Tiong defends Gawai dinner dancers, calls critics 'dirty minded'

 

Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing has defended a dance performance during a Gawai dinner event which some critics found too raunchy.

Tiong, who was present at the June 11 event, said the performers were performing a cowboy-themed dance and that those in attendance approved of the “unique stage performance” which combined dance elements from various cultures.

“There is nothing wrong with the costumes worn by performers of the Cowboy Dance. There is no nudity, so I don’t understand why these performers are being victimised at all,” wrote Tiong on his Facbeook page yesterday.

The event in question was a Gawai dinner organised by the Bawang Assan branch of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Tiong is the PDP president and state assemblyperson for Dudong, a constituency near Bawang Assan.

Following the event, some netizens complained about the cowboy-themed dance performance which segued into a typical k-pop dance performance.

Gawai ‘desecrated’

One such critic was Dayak National Congress (DNC) president Paul Raja who described the performance as “dirty dancing”, adding that the dance has “desecrated” the sanctity of the Gawai celebration and demanded an apology.

“Gawai is celebrated by the Dayak community - Iban, Bidayuh, and Orang Ulu - as a thanksgiving festival to God for the blessings, health, and prosperity that the community has experienced over the past year.

“Whether in the longhouse or in the urban setting, the Gawai celebration is done in respect, sacredness, and solemnness together with joy and festivities.

“It has never been part of the Gawai celebration where lurid dances with sexual overtones are presented. The costumes used during the Gawai celebration, though moderate in fashion, were never meant to be lurid,” said Paul.

‘Virtue-signalling’

In response, Tiong said it was Paul that should apologise to the dancers for overreacting for political mileage.

Tiong also accused Paul of making “dirty-minded comments disguised as self-righteousness and self-declared virtue signalling”.

“There are all kinds of people on the street with their own sense of dress and style. Do those who use less fabric on their bodies need to apologise too?

“Does (Paul) get offended if he walks on foreign beaches with topless sunbathers? If Paul is there at the cowboy (dance) performance, who knows what kind of dirty thoughts would have flooded his mind to inspire such comments,” asked Tiong. - Mkini