Culture of the Bajau Laut a tourism plus
Published on: Sat, Jul 05, 2025 Text Size: The Lepa dancers performing a traditional dance. SEMPORNA: The state government continues to strengthen Sabah's tourism products on the international stage, said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan. According to him, various measures and initiatives have been implemented to highlight and promote the uniqueness of Sabah's culture, religion, and natural environment to the global community.
Advertisement The Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development roadmap, introduced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, identifies tourism as one of the key sectors capable of generating economic returns for the state, alongside agriculture and industry. Therefore, the state government is formulating and implementing various strategies and initiatives to further enhance and promote the tourism sector. Among these efforts is the organisation of the Regatta Lepa, which showcases a variety of unique elements , not only in terms of religious diversity but also cultural heritage and natural beauty and to the international community. 'We view the Regatta Lepa as a tourism product that has clearly received the government's attention, and I would like to commend the Ministry of Tourism for its consistent efforts in organising this event every year. Their dedication continues to introduce the state of Sabah , especially the Semporna district to the international community,' he said to the media during the Lepa Parade in conjunction with the 30th Semporna Regatta Lepa celebration here. In this regard, Nizam also revealed that his ministry has submitted a request for increased funding to further strengthen the tourism sector. The government has also requested additional allocations, and we hope that the Ministry of Tourism, as the responsible authority, will ensure that all tourism-related infrastructure can be further improved. 'I am confident that if all such requests are based on solid foundations and given priority, with the state's revenue increasing day by day, we will also ensure that allocations for tourism can be further enhanced and strengthened,' he explained. Regarding the Bajau Laut community, Nizam stated that their culture has also been utilised as a tourist attraction to encourage visits to the islands in the district. 'The Bajau Laut community has long existed in the waters of Sabah and naturally represents a significant tourism attraction. Therefore, I hope the Ministry of Tourism will take this into consideration and study whether it can yield positive tourism outcomes. We must establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that everyone will be required to follow.' 'We want to make sure the ocean stays clean and protected, so it's important to have clear rules and laws that everyone respects. Since this community doesn't always fall under any one country's laws, we need to carefully figure out the legal side of things. If everything aligns with our national regulations, then I truly believe there's great potential to develop tourism in Sabah and create income for the local people,' he shared. A total of eight lepa boats competed for the Traditional Lepa championship, including Lepa Abisa, Lepa Legasi, Lepa Dorogaan, and Lepa Makasali, successfully attracting more than 50,000 visitors to the festival. Also present to watch the parade were District Officer Alexander Liew, who also chairs the committee organizing the 30th Regatta Lepa celebration, and Deputy Minister of Finance II, Datuk Tan Lee Fatt. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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Culture of the Bajau Laut a tourism plus
Published on: Saturday, July 05, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 05, 2025 Text Size: The Lepa dancers performing a traditional dance. SEMPORNA: The state government continues to strengthen Sabah's tourism products on the international stage, said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan. According to him, various measures and initiatives have been implemented to highlight and promote the uniqueness of Sabah's culture, religion, and natural environment to the global community. Advertisement The Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development roadmap, introduced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, identifies tourism as one of the key sectors capable of generating economic returns for the state, alongside agriculture and industry. Therefore, the state government is formulating and implementing various strategies and initiatives to further enhance and promote the tourism sector. Among these efforts is the organisation of the Regatta Lepa, which showcases a variety of unique elements , not only in terms of religious diversity but also cultural heritage and natural beauty and to the international community. 'We view the Regatta Lepa as a tourism product that has clearly received the government's attention, and I would like to commend the Ministry of Tourism for its consistent efforts in organising this event every year. Their dedication continues to introduce the state of Sabah , especially the Semporna district to the international community,' he said to the media during the Lepa Parade in conjunction with the 30th Semporna Regatta Lepa celebration here. In this regard, Nizam also revealed that his ministry has submitted a request for increased funding to further strengthen the tourism sector. The government has also requested additional allocations, and we hope that the Ministry of Tourism, as the responsible authority, will ensure that all tourism-related infrastructure can be further improved. 'I am confident that if all such requests are based on solid foundations and given priority, with the state's revenue increasing day by day, we will also ensure that allocations for tourism can be further enhanced and strengthened,' he explained. Regarding the Bajau Laut community, Nizam stated that their culture has also been utilised as a tourist attraction to encourage visits to the islands in the district. 'The Bajau Laut community has long existed in the waters of Sabah and naturally represents a significant tourism attraction. Therefore, I hope the Ministry of Tourism will take this into consideration and study whether it can yield positive tourism outcomes. We must establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that everyone will be required to follow.' 'We want to make sure the ocean stays clean and protected, so it's important to have clear rules and laws that everyone respects. Since this community doesn't always fall under any one country's laws, we need to carefully figure out the legal side of things. If everything aligns with our national regulations, then I truly believe there's great potential to develop tourism in Sabah and create income for the local people,' he shared. A total of eight lepa boats competed for the Traditional Lepa championship, including Lepa Abisa, Lepa Legasi, Lepa Dorogaan, and Lepa Makasali, successfully attracting more than 50,000 visitors to the festival. Also present to watch the parade were District Officer Alexander Liew, who also chairs the committee organizing the 30th Regatta Lepa celebration, and Deputy Minister of Finance II, Datuk Tan Lee Fatt. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
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