Dying Cultures In Sarawak Should Be Revived - Taib Mahmud

April 26, 2008 17:01 PM

MUKAH: The Sarawak chief minister wants several forgotten ethnic cultures in the state to be revived by organising more ethnic-based cultural programmes.

Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said most of the cultures which had been the identity for Bumiputeras in Sarawak were dying in muziums. Some, he said, were kept in the former colonialist's country.

Kaul Fest has been celebrated in Mukah over the last 100 years

"Revive our culture. The colonialist has made our culture rot and dying in muziums and now is the time for us to bring it back to life by organising more cultural events," he said at the opening of the Kaul Fest 2008 in Kala Dana Beach, near here.

Kaul Fest has been celebrated in Mukah over the last 100 years and it was one of the main cultural events for the Melanau people living in Sarawak's coastal area.

Abdul Taib also hoped such events would be organised for other ethnic groups, such as a Baram Fest for the Bidayuhs and Orang Ulus.

Originating from the traditional beliefs held by the Melanaus, the Kaul Fest is held annually, usually in March or early April, as purification and thanksgiving to appease the spirits of the sea, land, forests and farm.

BERNAMA


Comment by Sarawak Headhunter:

Unless he was misquoted, this is another silly comment from this old man. How is it possible for culture to be kept and be dying in museums? And he has the cheek to blame the colonialists for this, when he himself is primarily responsible for denying and wiping out Sarawak native customary rights.

Of course by urging the natives to celebrate cultural festivals (events) could he perhaps be trying to distract them from what he is really up to and has been up to all this while?

It is certainly more than the spirits of the sea, land, forests and farm that will need to be appeased once the real damage that Taib has done to Sarawak is uncovered and laid bare.