Sabah launches Duang Festival to preserve culture

The state of Sabah in Malaysia recently celebrated the Duang Festival at the Rumah Kebudayaan Rumpun Bajausama in Kampung Lok Batik, Tuaran.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Hajiji Hj Noor officiated the event, which community leaders and local community members attended.

During his speech at the festival’s inauguration, Hajiji outlined seven priorities for cultural development in Sabah between 2021 and 2030. These priorities included digitalizing cultural arts, integrated cultural tourism, cultural preservation, ethnic relations strengthening, cultural research and documentation, cultural arts development, and intellectual property protection.

Hajiji says this initiative aligns with the Sabah Maju Jaya program, which promotes cultural diversity among Sabah’s various ethnic groups.

The Duang Festival celebrates Sabah’s cultural diversity and allows communities to share and celebrate their unique traditions. The government’s commitment to cultural development and preservation reflects the importance of cultural heritage to the people of Sabah and their identity as a diverse and vibrant state.

Sabah’s state government has allocated significant resources to support cultural development. As part of the 12th Malaysia Plan, the government has approved four major cultural projects with a total allocation of RM4,500,000.

These include the Cultural Mapping Project 2021-2025 and the Sabah State Cultural Development Plan 2020-2030. The government has also allocated RM9.5 million to the Sabah Cultural Board to implement various programs to preserve the state’s cultural heritage, including the Cultural Pit-Stop initiative, which seeks to strengthen cultural tourism in Sabah.

“We feel proud as in Sabah, we have 35 main ethnic groups and 217 sub-ethnicities, with all of them having their own cultures and languages,” he said.

Regarding the festival, Hajiji, also the Sabah Rumpun Bajausama Association president, said that the Duang Festival, which was held for the first time, could serve as a platform to highlight the culture and traditions of Sabah’s ethnic diversity to visitors and the younger generation.

“This festival will be organized in February every year and has been included in the state tourism calendar. This festival can raise the name of the Tuaran district as an attractive tourist destination.

“Apart from the Rumpun Bajausama Sabah Cultural Centre, Tuaran also has many interesting places, including Tembara River Cruise, Crocodile Park and Linangkit Cultural Village, and many more in the Tamparuli and Kiulu districts,” he said

In his speech at the festival, the government official called on all leaders in the community, government departments and agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and all members of the public in Sabah to continue to empower and preserve their cultural traditions.

Sabah is home to over 30 different ethnic groups, each with its unique cultural traditions. The government recognizes the importance of preserving and promoting these traditions as a vital aspect of the state’s heritage.