The winners-Runduk Tadau @Borneo Hornbill Festival KL 2012

RUNDUK TADAU @Borneo Hornbill Festival KL 2012.- Sheary Sylvester

Unduk Ngadau is a beauty pageant held during the Kaamatan cultural event normally held in Sabah, Malaysia. The title comes from the ethnic word Runduk Tadau which means ‘the girl crowned by sunlight’.

 Unduk Ngadau is one of the most recognizable cultural events in Sabah and the beauty pageant is unique to the state. The Unduk Ngadau beauty contest was started to pay respect to Huminodun, the sacrificed daughter of the Kadazandusun spirits Kinorohingan and Suminodun. It is believed that she was the one who taught the priestesses, known as locally as Bobohizanstheir ritual mantras which exist today. 

The pageant was formerly known as Miss Kadazan (1960–1970), Miss Harvest Festival (1971–1980), and Ratu Kaamatan (1981–1990). The current Unduk Ngadau title has been in place since 1991. Contestants in the state-level pageants are generally the winner of their district’s pageant. However, some districts hold joint pageants which produce more than one state-level contestant. Notably, Tuaran and Tamparuli hold a joint pageant in Tamparuli, with the first-place winner going on to represent Tuaran, and the second-place winner representing Tamparuli.

 In recent years, participants from Peninsular Malaysia have been able to participate in the pageant by representing Klang Valley. The state-level pageant is held on the 31st of May each year at the Hongkod Koisaan building in Penampang, and is the highlight and ending point of the monthlong Kaamatan celebrations.

Runduk Tadau Borneo Hornbill Festival KL 2012. held at MALAYSIA TOURISM CENTRE,Jalan Ampang ..Inaugural event(6 JULY 2012)  for RUNDUK TADAU organised by PERSATUAN WARISAN SABAH KL.

Runduk Tadau Borneo Hornbill Festival 2012. 
Top five, from left : Healvia Robat (Third Runner-up), Sandra Beti (First Runner-up), Sheary Sylvester (Winner), Nelly Yawasang (Second Runner-up & Miss Photogenic) and Innortika Gapang(Fourth Runner-up)

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