jessica2012-06-18T09:22:24+08:00KENINGAU (Sabah), June 14 (Bernama) -- The national Kaamatan Festival is being held on Saturday (June 16) for the first time in the rural district of Keningau, allowing thousands of rural residents to participate.
The festival in Keningau will also become the meeting point for local residents and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who will be in attendance to launch the festival.
Many residents from surrounding areas, including Tambunan, Nabawan and Tenom, are planning to visit the Tadau Kaamatan Malaysia Open House.
Since 2009 the festival has been held in Padang Merdeka Kota Kinabalu and this is the first time it has been moved to the outskirts.
RURAL DWELLERS ARE EXCITED
Among the excited local residents are Dr Helen Seminggau, a dentist, who has never had the opportunity to attend the national celebration in Kota Kinabalu due to the distance involved and time constraints.
Dr Helen, who comes from the Sook sub-district, noted that she would not miss the opportunity to participate in the festival this year.
"We, the dwellers here, thank the Information Communication and Culture Ministry under the leadership of Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, and the Sabah state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, for choosing Keningau as the venue for the festival," she told Bernama.
Dr Helen, who operates a dental clinic in Keningau town, said choosing Keningau was a brilliant idea and reflected the government's earnestness in realising the 1Malaysia concept envisioned by the prime minister.
Other than that, the national level Kaamatan celebration is another honour for the Keningau district, since Kadazandusun-Murut College (KDM College) is to be launched on the following day by the prime minister in Tambunan, she said.
HELPING TO DIVERSIFY SABAH'S TOURISM PRODUCTS
The National Level Kaamatan Festival is one of the activities surrounding the Kaamatan festival, celebrated every 30 and 31 May in Sabah, to bolster national unity and the tourism industry.
It also highlights the good relations between both the state and the federal government.
In his closing speech at the Pesta Kaamatan celebration on May 31, Kadazandusun Cultural Association President (KDCA) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan noted that the Pesta Kaamatan actually served as a unity platform for the various ethnic groups in the state.
The deputy chief minister noted that Keningau, being the host, received support from thousands of Sabahans, especially those from rural areas.
Meanwhile, Melalap (Tenom) State Assemblyman Datuk Radin Malleh described Keningau as a timely choice for this year's celebration.
"This is the best platform to preserve and encourage our local culture, while celebrating our thanks," he said.
NAJIB'S PRESENCE TO STRENGTHEN 1MALAYSIA RESOLVE
The Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office noted that Keningau is the perfect choice in hosting the event, as it was the location where Pairin, the paramount leader (Huguan Siou) of the Kadazandusun community, hailed from.
Morinie Linus, 32, from Lumondou, near Tambunan, noted that Keningau, as the host, would provide Sabah the best opportunity to display the state's ethnic cultures, especially those of the Kadazandusun Murut.
"With the prime minister's presence in Keningau, it is hoped that more people from numerous ethnic groups will come to the festival in the spirit of unity and 1Malaysia," she said.
As for promoting local tourism, she said the festival served as the best opportunity to promote the interesting tourism sites in the state, especially Keningau and Tambunan, as both were relatively unknown, with Sabah having numerous eco-tourism attractions.
RESIDENTS HOPING FOR "OLE-OLE" FROM NAJIB
"My hope is that the prime minister, during his visit to Keningau, will be able to see the development in Sabah, especially on the outskirts, which is still less developed than are the towns," she said.
Efah Petrus, 44, a villager from Kampung Toboh Laut in Keningau, said she was happy to learn that the prime minister would be visiting Keningau and officiating at the Sabah Foundation's Handicraft Centre.
This indicated that Najib has always been a leader, with the people close to his heart and looking into the problems faced by the people in the rural areas.
"These are the leaders that we want. Apart from focusing on towns, the number one leader in the country has never forgotten the plight of the villagers in rural areas like in Keningau," she said.
Efah believed that thousands of villagers were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the prime minister, who had introduced numerous programmes to reduce the people's burden, including the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), the RM100 cash for each student and RM200 for undergraduates.
Wendy F.Gabrial, 26, from the Belia Tiulon Resettlement Village in Sook, noted that the prime minister's visit to Keningau is very meaningful for the villagers.
She said in jest that in those days, leaders who entered the village for the first time would announce a boon, or "ole-ole" like the locals called it, as something to remember.
No matter what, Najib's presence at Keningau is a boon for the local residents, who would definitely enjoy better amenities in the future.
Source : Bernama
YB Datuk Masidi Manjun attended the Inauguration of the Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012 Mascot on behalf of the Chief Minister of Sabah which was organized by Sabah Cultural Board on the 21st of June 2012 at Wisma Innoprise, Kota Kinabalu.
YB Datuk Masidi Manjun mewakili Ketua Menteri Sabah dalam acara Perasmian Maskot Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012 anjuran Lembaga Kebudayaan Sabah pada 21 Jun 2012 bertempat di ruang legar Wisma Innoprise, Kota Kinabalu.
