Kaamatan ‘same same but different’ for Sabahans in West Malaysia

 

Pensiangan MP and deputy agriculture and food security minister Arthur Joseph Kurup (centre) at the Kaamatan celebration in Klang last year. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: For Sabahans living in West Malaysia, celebrating Kaamatan is a delightful blend of “same same but different”, as cherished traditions remain faithfully upheld far away from home.

Yilson Yanggun, 27, said that while he is away from his family, celebrating Kaamatan is just as joyous in West Malaysia as it is in Sabah.

Every year, he and his friends would drive together to wherever there is a Kaamatan event to celebrate.

Yilson Yanggun.

“Although I am away from my parents, I have friends here whom I see as family. We celebrate and enjoy together, which brings with it a sense of nostalgia for home.

“It soothes my longing for my hometown,” he told FMT, adding that this is the only time when rare Sabah delicacies are served in West Malaysia.

Thanks to the efforts of people like Edward Word Sindam, chairman of the Momogun Society of Sabahans, the vibes at these Kaamatan events are authentically Sabahan.

“I usually invite Sabahan vendors to sell rare delicacies typically found in Sabah, such as hinompot (coconut milk-flavoured sticky rice), hinava (fish ceviche), bosou (rice wine-fermented fish and rice) and tuhau (a wild ginger, vinegar, salt and chili mix) to make them feel at home as much as possible,” Edward told FMT.

Edward Word Sindam.

He also organises various Kaamatan activities, including the Unduk Ngadau (beauty pageant), Sugandoi (singing contest), dance performances, and other traditional activities.

Edward, who is planning to organise the Kaamatan celebration in Klang, Selangor this year, said his celebrations have always attracted many Sabahans, as high airfares during festive periods make it difficult for a large number of them to return to Sabah.

“If we plan to cater for 1,000 people, we end up getting 1,500 participants, including people from West Malaysia and tourists from all over the world who are curious about Kaamatan,” he said.

Celebrated by the Kadazandusun, Murut, Rungus, and other ethnic groups, Kaamatan is a time for Sabahans to express gratitude for bountiful rice harvests and honour the rice spirit Bambarayon, whom they regard as the main reason behind the abundance.

Usually observed at the end of May, the festivities last for weeks, with participants bonding over rice wine, karaoke and traditional favourites such as bosou.

Sheryna Lynn.

Sheryna Lynn, a Sabahan working at a property development company in Melaka, said she travels more than 150km every year to celebrate Kaamatan in the Klang Valley.

Sheryna, who has been residing in Peninsular Malaysia for a decade now, participates in the Unduk Ngadau every year, for which she would don the famous Kadazandusun sinuangga blouse.

“It always amazes me to see how united Sabahans are despite being far from our hometowns, and it’s even more flattering to see other Malaysians and tourists spending time learning more about our culture,” she told FMT.

She said such events can foster unity among different races and ethnicities and narrow the culture gap between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. - FMT