Monday, April 28, 2008

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

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.

7 comments:

Ellen Whyte said...

Great to see a blog devoted to Sarawak. Kuching is one of my favourite places. Will add you to my blog roll and visit often.

Lo said...

headhunter

mungkin penulis ucapan beliau yang tersilap kot. anyway, syabas for blogging for sarawak. keep it up. you are in my blog roll already.

lo

chapchai said...

What on earth is he going on about? What does he care or know about culture? All he knows is accumulation of wealth. Is he going senile? If so, he ought to be removed from power on account of his loss of mental capability. Or was the speech written by one of his political secretaries? Three others whose lips should be super-glued: George Chan, Jabu and Johari. You'd think they never went to school.

Oh, Pakatan Rakyat, please, please, help Sarawakians help themselves in restoring this lovely, lovely state to its people.

Admin said...

50 years of BN rules and still want to blame the British? Bollocks!

Anonymous said...

Because of Taib's greed, Sarawak natives culture is diminishings

Anonymous said...

a birita wai!

We tend to blame other people for our weaknesses. Remember the rotting away picture of the last Melanau Longhouse, who gave it to the Museum as a cultural HERITAGE- ORANG KOLONI LAMA atau KOLONI BARU. With so much money in the Melanau tycoons' hands, can't they look after their own cultural heritage. Apa bagi kepada Sarawak Museum?

Anyway Baram Fest is mainly for the Orang Ulus. Bidayuh mainly in First Divsion... just a bit of correction wai..

Anonymous said...

tok uban loves to joke....