The gongs are out. So are the jars. And the SMS votes to choose the top beauty queens or Unduk Ngadau.
Sabah celebrates Pesta Kaamatan or the harvest festival this month. It started with a grand launch in a selected district on May 1, then moved to other districts every weekend and will culminate in a state-level celebration at the Hongkod Koisaan building in Penampang on May 30-31. A national-level celebration is on the cards in Kuala Lumpur on June 9.
The cutting of padi stalks and prayers by traditional shamans, who seek a better yield in the new season and gratitude for the harvest, mark the opening of any Kaamatan celebration.
There is also the Unduk Ngadau, which depicts the legendary figure, Huminodun, a maiden who was sacrificed by her father, Kinoingan, to save the people from famine and have a bountiful harvest.
The legend lives on in the form of the pageant, where the top beauty queens from all districts in Sabah will gather for the grand finale at the state-level celebration.
The event celebrates the lifestyles, culture and tradition of the indigenous Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus communities, which revolve around rice.
Rice is an important commodity in Sabah, planted on an area of about 45,000ha. Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, the government has allocated RM380 million to boost rice production.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had said it was to increase the level of self sufficiency and spur economic development.
In Kota Belud, for instance, nearly RM43 million was spent to upgrade the irrigation system to allow rice growers to harvest twice a year.
In the 2016 Budget, RM70 million was allocated for hill rice growers in Sabah and Sarawak. In Sabah, 15,000 families will be given fertilisers and weed killers through the scheme.
With all these efforts to get more people to grow rice, there is little surprise why the harvest festival has been given all the attention and recognition by the federal and state governments.
Like every other year, an extensive programme has been prepared for the state-level celebration chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also the Huguan Siou, or paramount leader of the Kadazandusun.
There will be traditional games, such as buffalo races, arm-wrestling, blowpipe target shooting, stilt-walking and catapulting.
There will also be traditional food and beverages. Must-tries include the hinava (raw fish dish with lime, chillies and other condiments), lihing (glutinous rice wine), tapai (rice wine in jars), hinompuka (steamed cakes made from rice or tapioca), hindung (eels served in many ways) and butod (sago worm).
Each of the 12 traditional houses within the compound of the Hongkod Koisaan will entertain visitors with music and dancers.
A crowd favourite will likely be the lansaran or trampoline-like setting in the Murut longhouse where visitors would jump in a rhythmic beat and reach for cash prizes hung above them.
Eddie, a stall operator at the Penampang House, one of the cultural houses at the venue, said: “This is our annual celebration for the rice we harvest, and it is all about fun and merriment.”
He deserves it.
Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan! (Happy Harvest Festival)
Roy Goh is NST’s Sabah bureau chief. He finds solace from the hills, the wild and drama movies. Inspiration comes from long drives on the road, off-road and the fairways