Month-long fiesta: Jeffrey (centre) announcing some of the state-level Kaamatan events in Penampang, near Kota Kinabalu. — Bernama
PENAMPANG: The Kaamatan Festival should not be limited to Sabahans, but instead, should be celebrated by all Malaysians, says Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said celebrating the annual harvest festival together could strengthen unity and solidarity among citizens of this country, in addition to creating a deep understanding of each other’s customs and cultures.
In this regard, he said various programmes had been lined up in Sabah, Sarawak and other states in the peninsula to celebrate Kaamatan, including Unduk Ngadau, a traditional beauty pageant, and the Sugandoi (singing) competition.
“The month-long festival is scheduled to be launched on May 1 and will include various events. The celebration will be held in the peninsula such as in Johor on May 5, Melaka (May 6) and the Klang Valley (May 13).
“The national-level celebration will be held in Sabah. Kaamatan is now a celebration of all Malaysians,” he told Bernama here yesterday.
The launching ceremony of the 2023 Kaamatan Festival, to take place at Dewan Seri Sulaman, Tuaran, will be officiated by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and followed by a series of events nationwide.
The climax of the celebration will be held here on May 30 and 31.
Jeffrey said the state government also welcomed suggestions to organise the celebration abroad, such as in Australia and New Zealand, and invited those in foreign countries to celebrate Kaamatan together.
To safeguard the culture and traditions of Kaamatan for future generations, he said the state government plans to get seven elements of the festival inscribed with Unesco, including traditional clothes, food and music.
“We hope to be able to make the Kaamatan Festival a culture and tradition that is shared throughout the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey advised the public celebrating the festival to always be vigilant and practise measures to prevent infectious disease, such as wearing face masks and maintaining good hygiene.
