Sabah's
indigenous peoples celebrate their colourful past and present in festivals of
music, dance and food that are uniquely theirs. All the major religions of the
world are practiced here and this blend of religious and cultural celebrations
mixes so brilliantly to create an atmosphere of harmony and unity with an
unmistakable Sabah flavour and charm.
Pesta Ka'amatan
Most native Sabahans consider rice to be more important than just the main
staple food. There is a certain sacredness attached to it, for it is a food
given to them by Kinoingan, the Almighty Creator so that his people should
never want for food. He sacrificed His only daughter- Huminodun and from her
body parts, padi (rice) grew. This was Kinoingan's ultimate act of benevolence
and to this day, His people repay the deed by conducting various ceremonies to
honour Bambaazon, the spirit of Huminodun as embodied in rice.
The most well-known of these is Pesta Kaamatan or Harvest Festival which
begins on the first of May and celebrated throughout Sabah. Of major importance
to this thanksgiving ceremony is the Magavau - a ritual to invite Bambaazon to
the Pesta and is conducted only by the Bobohizan or high priestess. Festivities
cannot proceed without the presence of Bambaazon and it is through Magavau that
the Rice Spirit is invoked.
In the past, Magavau was conducted in the padi fields on the first
full moon night after the harvest. A party of Bobohizan led by the foremost
senior, would weave a slow procession through the fields chanting prayers to
Bambaazon. A male warrior would walk ahead of this group waving a sword in the
air, to ward off any evil that might try to disrupt the ritual.
The food
offered must be of the best quality. When the spirits come, only the Bobohizan
will be able to feel their presence. The spirits will find, neatly laid out for
them on banana leaves, the choicest chicken meat, eggs, betel leaves and pinang
(areca nut), tobacco and kirai ("rollie"). The finest tapai or rice
wine is offered to the spirits.
A second offering arranged in a winnowing tray is placed on a specially
built bamboo platform. This is for the spirits to bring back to the spirit
world to feed those creatures that would otherwise feed off the padi. Pesta
Kaamatan around the state culminates in the state level celebrations on May 30
and 31 every year with Magavau being enacted indoors before the celebrations
begin.
Regatta lepa semporna
The Regatta Lepa has been celebrated every year since 1994 to commemorate
the Bajau tradition of building these splendid boats. Semporna comes to life as
the colourful sails take to the sea to compete for the prize of the most
beautiful lepa. This is judged based on its decoration, local ethnic music and
dances performed on board, sambulayang (sails) and tapis-tapis (small flags).
Other attractions include sea sports such as rowboat, sailing and
kelleh-kelleh (small dugout boat) competitions, lepa tug of war, children
swimming and duck catching competition. A colorful cultural night performance
put on by this community is certainly not to be missed.
Visit Semporna and witness this spectacular annual event of the Bajau community in Sabah!
Pesta Rumbia
Kuala Penyu, approximately 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu city celebrates this special event every year. Rumbia or sago comes from the family of palmae. It is mostly found in Kuala Penyu and the surrounding districts of Beaufort and Papar. The starch or sago that is rich in carbohydrate is an alternative staple food for the Bisayas and Kadazan (Dusun Tatana) people and is locally known as "ambuyut".
No part of the sago palm is discarded. The locals use the leaves as roofing
materials and the branches (known locally as kumbar) for making their house's
walls. Floor mats and baskets are just some examples of things made entirely
from the plant.
A rumbia information center is located at Kampung Kasugira in Kuala Penyu and
it also provides displays of sago and its uses, handicrafts as well as
demonstrations of sago delicacies.
Pesta Kelapa
The coconut, an ever-popular fruit of the tropics is celebrated in a
special festival at Tomborungus in the northern district of Kudat. Coconut is
grown extensively here covering an area of more than 5,741 hectares or about
14,000 acres planted.
The festival highlights the coconut industry and recognition of its
significant contribution to the social and economic welfare of the rural folks
in Kudat. Its launching date coincides with World Coconut Day and a host of
exciting activities are lined up for visitors including the highly entertaining
coconut shoe race, squeezing coconut milk competition, food and drink
exhibition, handicraft displays, coconut fashion show and a wildlife exhibition
for the entire duration of the festival.
Highly recommended for visitors to Sabah, this fest is an occasion that is worth adding into a programme to further enhance your holiday experience. Getting there is easy plus there are other tourist attractions in the area that should not be missed. Drop by at the famous Rungus Longhouse at the village of Kampung Bavanggazo, witness gong making at Kampung Sumangkap, handicraft making at Kampung Tinagol and how pure fresh honey is made at Kampung Gombizau.
Pesta Jagung
The Pesta Jagung or maize fesival is held in the district of Kota Marudu, about 130 km or two hours drive from Kota Kinabalu. Just like other agriculture-based celebrations, this fest promises to be another exciting event that should not be missed by any visitor to Sabah.
Maize or jagung is one of the many agricultural products in the state that
has provided an important economic contribution to the lives of mainly the
Kadazandusun communities in Kota Marudu. This event serves to highlight the
significance of this plant to the people. Of course there will be plenty of fun
too with jagung cooking and planting competitions, cultural shows and the
Jagung Fashion Queen!
So visit this district to join in the excitement and discover the unique
lives of the people of Kota Marudu.
Tamu Besar Kota Belud
The best time to view Kota Belud's striking cultural potpourri is
during the grand Tamu Besar. It is Sabah's biggest open-air market
where farmers, fishermen and vendors offer their best produce and wares
for sale to the public. The grand Tamu Besar is an annual event.
The event showcases the unique customs and traditions of the Bajau
community. During this auspicious occasion, all the tribes will come
out fully donned in their respective traditional costumes for three days
of cultural extravaganza. The Bajaus will stage a grand parade of
ponies in resplendent costume dresses and perform a spirited display of
their riding skills. Besides the normal buying and selling, other
organized activities include a display of farm produce and animals.
Visitors will definitely find Kota Belud's diversity of traditional costume displayed, dance, music and ceremonies a unique cultural experience, which renders an excellent attraction for those who come from other communities or live in the fast lane of city life.
Pesta Kalimaran
One of the more interesting aspects that makes Malaysia so appealing
in the eyes of tourists is the diverse cultures that are still being
practised by the people here. Other than the cultural festivals like
Chinese New Year and Hari Raya
which are celebrated nationwide, there are also other smaller cultural
festivals celebrated by indigenous groups in East Malaysia.
One such
festival is the Kalimaran Fest.
The Kalimaran Fest is an annual cultural event celebrated by the
Muruts. This is the perfect opportunity to study the interesting facets
that make up the Murut group, as the festival celebrates the richness of
their culture. The word ‘Kalimaran’ actually refers to the
craftsmanship skills of the people of Murut.
The word is made up of two
indigenous words, that is ralaa and alimar. Ralaa means young lady and
alimar means hardworking and diligent. Legend goes to say that there was
once a young lady called Ralaa who was hardworking, diligent and
trustworthy. She was to be sacrificed to the gods for the benefit of her
community. Before she was sacrificed, she managed to produce many
handicrafts using raw materials like bamboo and rattan.
The festival is a good avenue to learn about their traditions such as
marriage ceremony and traditional handicrafts. Visitors to this
festival will also get the opportunity to sample their traditional food
and local drinks such as Tuak, a wine made from fermented rice. Some of
the activities lined up for this year’s celebration includes a Lansaran
contest, which is a combination of a traditional dance and a form of
sport.
This dance is performed on a platform made of wood laid out in
such a way that it becomes a natural spring. Dancers jump on this
platform to reach a target that is placed above them. There will also
be a beauty contest, a Murut Songs Composition Contest, drawing contests
for primary children, lucky draw as well as exhibitions. Visitors to
the festival can also see how some of the traditional handicrafts are
made at the handicrafts demonstration and exhibition area.
The celebration is usually a grand affair that involves the whole
Murut population in Tenom and is celebrated in April every year.
Celebrations this year will be relocated to Tenom town due to the
ongoing upgrading works at the Murut Cultural Village.
