Tag - Culture

KOTA KINABALU: Contestants who are placed first to seventh in the 2013 State Unduk Ngadau pageant will be receiving a Star Cruises travel package for two each. Star Cruises travel service assistant vice president (Sabah operation), Edward Johann Leong said the winners will be tourism ambassadors for Star Cruises throughout the year. “Kaamatan is a major celebration in Sabah, while Unduk Ngadau is the highlight of the event. We have seen the transformation of the beauty pageant into a higher level, where the selection of our Unduk Ngadau is now focusing on beauty with brains,” he said. “There are many Unduk Ngadau winners having carved their names in the national level such as Daphne Iking and Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas, and we can see the quality of the women in Sabah. We want to be part of the women’s development in the state and appreciate them with what we have in our company,” Leong told a press conference recently. He said the total sponsorship from Star Cruises this year is more than RM150,000, including lucky draws for guests at the Gala Night. The first, second and third winners in the State Unduk Ngadau pageant will be receiving a 4 Days 3 Nights Super Star Virgo package for two (Singapore-Penang-Phuket-Singapore), while the fourth and fifth place winners will receive a 4 Days 3 Nights Super Libra package for two (Penang-Phuket-Krabi-Penang). The sixth place winner will be given a 3 Days 2 Nights Super Star Virgo package for two (Singapore-Redang-Singapore) with two return tickets from Kota Kinabalu. The seventh place winner will be receiving a 3 Days 2 Nights Super Star Virgo package for two (Singapore-Melaka-Singapore) with two return tickets to Singapore. 2013 State Unduk Ngadau organizing chairperson Joanna Kitingan said the organizing committee for the beauty pageant welcomes the support of Star Cruises to sponsor the traditional event, and she hoped this could continue in future. “We are thankful to the sponsorship we receive from Star Cruises, not only for the winners and lucky draws, but also the cash vouchers which will be given to the guests who bought their tables during the Gala Night. “Sponsorship is important for Unduk Ngadau as the competition is attracting more tourists to learn about our culture and traditions,” she said. Source: Borneo Post

Kota Kinabalu: The State's largest cultural event, Sabah Fest, returns with an all-original musical show this May 3 to 4, as the organiser is poised to recreate the annual event as the 'ultimate cultural showcase.' Titled 'Injin Puput - Passage to the Heart of Borneo', the musical performance is set to wow the audience at the Culture and Arts Department Complex Auditorium (JKKNS) with yet another love-journey affair story, reminiscent of the 'good old days' of the North Borneo Railway. Similar to the previous show 'Adventures of Ngarayang', of a fictional barter trader travelling from Bonggi to Kuala Penyu, characters, this time, are brought into a journey along the train tracks of the railway firm. The story evolves around the inter-racial fascination of a Murut Warrior, named Aki Guonun, with a Chinese woman called, Mei Ling. Speaking in promotion of the event, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Dauk Masidi Manjun said 'Injin Puput' will only be staged for two days, ending on the eve of the General Election on May 5. Saying the show must go on, Masidi said its organising was brought to two days instead of three, as it would give performers time to vote. "The premier show, which will also be attended by the Head of State, Tun Juhar Mahirrudin, will be on May 4, while the next day will be the public performance. "About 60 per cent of the tickets have been snapped up thanks to sponsors," he said. Masidi said Sabah Economic Development Authority (Sedia) sponsored RM15,000, Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park RM5,000, Shell Malaysia RM2,000, Sedco RM5,000 and Sabah Energy Corporation RM2,000. He said the agencies provided the sponsorship for students from SMK Putatan, St Michael, SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, SMK All Saints, SMK St Francis Convent, Sabah College, SK Sembulan, SK Sri Gaya, SRK Stella Maris, St Agnes, SK Tg Aru I and II to benefit from the show. "This will allow students attending the performance to gain some experience from the show as everything is composed by locals," he explained. Masidi said the ticket for the show cost RM50 each and that the show is being organised by the Sabah Tourism Board involving close to 400 local performers. There will also be an exhibition set up during the two-day staging. Source: Daily Express