30,000 visitors expected for Kalimaran Festival in Tenom
KOTA KINABALU: The 11th Kalimaran Festival, an annual Murut cultural celebration, will be held at the Sabah Murut Cultural Centre in Tenom from April 11 to 13.
Kalimaran refers to craftsmanship by the Murut ethnic.
The festival celebrates the richness of culture of the Muruts and presents most of their cultural aspects.
Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman was expected to officiate at the event at 7pm on April 13 at the Sabah Murut Cultural Centre.
The festival is co-organized by the state government through the Sabah Cultural Board and Tenom District Office in collaboration with the Sabah Murut Association.
Kamarlin said a new programme was added to the three-day event this year, that is the Tolak Bala ceremony to be held at 2pm on April 11.
He said the aim of the ceremony was to fend off any undesirable elements like bad weather to ensure the programme ran smoothly.
The 10th Kalimaran Festival held over three days in 2012, attracted 15,000 visitors.
“This year, we are targeting 30,000 visitors,” Kamarlin said in a press conference here yesterday, adding that the event was not held last year due to the 13th General Election.
“The event not only draws visitors from Keningau, Tenom and Nabwan, but also from Lawas and Sarawak as well.”
As of now, hotels in Tenom are reportedly fully booked during the duration of the festival.
He also believed that foreign tourists would participate in the festival.
The state government has adopted Kalimaran Festival as a state-level event since 2003, the first being held on April 4-5, 2003.
The objectives of organizing the event are to preserve the uniqueness and beauty of the Murut ethnic culture in Sabah as well as to elevate Murut arts and culture at district, state, national and international levels.
The event also aims to promote Tenom as an attractive tourism destination, in addition to boost local economy through the sale of handicraft, food and traditional tools by the locals.
A range of programmes has been lined up for the three-day event, including an exhibition on the eight Murut sub-ethnics, namely Tagol, Timugon, Bookan, Nabai, Kolor, Paluan, Sebakung and Tangala. There are also a contest on traditional hut, sale and exhibition of handicraft, Ralaa Kalimaran competition, cultural parade, drawing contest and more.
When asked whether the organizing committee will cut down on entertainment elements due to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Kamarlin said the event was a cultural festival.
He said the organizing committee understood the circumstances and thus would tone down the festival.
Source: Borneo Post
