All articles of culture in Sabah

10Aug

Orang asli take to the streets to mark day for indigenous people

KENINGAU: Indigenous people from around Malaysia gathered on the streets here for a walk to mark International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Almost all of Malaysia’s indigenous ethnic groups were represented among the 350-strong crowd, who chanted slogans and sang anthems as they marched. The procession started from the Oath Stone at the Keningau District Office and ended at the Keningau Diocese about 3km away. The Oath Stone is a monument built to commemorate the terms under which Sabah, together with Sarawak, joined Malaya to form Malaysia. “We decided to march as a symbolic show of our community’s struggle,” said Beverly Joeman, secretariat director of Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), the organisers of the event. “And to start the march from the Oath Stone makes it all the more meaningful.” One of the terms inscribed on the Oath Stone guarantees that the traditional customs of Sabahans will be protected and respected. And, in turn, Sabahans will pledge their loyalty to the Government. There was a festive mood throughout the march as police and Rela members helped direct traffic.
At the end of the march, a celebration was held at Keningau Diocese’s Solidarity Hall. It featured cultural performances, traditional sports, traditional food, as well as the unveiling of three traditional knowledge-keepers representing the three regions of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. The knowledge-keepers are elders in their own villages and will now be tasked with preserving the customs and traditional knowledge of their respective regions. The focus of this year’s celebration is the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), a landmark document acknowledging the unique challenges indigenous peoples face while outlining how governments should treat indigenous communities. International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on Aug 9 every year. The Star’s R.AGE team was there to document the celebration in collaboration with the young members of the JOAS media team. It will be releasing short videos on the R.AGE Facebook page (fb.com/thestarRAGE) over the coming weeks. Source: The Star
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09Aug

Moginakan Fest unites the people

RANAU: The Moginakan Festival is a platform of harmony and unity for the people, asserted Assistant Minister Local Government and Housing Datuk Joachim Gunsalam. “I feel grateful to see the presence of various parties and the people who are looking forward to this festival because this cultural celebration is uniting us,” he said. Moginakan refers to the annual Reunion Festival of the great multi ethnic Kadazan Dusun family, while calling to ancestral spirits and souls of all departed, said Joachim during the closing ceremony of the Moginakan Festival at Nunuk Ragang Hall here recently. “This is an example of harmonious and pluralistic society which should be celebrated by all parties’ regardless the political boundaries. “It teaches us the importance of unity as the foundation to strengthen the harmony of our rich ethnic and cultural diversity.” He said Moginakan is a time to meet friends and celebrate the festival together even though this is a Merdeka month. “And the presence of visitors have also proved how strong the spirit of brotherhood, friendship, sense of belonging and unity that has become a culture and daily life befitting the spirit of “NEGARAKU” and the theme of “MOGINAKAN” ,” enthused Joachim. He believed the involvement and commitment of all people especially the Kadazandusun Culture Association of Ranau(KDCA) in making the celebration a success through the display of traditional costumes, cuisines, “Rombituon” competition (singing competition) and others have strengthened the sense of belonging and friendship as well as allows us to understand the heritage of a race. He urged the people to always be with the government for the welfare and progress of the state. “Let’s support the government in order to build and develop the country and state successfully” called Joachim. “We need all the ethnics to stay united to develop Sabah because no one can do it alone,” he said. Meanwhile, Joachim also announced that the KDCA President Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan will allocate RM10,000 to KDCA Ranau to do the rewiring work of the Nunuk Ragang building in response to a request. Source: New Sabah Times
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08Aug

Sabah to host national Indigenous Peoples Day celebration

Kota Kinabalu: Indigenous groups in the country will be celebrating the annual International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples next week amid many issues of violations of their rights. Sabah will play host to this year's national level celebration at Dewan Solidariti Keuskupan Keningau, carrying the theme "A Decade of Indigenous Peoples' Struggles." This year's celebration marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by the UN General Assembly. Malaysia is among 144 countries that voted in favour of the declaration. As a signatory, the Government has the moral obligation to reinforce the rights and privileges of indigenous peoples as stated in the declaration. But according to the event organiser, the Malaysian Indigenous Peoples Network (JOAS), indigenous communities in the country continue to see gaps between the contents of the declaration and government policies and their implementations. The umbrella body made up of 87 indigenous grassroots organisations said in a statement that indigenous communities in the country still feel their rights as enshrined in the declaration are not being recognised. It pointed out that encroachments into indigenous lands by private companies and government agencies in the three regions as among the major problems faced by communities. It cited cases of land grabbing in the Orang Asli territories in Peninsular Malaysia by timber companies and the Federal Court ruling that the native custom of 'pemakai menoa' (territorial domain) and 'pulau galau' (communal forest reserve) had no force of law in Sarawak as among the recent developments which indigenous communities interpret as a violation of their rights. It appealed to the Government to show more commitment in fulfilling their responsibility as a signatory of the declaration while at the same time asking to be given the chance to work together for the benefit of all indigenous peoples in the country. Indigenous people make only 13 per cent of Malaysia's total population of 31 million. - Leonard Alaza Source: Daily Express
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08Aug

Taking ‘tapai’ to international level

An enterprising couple have pooled their resources to create Naga Tapai – their version of Sabah's traditional rice wine – for the local and overseas markets. The striking label reads "Naga Tapai by Kennedy John (with the support of Keningau folks)". Naga Tapai means Dragon Tapai. Kennedy, 42, is the only son of former PBS Deputy Speaker Datuk John Angian. Practically a husband and wife team, his task is sourcing for the Tapai, processing, quality control and bottling while his wife Alyssa Lim, 43, is in charge of designing, branding and marketing by virtue of her formal education in Graphic Design. Basically, "Naga Tapai" is a social enterprise, a genuine attempt to help the rural populace in Keningau elevate their household income by producing good quality Tapai. "We will then buy their Tapai, bottle and market it. Yes, our venture is considered a cottage industry for much of the production process is done from home," said Kennedy. Alyssa, a former air stewardess, chipped in to say that it takes a Kadazandusun to have "know how" to brew a good tapai, and to market the age-old taste that has been passed down for generations, potentially in a big way. "I complement my husband's Kadazan roots. He grew up witnessing the making of tapai by experts from the Keningau community. Our competitive edge over others is purely derived from our passion to help our community prosper but simultaneously sharing our rich culture, tapai in this context, which is deeply entrenched in Kadazandusun society." Kennedy mooted the idea of producing "Naga Tapai" after numerous visits to villages in his area, Bingkor (in Keningau) and socialising with the residents there. "Part of my job as a community leader is to visit all the kampungs in Bingkor every now and then. Of course, during those visits, there will be fellowship with the people and most of the time, they will serve Tapai to their guests. "And after countless Tapai drinking sessions with my wife Alyssa, Tapai should be shared with the rest of the world, not just during Pesta Kaamatan but any other day," he said. He also drew inspiration from overseas trips where there are bars or bistros serving their home brew. "Why can't Tapai be the same? We need to promote Tapai as another alcoholic beverage that you can enjoy anywhere and anytime." Why name it "Naga Tapai"? Kennedy cited a familiar folklore, saying a ferocious dragon once roamed atop Mount Kinabalu (Southeast Asia's majestic peak) guarding a huge pearl (treasure). He said the mountain is also much revered as a sacred place for the Kadazandusun people. "Apart from that, the Dragon (Naga) is the highest-ranking animal in the hierarchy of the Chinese animal kingdom. It also represents the emperor, the prosperity and power of the nation. Hence, Naga Tapai is the illustration of a premium (symbolised by the dragon) treasure (tapai), and that is dragon tapai, which we would like to share with the outside world," he explained. The couple has so far invested around RM30,000 for research and development (R&D), branding and marketing. Asked on the production capacity, Kennedy said matured Tapai is procured from villages in Keningau such as Kg Pagansangan, Kg Kuangoh, Kg Bingkor Lama, Kg Liau Darat and Kg Apin-Apin. "Presently, we can produce up to 500 bottles (230ml) of Naga Tapai and 50 Siopon (in a jar/tajau 750ml) per month. Depending on demand and if the demand is good, we can even replicate the same production in another village and thus double the capacity." "So far for Siopon (in jar), we deal direct with consumers with a minimum of two siopon." The "usuk", a bamboo straw traditionally used to drink tapai from the tajau, comes along with the tajau. Negotiations are underway with hotels and resorts, especially in the State capital to help promote "Naga Tapai" to their guests and patrons. "We hope that in the near future, Naga Tapai will become a 'must bring home' souvenir for domestic and foreign tourists." Apart from catering to the local market, Kennedy and his wife are looking for partners or distributors not just for the Malaysian market but also abroad. A good sign was that during the Kaamatan month of May, "Souled Out" in Kuala Lumpur actually ordered 80 bottles of Naga Tapai as a mixture for their "Mojito". Maturity of the tapai is measured by months. "Tapai is best consumed after being kept one and a half to two months from the date of production. Going by this practice, we will not buy or get Tapai that is less than one and a half months old." On how he carries out quality control, Kennedy noted that people tend to have a different preference on the taste of Tapai as some will like it sweet while others may want it to be slightly bitter. "But as far as we are concerned, good quality Tapai must have a bitter sweet and sour taste. That is what we consider a quality Tapai and it's only through years of experience you can determine whether the Tapai is good or otherwise," he shared. According to Kennedy, sasad (yeast) is also one of the factors in ensuring the desired quality of Tapai. "In this respect, we are considering the need to distribute our own sasad so that we could have more families involved in the chain process." Come September, we will be working with UMS students to conduct more research and development (R&D) work. "We are looking forward excitedly to this collaboration." Admittedly, their participation in the recent Trade Expo in China was a great exposure to the couple. They met a few companies which are interested to market Naga Tapai in China but nothing is concrete at the moment. "We gave them some samples as they need to send these items for testing. In fact, this is one of the few requirements we must adhere to. However, in terms of packaging, we believe we are ready," said Kennedy. Visitors who came to their booth at the expo were reportedly mesmerised with the product packaging design and uniqueness of the tajau (siopon), especially the way it is presented to consumers. Pressed for an answer, Kennedy said China is looking at a big volume, perhaps by the container. "As such, we must get our people ready for this demand. For now, no deal has been closed yet with any potential overseas buyer." - Mary Chin Source: Daily Express
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07Aug

Sabah Fitness Festival reaches new milestone

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Fitness Festival 2017 reaches a new milestone as it approaches its fourth installment from 11-13 August 2017. This annual event, organised in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is the biggest lifestyle fitness event in East Malaysia, and will once again be hosting the much anticipated X45 Challenge, Sabah Open BJJ & Submission Grappling, a series of fitness education workshops by Fit Malaysia, a fitness exhibition, and other exciting activities. The objectives of Sabah Fitness Festival are to bring together a regional community, spread awareness on living a healthy lifestyle through health and fitness, and support the local industry by showcasing a variety of fitness products and services. Its theme “Fit For Life” speaks of fitness as a means to living a wholesome life. During its only qualifiers, the X45 Challenge saw over 300 athletes participate from all over the world, finally narrowing down to 190 athletes from countries such as U.S.A., Australia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, and from throughout Malaysia. It is one of the biggest high intensity functional fitness tournaments in Asia and is very exciting to watch. For the first time this year, the X45 Challenge will be hosting a division of Junior athletes who are under the age of 18 years’ old. Sabah Open BJJ & Submission Grappling Tournament is East Malaysia’s premier grappling competition. Organised in partnership with Persatuan BJJ Negeri Sabah, the Sabah Open will feature grapplers from the around the region competing in men’s, women’s, and junior divisions in White Belt and Blue Belt levels. The SFF Fitness Exhibition will showcase brands, products and services from around the region. Vendors will include a genetics driven wellness company from Singapore, “Athleisure” apparel brands from Brunei, and there will be food and beverage booths run by local cafes. For those looking for a way to get to the venue, Uber will be providing RM7 off on all rides to and from the venue. – PR Source: New Sabah Times
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