Latest news with #Igal-Igal
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Express
Listing Lepa Regatta in tourism calendar boosts Bajau culture promotion
Published on: Tuesday, July 01, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 01, 2025 Text Size: Liew (centre) presenting the award and certificate to Sa'adillah. SEMPORNA: The inclusion of the iconic traditional festival of the Bajau community in Sabah, the Lepa Regatta, in the State's official tourism calendar has successfully attracted more tourists, offering them the opportunity to witness the vibrant spectacle of colourful traditional boats. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the festival not only celebrates the rich culture of the Bajau people but also serves as a platform to showcase Sabah's enduring maritime heritage to visitors from around the world. 'What makes it more special is that this year marks the 30th year the Regatta Lepa Semporna is held, proving the strong commitment of the Semporna community in upholding their cultural heritage. 'With the inclusion of the festival in the tourism calendar, it is hoped this event will reach a new level and be able to attract more tourists to come and experience its vibrancy. 'Through the Regatta Lepa, we can showcase the beauty of the Bajau culture and the community's efforts to preserve its seafaring heritage to tourists from around the world,' he said at the closing of the Regatta Lepa Semporna at the Padang Bandaran, here, Sunday night. The text of Hajiji's speech was read out by State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew. The Chief Minister said this year's Regatta Lepa featured a variety of exciting content, such as the traditional Lepa parade, Sambulayang flag hoisting, crowning of the Lepa Queen and the awarding of the Tokoh Regatta Lepa. He also congratulated the organisers of the Igathon event, which featured a continuous one-hour performance of the traditional Bajau dance, Igal-Igal, involving dancers from various cultural groups and communities. The event has been entered into the Malaysia Book of Records as the longest Igal-Igal dance performance on June 21. 'Upholding the cultural treasures and ethnic heritage of the State is one of the key elements that makes it a popular tourism product. This is because Sabah is a state rich in diverse ethnicities and cultures. 'The people of Sabah comprise 35 ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture, language and festivals, making the State one of the most favoured tourist destinations, both for domestic and international visitors,' he said. Meanwhile, the Tokoh Regatta Lepa this year was awarded to the first Director of Institut Latihan Awam Negeri Sabah (Insan) Datuk Dr Sa'adillah Abdillah, 68. * 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
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Vibrant Bajau festival makes waves in Sabah
SEMPORNA: The inclusion of the iconic traditional festival of the Bajau community in Sabah – the Regatta Lepa – in the state's official tourism calendar has attracted more tourists, offering them the opportunity to witness the vibrant spectacle of colourful traditional boats, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The Chief Minister said the festival not only celebrates the rich culture of the Bajau people but also serves as a platform to showcase Sabah's enduring maritime heritage to visitors. 'What makes it more special is that this year marks the 30th year the Regatta Lepa Semporna is held, proving the strong commitment of the Semporna community in upholding their cultural heritage. 'With the inclusion of the festival in the tourism calendar, it is hoped this event will reach a new level and be able to attract more tourists to come and experience its vibrancy. 'Through the Regatta Lepa, we can showcase the beauty of the Bajau culture and the community's efforts to preserve its seafaring heritage to tourists from around the world,' he said at the closing of the Regatta Lepa Semporna at Padang Bandaran here on Sunday, Bernama reported. The text of Hajiji's speech was read out by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew. The Chief Minister said this year's Regatta Lepa featured a variety of exciting events, such as the traditional Lepa parade, Sambulayang flag hoisting, crowning of the Lepa Queen and the awarding of the Tokoh Regatta Lepa. He also congratulated the organisers of the Igathon event, which featured a one-hour performance of the traditional Bajau dance, Igal-Igal, involving dancers from various cultural groups and communities. It was recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the longest Igal-Igal dance performance on June 21. 'Upholding the cultural treasures and ethnic heritage of the state is one of the key elements that makes it a popular tourism product. 'This is because Sabah is a state rich in diverse ethnicities and cultures. 'The people of Sabah comprise 35 ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture, language and festivals, making the state one of the most favoured tourist destinations, both for domestic and international visitors,' Hajiji added.
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Regatta Lepa listed in Sabah tourism calendar
A captivating musical theater performance titled 'Umaral 1886' enthralled the audience during the closing ceremony of the Regatta Lepa Semporna. – Information Department photo SEMPORNA (June 30): The Regatta Lepa Semporna, an iconic traditional festival of the Bajau community and a major annual tourism attraction for the state, has been listed in this year's Sabah tourism calendar. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said this demonstrates the commitment of the people in preserving their heritage while introducing it to tourists worldwide. 'What makes it even more special is that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Regatta Lepa Semporna, proving the steadfast dedication of the Semporna community in upholding their cultural legacy. 'With its inclusion in the tourism calendar, we hope this festival will reach new heights and attract more visitors to experience its vibrant celebrations,' said Hajiji in his speech, delivered by Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew during the closing ceremony of the Regatta Lepa Semporna at Padang Bandaran here on Sunday night. 'Through the Regatta Lepa, we can showcase the beauty of Bajau culture and their efforts in preserving maritime heritage to tourists from around the world,' he added. Hajiji also congratulated the organizers for the success of the Igalthon event, which featured a non-stop one-hour performance of the traditional Bajau dance, Igal-Igal, involving dancers from various cultural groups and communities. The performance on June 21 earned a place in the Malaysia Book of Records as the longest Igal-Igal dance performance. 'Preserving the cultural and ethnic heritage of this state is a key element that makes it a popular tourism product, as Sabah is rich in diverse ethnicities and traditions. 'The people of Sabah comprise 35 ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture, language, and celebrations, yet they live in harmony and mutual tolerance. 'This makes Sabah a top choice for tourists, both local and international,' he said. Also present at the event were Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Isnin Aliasnih@ Liasnih, Assistant Minister of Finance Datuk Tan Lee Fat, and District Officer Alexander Liew.
Barnama
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Barnama
Listing Regatta Lepa In Tourism Calendar Boosts Promotion Of Bajau Culture
SEMPORNA, June 30 (Bernama) -- The inclusion of the iconic traditional festival of the Bajau community in Sabah, the Regatta Lepa, in the state's official tourism calendar has successfully attracted more tourists, offering them the opportunity to witness the vibrant spectacle of colourful traditional boats. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the festival not only celebrates the rich culture of the Bajau people but also serves as a platform to showcase Sabah's enduring maritime heritage to visitors from around the world. 'What makes it more special is that this year marks the 30th year the Regatta Lepa Semporna is held, proving the strong commitment of the Semporna community in upholding their cultural heritage. 'With the inclusion of the festival in the tourism calendar, it is hoped this event will reach a new level and be able to attract more tourists to come and experience its vibrancy. 'Through the Regatta Lepa, we can showcase the beauty of the Bajau culture and the community's efforts to preserve its seafaring heritage to tourists from around the world,' he said at the closing of the Regatta Lepa Semporna at the Padang Bandaran here last night. The text of Hajiji's speech was read out by the State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew. The chief minister said this year's Regatta Lepa featured a variety of exciting content, such as the traditional Lepa parade, Sambulayang flag hoisting, crowning of the Lepa Queen and the awarding of the Tokoh Regatta Lepa. He also congratulated the organisers of the Igathon event, which featured a continuous one-hour performance of the traditional Bajau dance, Igal-Igal, involving dancers from various cultural groups and communities. The event has been entered into the Malaysia Book of Records as the longest Igal-Igal dance performance on June 21.
Daily Express
25-06-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Bajau learning centre mooted for heritage
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: Kazalinah Kamaludin Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew has proposed the establishment of a training centre to educate the public about the culture of the Bajau community in the state, including the history and celebration of the Regatta Lepa. She said education is a fundamental foundation for understanding culture, and such a centre could help ensure the continuity and preservation of Bajau cultural heritage. 'Through this training centre, not only members of the Bajau community but also the general public who are interested can learn more about Bajau culture, including skills such as building 'lepa' boats, performing the 'Igal-Igal' dance, preparing traditional dishes, and many other cultural elements that can be taught at the centre. 'Currently, this knowledge and these skills are passed down traditionally from parents to their children. 'However, we hope to establish a more systematic training centre, where the public, especially Bajau youths, can learn practical and applicable skills 'After completing their training at the centre, they too can go on to teach others,' she told reporters at a press conference held in conjunction with the 30th Regatta Lepa 2025 celebration at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Monday. Advertisement Liew said she would bring the proposal to the ministry level for discussion. 'I hope this proposal will be thoroughly considered at the ministry level, along with the District Officer and the Sabah Cultural Board. 'It is time such a centre is set up for the Bajau community. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a single location, it can be set up in several areas, even on a small scale,' she said. Also present were Semporna District Officer Alexander Liew, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Muhammad Sufi Kaim, who represented the Ministry's Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai, Community Development Leader (PPM) for Sinallang Risdeh Sabardin, Sulabayan District Chief Abdul Majid Palah, and PPM for Sulabayan Datuk Hajan Gurimbang. * 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
