THE annual Pesta Kaamatan or commonly known as the harvest festival is just months away.
It is usually celebrated by the Kadazan-Dusuns ethnic and some other related ethnic groups in Sabah. The celebration generally lasts for the whole month of May.
The Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah (KDCA) in Penang is organising a harvest festival on May 9 at St Giles The Wembley Hotel, Penang.
KDCA Penang working committee member Edzil Pacaldo said there were about 5,000 Sabahans residing in Penang.
Pacaldo spoke about two major programmes normally held during the harvest festival – the Sugandoi (singing contest) and the Unduk Ngadau (beauty pageant) – during the courtesy call on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at his office in Komtar today.
The association extended its invitation to Chow to attend the festival.
KDCA Penang head of marcom Lorraine Disimond said the association was set up to preserve the culture, food, dance, language and rituals of the ethnic groups.
“KDCA started in Sabah in 1969 and had established several branches in Johor, Klang Valley, Penang and Malacca over the years.
“There was an increase in the number of Sabahans in Penang, hence, we set up the KDCA Penang,” she said.
Chow thanked the association for the invitation and congratulated its members for striving to preserve culture.
“Preservation of culture is very important for the people’s identity,” he said.
He also urged them to look out for platforms to showcase and share their culture with the community.
Also present were KDCA Penang vice-president Julius Onong D’ Kanju, secretary Joanne Michael and head of protocol Mohamad Zulhilmi Abdul Halim.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Law Suun Ting