominence, thanks to Kadazandusun cousins

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Tambunan to kick off this year's Kaamatan

Kota Kinabalu: Tambunan's Pisompuruan Square has been chosen to launch the State-level Harvest Festival on May 1.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the district about 80km from the city was selected in conjunction with the Visit Tambunan Year 2017.

He said Head of State Tun Dr Juhar Mahiruddin is expected to officiate the annual auspicious occasion of the festival celebrated by the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community.

"The committee has chosen a theme 'Kaamatan Asas Perpaduan' (Kaamatan Basic Unity) or 'Kaamatan Impowon Pisompuruan' for the festival this year which is seen as suitable with the role of festival and celebrations as a channel to instil unity among the multiracial society in Sabah.

"The climax of the celebration will be at Hongkod Koisaan KDCA in Penampang on May 30 and 31 with various programmes including performances of Kadazandusun," he said, adding that 14 committees, including sub-committees, have been formed to prepare for the celebration.

Continue reading at: Tambunan to kick off this year's Kaamatan

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Kadazan movie ‘Huminodun’ to premiere in May

PENAMPANG: ‘Huminodun’ – the movie will be released in May, the month when the KadazanDusun Murut communities celebrate the Harvest Festival.

It is also a time for the communities to reflect on Huminodun and her parents’ Kinoingan and Suminundu’s ultimate sacrifice for the people.

Kinoingan sacrificed his only daughter so that the people could have food. Her body parts were planted as seeds and became the food resource of the world, rice.

Huminodun will be in Kadazan language with English subtitles and is produced by Siung Film Productions.

According to the movie’s producer, Jo Luping, the one-hour movie was filmed entirely in the Kadazan language and the cast are all locals.

“This movie is 99 per cent Sabah ‘made’. The actors are all local talent. People were sceptical about us getting the talent in Sabah but we did it. Shooting took about a week and pre-production took about two years.

“Because it is a historical drama we need to be accurate in terms of our research. It took a long time to research the costumes, the story, to talk to the different elders in the Kadazan community,” she said.

Jo, who was met after the screening of the Huminodun trailer on Tuesday night, said that as part of their research, they consulted Auntie Rosnani who was trained as a ‘bobohizan’.

“We just wanted to make sure that we had our facts right. We tried our best to be as accurate historically as possible,” she said.

When asked about the message she hopes to get across to the community, especially the younger generation, Jo who is of Kadazan descent, said it was to remind them the importance of learning their mother tongue.

“We want them to learn their mother tongue because through your mother tongue you can really identify with your culture and who you are and that gives you your point of difference in a world where things are similar.

“It brings something that is close to your heart and that is how you differentiate yourself in the world,” she said.

She disclosed that ‘Huminodun’ which casts Alexandra Alexander, Boni Mosios, Jenifer Lasimbang, Marc Abas ad Hazli Bojili in the lead roles, is slated to be released in May.

They want it to be a cinematic release so the plan is to premier it in Sabah first and then distribute into international film festivals.

It will come back to Sabah into a film format, she said adding, “that is the usual circuit and we want to sell it into the Hong Kong film mart.

“The goal is to distribute it through Sabah and have a local film market but also definitely we also want to take Sabah culture and tradition and sell it to the world because I think everybody is interested in Borneo. In terms of a brand Borneo and Sabah are equally great,” she said.

They are undecided as to where the movie will be premiered and are currently looking at different venues.

On the Siung Film Production’s future plans, Jo said that they were planning to shoot ‘Pangazou’ – another Kadazan language movie.

“We have other plans to do Dusun, Murut and Runggus movies. The reason is because we are from Penampang, we have access to Rita Lasimbang and then it is a natural progression to do it in Kadazan.

“But we would love to ultimately do all Sabah legends because we are a hotbed and treasure trove of fantastic stories and the world is interested in legends. They want to know about these legends, they want something different and we got it all here,” she stressed.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kadazan movie ‘Huminodun’ to premiere in May

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