Malaysia's Dayaks mark rice harvest end with colourful parade
The Gawai Dayak 2025 Parade in state capital Kuching is the only annual gathering by representatives of around 11 of Sarawak's main Dayak groups -- which participants said helps to keep alive a unique part of the Southeast Asian nation's culture.
Marchers gathered from early Saturday under the blistering tropical sun, many of them travelling long distances by bus to walk in the parade along the banks of the Sarawak River.
"This gathering is something that is very important to me," said Joel Zacchaeus Anak Ebi, sporting the traditional Iban headgear worn by one of Borneo's best-known tribes.
People "must know and realise that Sarawak has traditions and cultures that must be preserved," he told AFP ahead of the march, which was also attended by Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg.
"A day like this brings our people together, especially the younger people, who can easily lose touch with their roots when they move away from Sarawak," said Dayak village elder Ngindang Rambo, 61.
Watching the parade, Masha Timosha, 34, a tour guide from Russia, said she was amazed by the costumes and atmosphere.
"This is just very impressive. I even have my own Sarawakian costume but I didn't put it on," she told AFP.
Malaysia's Dayak people are mainly riverine and hill-dwelling, made up of dozens of ethnic groups, each with their own distinct dialect, customs, laws and practices.
Dayak communities however have become increasingly under threat from encroaching palm oil forestry and industrial logging, human rights groups and Indigenous groups have said.
Many Indigenous communities in Sarawak face challenges in accessing basic services, Human Rights Watch said in a statement last month, including access to running water, electricity and land titles.
Local groups and international observers have also called on the government to "urgently legislate Indigenous customs and traditions through which Indigenous people have acquired rights to their lands, territories and resources," the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) said last year.
Rainforest-clad Borneo is the world's third-largest island and is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
jhe/jfx
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Don't need a middleman': PH can work with GRS if they want, but Sabah BN wont, says Bung Moktar
KOTA KINABALU, June 24 — Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has rejected the idea of negotiating with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) through intermediaries, insisting he does not need a middleman to decide whether to work with other political parties ahead of the state election. The Lamag assemblyman reiterated his position that cooperation with the incumbent GRS was 'impossible' unless they 'cleanse their souls' first. 'They can work with GRS. And we can work with Pakatan Harapan (PH), but between me and GRS, let that remain between us. I don't need a middleman,' Bung said when speaking to reporters after a women's empowerment programme organised by Majlis Amanah Rakyat here today, He was responding to a question about the Unity Government Secretariat's call for the three coalitions in the federal administration — Barisan Nasional (BN), PH, and GRS — to cooperate ahead of the state elections. Bung said there had been no meetings between BN and GRS, nor any one-on-one discussions between him and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. 'If we want to talk, we talk directly. But as of now — no meetings, no discussions. And frankly, there's no need,' he said. Bung said his stance stemmed from what he claimed were past betrayals and a lack of sincerity by the coalition led by Hajiji. 'It's not that I refuse (to work with GRS). If they change into a party that is sincere and honest, I might consider it. But if they don't change, it's impossible. 'We agree in the morning, but by afternoon you change it, and then you take what's been given to us — how is that sincere? Sincerity means sticking to your word. That is how you win over the people,' he said. Bung also took a jab at GRS leaders for shedding 'crocodile tears', saying he no longer trusted their word. He was ostensibly referring to a recent unverified video of Hajiji, circulated online, which showed him in tears during one of his party's conventions while claiming it was his last term as chief minister. In contrast, Bung said BN had a cordial relationship with Pakatan Harapan (PH), and although negotiations were still ongoing, election clashes were unlikely. 'We are working with PH. Negotiations are okay, just that some finer details still need to be worked out,' he said. When asked if seat negotiations had begun, Bung said BN would contest in constituencies it believed it could win. 'I haven't decided how many, but if I can win 40, I'll contest 40,' he said.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Outgoing CJ Tengku Maimun's ruling on right to peaceful assembly a ‘fitting farewell gift', says former Malaysian Bar president
Former Malaysian Bar president Salim Bashir Bhaskaran has praised outgoing Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat (main image) for yesterday's landmark Federal Court ruling that redefined the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Salim expressed his gratitude for Tengku Maimun's leadership in delivering a judgment he described as 'a farewell gift'. Tengku Maimun retires today as Malaysia's 16th Chief Justice. She was the first woman to helm the judiciary, having been appointed in 2019. Salim was referring to the unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel of the Federal Court, which struck down Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, deeming it unconstitutional. The provision had previously criminalised the failure of organisers to notify the police at least five days before holding a peaceful assembly. The apex court ruled that such a penalty exceeded the limits permitted under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees Malaysians the fundamental right to freedom of speech, assembly and association. 'According to Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, organisers are required to inform the police about the proposed assembly by giving notice within a specified time limit,' said Salim. 'In its groundbreaking and progressive judgment, the Federal Court took cognisance of citizens' constitutional rights by striking down the provision in the Act that penalised organisers for failing to give prior notice for peaceful assembly. 'The exigencies of the notice requirements from organisers and permissions from authorities have created a chilling effect, which the Federal Court characterised as more 'prohibitory' in nature than as 'restrictions' under Article 10(2)(b) of the Constitution.' Salim said that with this judgment, the Federal Court acknowledged the noble intentions behind the creation of the Peaceful Assembly Act by Parliament, in line with constitutional rights to peaceful assembly. 'The apex court emphasised that laws passed by Parliament must be fair and proportionate to the objectives of the restrictions, to prevent any unnecessary actions that could suppress the law's worthy objectives and good intentions,' said Salim. He added that the government should take heed of the decision and place a moratorium on any enforcement of the notice requirements under the Peaceful Assembly Act until the impugned provision is repealed by Parliament. 'The decision has effectively ended the conflicting views previously raised by the Court of Appeal regarding the notice requirements under the Peaceful Assembly Act.' The Federal Court ruling arose from a constitutional challenge by former Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abd Hadi, who was charged in 2022 with failing to give the police five days' notice before organising a protest calling for the ministers responsible for the failure of the littoral combat ship project to be sacked or brought to justice. The High Court later referred the question to the Federal Court. Tengku Maimun also directed that Amir's ongoing criminal proceedings be remitted to the High Court and disposed of in line with the apex court's judgment.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dr Zaliha: RM4b Madani City to be fully transferred to government after 25 years, no public funds involved
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The government will take full ownership of the proposed Madani City in Putrajaya 25 years after its completion, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said today. She further said the RM4 billion development will be fully funded and maintained by the developer, Putrajaya Holdings, under a Build-Lease-Maintain-Transfer (BLMT) model. 'This project does not waste public funds, as claimed by some,' she wrote in a statement posted on Facebook. Dr Zaliha said Madani City would also provide 10,000 new housing units for civil servants, addressing a current backlog of more than 17,000 unfulfilled applications. She stressed that the development is a necessity, not a luxury, as demand for government quarters far exceeds existing supply. Madani City, located in Precinct 19 of the federal administrative captial, spans just 102 acres — about 0.8 per cent of Putrajaya's total land area. 'It will not replace Putrajaya,' she said, countering what she described as a common misconception. She added that the project was designed in line with the government's vision of a clean, healthy, advanced, safe and eco-friendly city. The name 'Madani' reflects values of humanity, balance, justice and sustainability, and is not a political label, she added. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the Madani City project on June 3, and is expected to officiate the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow.
