Sabah Culture & Heritage : from my very own perspective..........

As a Dayak of Sarawak - living & growing up at the HEART of BORNEO..my Hometown  situated more than 1000km distance from Sabah State .. Hence, my general knowledge about this State & their people considered very minimal....after my scholling years  & further my Matriculation Course at LABUAN(once under Sabah).. giving me an exposure to Sabah Native ...their Language & Accent (Bulih bah kalau kau!!)....witnessed the coronation of  UNDUK NGADAU Labuan Pageant @UJANA KEWANGAN during Kaamatan Festival ,listening to JAMBATAN TAMPARULI song..& playing the MANGUNATIP at Kolej Kediaman ....& after year went by...migrated to SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA to further my study at tertiary level ...& mixed around with Sabahan in my daily life ..since "SABAHan & SARAWAKian are ONE when they are here(in Malaya)"1BORNEO Spirit".

Sabah Delights (Tuhau,Lada etc ) 

In fact , this didn't give me a much exposure  besides the food they had brought back from KAMPUNG such as TUHAU,LADA PUTIH..etc..& listening to their Unique Sabahan Accent......even certain of them cant speak their mother tongue....Traditional Dance &  Costume only you could see during HARVEST FESTIVAL ,CHRISTMAS EVE & SPECIAL OCCASIONS ..just like what happened to SARAWAK 's Heritage too...

So, living in the Metropolitan City , far away from our beloved " Mainland of BORNEO"..
how we can get closer to our neighbor SABAH CULTURE & HERITAGE..with our "limited time" living at the other part of the country...the most effective source is PRIME MEDIA, ALTERNATIVE MEDIA ...1st Hand Experience is through EVENTS...(Friend's Wedding Function(fly off to SABAH once in the Blue Moon if invited) ,BORNEO-ORIENTED ACTIVITIES  held in SEMENANJUNG (organised by our people)..most of the time i gained the "1st hand experience "about SABAH HERITAGE is through EVENT.. OBSERVE...LISTEN...WATCH ..ANALYSE...

The Definition:CULTURE & HERITAGE 

"Culture is a way of understanding and living in the world."Heritage is the environment, objects and places that we inherit from the past and pass on to future generations to use, learn from and be inspired by. Together these frame our understanding of the past and influence the decisions we make about what is worth keeping."

My POINT OF VIEW:
HERITAGE

Tangible(Objects)(Mobile & easy to export from Sabah) : Food(Tuhau,Lada) ,Musical Instrument(Sompoton,Bungkow) ,Costume, Architecture , Traditional Crafts & Fine Arts.

Tangible(Places in Sabah) : Historical Sites which related with Customs & Beliefs ( example: Mount Kinabalu) ,Historical Traditional Building ,Cultural Village( under Conservation Purpose) ,Natural River & Environment ( just like an olden days)

Intagible: Identity(Language),Traditional  Dance & Music  ,Literature , Folklore ,Customs & Beliefs.

 CULTURE:
When comes into culture...this is more crucial...the new belief ( Christian or Muslim),Inter-Marriage , modern life (foreign Culture Influence) taken place &  gradually replacing..the Old Customs & Beliefs that could  only find at Museum , Festival ,Exhibition,Publications etc...

The Cultural Event is another way preserving the HERITAGE..in foreign Land..

Since too "many" Young Generation migrated & settled down at Peninsular Malaysia..so their 2nd generation might be lost the personal touch with their roots & heritage if such activities never being introduced (bagus kalau ada masa bawa anak2x  balik kampung kalau inda !! mana kanal itu budaya sendiri hanya tinguk di  TV ..)

My personal encounter with Sabah Heritage....in recent years...attended different Borneo Cultural-Oriented Activities ...is the best way how we can learn their Culture & Heritage & open our mind how .."similar " we are ....at certain extend...the FRIENDSHIP is the best way to understand others better..its draw us closer to their Culture & Heritage......

Pre-BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2011

1MALAYSIA TRADITIONAL COSTUME SHOWCASE@ LEGEND HOTEL KL(LINK)

My Related Sarawak Cultural-Oriented Activities Link 2011 & 2012:
UCSI CARNIVAL with RICOH(21 May,2011)

Backstage (Borneo Hornbill Festival 2011 Promo) at RTM1 for Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia(6 July,2011)
TV1 Screenshots for Borneo Hornbill Festival 2011 Promo (On air on 6 July 2011)
Finale-Kumang Keling(Sarawak Ethnic Pageant 2011) at MATIC (23rd July 2011)
My Coronation as MR BRILLIANT SMILE @ Borneo Hornbil Festival KL 2011(23rd July 2011)
Press Conference for Sarawak Regatta 2011 (12th Aug 2011)
20th Anniversary Gala Dinner SIDS(Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak)-Miri Branch(13th Aug 2011)
VIP Launching @EXOTIC SARAWAK at Double Tree by HILTON KL (8th Nov 2011)

LIFE IS NOT A FAIRY TALE- WHOLE YEAR 2012 ACTIVITIES

POST-BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2011
1) TUARAN-NOV 2011

KADAZAN WEDDING:MY BEST FRIEND's WEDDING-TUARAN SABAH(NOV 2011

2) MALAYSIA WEDDING FESTIVAL -APR 2012

The Groom is forbidden to step on the ground & carry by others to until he reaches BRIDAL DIAS .The bajau believes this to avoid any unwanted incidents in the future "..MODEL for Malaysia Wedding Festival(MEFA)-28TH APRIL 201"2
BAJAU WEDDING Ceremony (LINK)

BERUNSAI DANCE (The couple dance together with families)
Instead of musical instruments, the dance is backed by kalang (similar to Malay quatrains) and the stamping of feet by the male dancers. Usually performed at night, the Berunsai is held in celebration of certain functions such as wedding ceremony, birth of a newborn child, thanksgiving and entertaining persons who made vows. These dancers will be dressed in colourful costumes.

BAJAU TRADITIONAL COSTUME@MEFA 2012
MODEL for Malaysia Wedding Festival(MEFA)-28TH APRIL 201"2
BAJAU WEDDING Ceremony (LINK)

3) KUNDASANG-RANAU MAY 2012

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT@GONG /TAWAK@RANAU

RUNDUS/DUSUN WEDDING:MY BEST FRIEND's WEDDING @ RANAU SABAH

4) WISMA ANGKASAPURI-KL MAY 2012

TV2 LIVE !!TALKSHOW DURING HARVEST FESTIVAL  MAY 2012

5) ASEAN METROPOLITAN UNI COLLEGE - JUNE 2012

Pesta Gawai & Kaamatan 2012 (4th June  2012)@ASEAN 

METROPOLITAN University College 

UNDUK NGADAU 2012@ ASEAN METROPOLITAN UNI COLLEGE

UNDUK NGADAU 2012@ ASEAN METROPOLITAN UNI COLLEGE

Pesta Gawai & Kaamatan 2012 (4th June  2012)@ASEAN 
METROPOLITAN University College CLICK LINK...

6) TOKYO JAPAN (CULTURE TOUR) - JUNE 2012

SABAH DANCE by MEKAR BUDAYA JAPAN..

7) WISMA TV(TV1) - JULY 2012

RUNGUS COSTUME PROMO TV1

8) Malaysia Tourism Centre@BHF  - JULY 2012

BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2012..RUNDUK TADAU

9) Uni Msia Pahang- April  2013

Festival Bayu Kenyalang UMP (20/4/13)-Kompleks Sukan Uni Msia Pahang ) collaboration with Borneo Hornbill Festival 5.0 & WARISAN SARAWAK.

THE LEGEND OF HUMINODUN..

LAGENDA HUMINODUN & ASAL USUL MAKANAN BAGI MASYARAKAT KADAZANDUSUN SABAH.

The Transformed Sacrifice:Huminodun.

MAGUNATIP
Performed by the young men and women of the Kwijau community in Keningau, Sabah.
Sometimes there are even 4 poles that are held by 4 dancers. The tempo can be increased to further display the skill of the dancers.

SABAH MUSICAL TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT (BUNGKOW,SOMPOTON)

SABAH TRADITIONAL COSTUME

10) BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL -JULY 2013
Recent Borneo Hornbill Festival gave me better exposure with Sabah Heritage...CLOSED DOOR JUDGING session ...is the good way to learn from fellow Sabahan when they elaborate more about their very own Heritage,..

BAJAU COSTUME @BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2013

CLOSED DOOR JUDGING(5/7/13)

*Miss/Mr Sabah Ethnic Pageant BHF 2013*

Venue:Kompleks Kraf Jln Conlay KL

Jun Genevieve-22 yrs old- (Murut Lass from Keningau)
Miss Sabah Ethnic 2013,1st Runner Up Miss Borneo Ethnic 2013 & Miss Body Beautiful BHF2013 at Borneo Hornbill Festival 2013.Photo Credit : Nunong Tindin

THE GRAND CORONATION SHOW(6/7/13)@BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2013

flanked by 1st Runner Up & Winner Miss Sabah Ethnic 2013. — with Erma Fatimah Stiling and Jun 
Genevieve

CONSERVATION MATTERS:-

 Conservation restores cultural pride; it preserves the local community, with its unique traditions, in its unique environment.

Cultural Tourism: Why Conservation matters ?? (LINK)

Our heritage if lost, is lost forever.

Registration form for "UNDUK NGADAU BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL KL 2012"

The  inaugural Unduk Ngadau( Sabah Ethnic Beauty Pageant) @ Borneo Hornbill Festival 2012 by Sabah Heritage Association KL & Selangor (WARISAN SABAH KL & SELANGOR)will be held at:-

VENUE:MATIC(Pusat Pelancongan Malaysia-Jalan Ampang)
Date: 6th July 2012(Friday)-Grand Finale for Inaugural UNDUK NGADAU BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2012..

CALLING FOR ...Sabahan Girl from KadazanDusun,Lotud,Rungus,Bisaya,Lun Dayeh,Murut,Orang Sungai,Tagal parentage.(either Mother or Father ). Age:18-30 years old. Do you have ...WHAT IT TAKES?? to become UNDUK NGADAU@Borneo Hornbill Festival KL 2012...INTERESTED?? Kindly Copy the FORM  & e-mail to: heritage.sabah@gmail.com

TOTAL PRIZES RM40,000.00,Winners Cash Money & Flight Ticket To Seoul Korea/Perth Australia

BORANG PENDAFTARAN UNDUK NGADAU BORNEO HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2012.

NAMA PENUH(as in IC): __________________________________________

ALAMAT TEMPAT TINGGAL:_______________________________________

NRIC: ___________________

TEL NO(HP/R/O):

DAERAH ASAL(di Sabah):____________________________

TINGGI(cm):____________________________

BERAT(Kg):________________________________

UKURAN BADAN(Bust-Waist-Hip):_____________________________(cth 30-25-31)

LATAR BELAKANG PENDIDIKAN:___________________________

BANGSA: ______________(sekiranya ada Campuran nyatakan)

PEKERJAAN:(sekiranya bekerja/Lokasi/Majikan)/________________________

PELAJAR:(Nyatakan Kursus/ Institusi): ______________________________

BAHASA PERTUTURAN/DIALECT :______________________

SPECIAL AWARDS/PENCAPAIAN(Pernah menang mana-mana pertandigan dsb) :__________

E-MAIL:________________________

FACEBOOK ACCOUNT :___________________________

BLOG(jika ada):______________________________

TAGLINE:____________________________________

PENGALAMAN BERTANDING (Unduk Ngadau dsb): YA/TIDAK

MINAT /KEBOLEHAN KHAS: __________________________

HOBI:__________________________

BAKAT SENI TRADISIONAL SABAH:______________________

SUKAN:___________________________

BAKAT SENI YANG LAIN:______________________________

SEKIRANYA ADA KECEMASAN,SIAPA KAMI PATUT HUBUN:-

NAMA/HUBUNGAN:__________________________________________

TEL:________________________

T & C:

UNDUK NGADAU(Women)

1. Parentage of each participant must be a Sabah citizen (either Mother or Father is a Sabah Native).

3. Sabahan female (married or single) and has pleasant personality.

3. Age above 18 and below 30 years old.

4. Open to  Sabah ethnics such as KadazanDusun,Lotud,Rungus,Bisaya,Lun Dayeh,Murut,Orang Sungai,Tagal.

5. Knowledge of each race( (Costume,Arts & Culture)represented is a must for every participating  Unduk Ngadau..

6. All participants are allowed to bring only one personal assistant.

7. Persatuan Warisan Sabah KL & Selangor has the right to publish all photo submitted in FACEBOOK/WEBSITE for public viewing

9. Persatuan Warisan Sabah Kuala Lumpur will not be responsible for any loss or damage to personal items or belongings to participants throughout the whole duration of the event.

10. Traditional costume will not be provided by the organizer.

SILA HANTAR GAMBAR 4R CLOSE UP WAJAH (SATU SALINAN)& FULL BODY(SATU SALINAN)BERSAMA BUTIR DI ATAS KE:

Those are keen can email details: heritage.sabah@gmail.com (Contact:Jeff & Juli)

CLICK this LINK & press the "LIKE" button ...for WARISAN SABAH KL & Selangor.

"The Headhunters of Borneo"Animated Movie: Based on a true story of KadazanDusun Headhunter Warrior-" LIMPING PAYAU"

Beside the renowned name of Kazandusun's Legendary Headhunter MONSOPIAD (Monsopiad Cullture Village in Sabah named after his name).

The Headhunters of Borneo" Movie: Based on a true story of KadazanDusun Headhunter Warrior-" LIMPING PAYAU"

LIMPING PAYAU is another Legendary KadazanDusun after MONSOPIAD??
"The Headhunters of Borneo" animated movie was Inspired by a true story of Limping Payau,.Another name that recently attracted the media after the The Headhunters of Borneo Movie.which produced by CHINA Production that depicts the life of legendary Kadazan headhunter warrior Limping Payau ("Limping Deer" in English) - a tribal leader known for his hunting skills and whose death at the hands of his rivals spawned a fierce inter-tribal conflict spanning two generations. The hostility was eventually resolved by his descendents, some of whom went on to become Malaysia's prominent nation builders such  Dr Maximus Ongkili. "

“For the first time in history, Malaysian content will be aired on free TV in mainland China through Nanning TV,”The Star(January 10,2012)

THE STAR(JAN 10,2012)

The movie will also be showcased at the China-Asean Expo and the China-Asean Business and Investment Summit.

"Headhunting was chosen as the subject for our first animated movie because it is something that intrigues the public," Centraline, Chief Executive Officer, Damien Leong

 "More importantly, the headhunting culture is an important part of Malaysia's history, specifically in the regions of Sabah and Sarawak. With this movie, we will be able to leverage on home grown expertise and historical sources to create a uniquely Malaysian product for the global audience".

Kamil Othman, Vice President of the Multimedia Development Corporation said:-

This movie will showcase Malaysia's unique cultural history to the world. Jia Yu's and Centraline's innovative approach in taking elements of local culture and history as the basis for their first movie project is to be commended. At a time where our nation leaders are emphasising on the virtues of unity under the Malaysia vision, it is timely that Malaysian content should now reflect the very essence of Malaysia as the melting pot of Asia. Of course, headhunting is no longer practised today but its significance as a way of life in old Borneo makes it a fascinating story on its own " 

The "Headhunters of Borneo" is only one such facet of Malaysian rich history and heritage , and hopefully will open the door for more stories in a similar vein to be turned into entertaining, educational , and even eye opening, content in the future. Not just for Malaysians but for the rest of the world as well,

Headhunting was not practised for bloodlust or barbaric reasons; it was a ritual that defined the tribal society at the time, and that is what that attracted us to the story".

Sabah HEAD-HUNTING PRACTICE from "the wild men of Borneo" point of view??

Elizabeth Mershon's book, With the Wild Men of Borneo, which was published in 1922. In general, Mershon, the wife of a Seventh-day Adventist missionary posted in North Borneo(SABAH), is fairly sympathetic in her portrayal of Sabah's native people, but her designation of them as "the wild men of Borneo" is telling of the impact of a centuries-long depiction of the people of Borneo as—using her term—wild. The book begins as follows:
Borneo! What does the name suggest to your minds? The first thing probably is the "wild man from Borneo." From my childhood days until I arrived in Borneo, all I knew about the country was that was where the wild men lived, and I always imagined that they spent most of their time running around the island cutting off people's heads. Strange to say, even to this day, many people have the same idea. Before you finish reading what I am going to tell you about Borneo and its people, I hope you will have learned that the "wild man from Borneo" is not such a
bad fellow after all (Mershon 1922, 13).

Head-Hunting and the Magang Ceremony in Sabah
Peter R. Phelan

The practice of headhunting has been documented for centuries, more so in the mysterious island of Borneo where it is often portrayed as a bloodthirsty rite of passage during warfare. The practice of headhunting is not confined to warfare only but has deeper spiritual significance to the practitioners themselves and their descendants.
The most meaningful ceremony associated with headhunting is the magang ceremony. This ceremony is a long, drawn out ceremony lasting up to seven days. Families whose ancestors were headhunters and were still keeping the skulls in their houses were required to perform this ceremony to propitiate or pay respect to the spirits that are believed to reside in the skulls or to introduce the skulls to a new home. This book gives readers a rare insight into this ceremony, where three families performed the lengthy, and probably the last, rituals in 1974 in the Penampang district of Sabah.

In Pagan Kadazan, headhunting used to be a revered custom. In those days skulls were significant not only religiously but also socially. Skulls were presented as dowry to the bride, without which a man cannot get married. In Kadazan society, particularly that in Penampang region, the skulls are to be fed with blood in a ceremony called Magang. The pictures are related to the Magang ceremony in Monsopiad, Penampang. Unlike other cultures where the skulls are held communally, all the 42 skulls shown here were collected by just one man, Monsopiad, making him legendary in his time

Monsopiad is a Legendary KadazanDusun Warrior & Headhunter.

MONSOPIAD CULTURAL VILAGE named after Monsopiad is a Legendary KadazanDusun Warrior & Headhunter.

The legend of Monsopiad
 Legend told that many centuries ago, a lady named Kizabon was pregnant. She lived in a house with her husband, Dunggou. On the roof of their house, a sacred Bugang bird made its nest and stayed there throughout Kizabon's pregnancy.

When the child was due to be born, the Bugang birds hatched as well. The father of the child took the sign as a good omen and that this was a sign that his newborn son would have special powers. He named his son, Monsopiad. The father paid special care to the birds as well, and whenever his son took a bath, Dunggou would take the young birds down from their nest to have a bath with his son. When done, he later returned them to the safety of their nest. This was done diligently until the birds were strong enough to leave the nest.

The young boy grew up in the village Kuai (which is the grounds of the Village). His maternal grandfather was the headman of the village.

However, their village was often plundered and attacked by robbers and due to the lack of warriors in the village, the villagers had to retreat and hide while the robbers ransacked their homes.

But for Monsopiad, things were different. He was given special training and he turned out to be an excellent fighter and grew up to become a warrior. Well-equipped, he vowed to hunt down and fight off the warriors that had terrorized his village for so long. He will bring back their heads as trophies, he claimed, and hang them from the roof of his house!

All he wanted in return was a warrior's welcome, where his success will be heralded by the blowing of bamboo trumpet. In order to prove that he really did as promised, three boys went with him as witnesses.

Just as he had promised, Monsopiad's journey to rid his village of the robbers was a huge success and upon coming home, he was given a hero's welcome. He was so honored by the welcome that he proclaimed he will destroy all enemies to his village.

Over the years, Monsopiad soon attained a reputation and there were no robbers or evil warriors who dared to challenge him. However, the urge to kill had gotten into Monsopiad's head and he simply could not stop himself from beheading more people. Very soon, he started provoking other men into fighting him so that he would have an excuse to kill and behead them.

With his changed attitude, all the villagers and his friends became afraid of him. Left with no choice, the village got a group of brave warriors together and they plan to eliminate Monsopiad. Much as they respected Monospiad for his heroic deeds, yet they had no choice for he had slowly turned into a threat.

One night as planned, the warriors moved in for the kill as Monsopiad was resting in his house. As they attacked him, he fought back fiercely but realized that he had lost his special powers that were bestowed upon him by the Bugang bird. By abusing his gift, he was left powerless and it was that very night that Monsopiad's life ended.

Despite his downfall, the villagers still loved Monsopiad for all that he had done for them. All in all, he collected 42 heads and a great feat that was! In honor and memory of a once great warrior, a monument was erected and the village was renamed after him.

In Pagan Kadazan, headhunting used to be a revered custom. In those days skulls were significant not only religiously but also socially. Skulls were presented as dowry to the bride, without which a man cannot get married. In Kadazan society, particularly that in Penampang region, the skulls are to be fed with blood in a ceremony called Magang. The pictures are related to the Magang ceremony in Monsopiad, Penampang. Unlike other cultures where the skulls are held communally, all the 42 skulls shown here were collected by just one man, Monsopiad, making him legendary in his time

Sabah Culture & Heritage

The largest indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah’s population are the Kadazan Dusun, the Bajau and the Murut.

Kadazan Dusun

The largest ethnic group of Sabah, the Kadazan Dusuns form about 30% of the state’s population. Actually consisting of two tribes; the Kadazan and the Dusun, they were grouped together as they both share the same language and culture. However, the Kadazan are mainly inhabitants of flat valley deltas, which are conducive to paddy field farming, while the Dusun traditionally lived in the hilly and mountainous regions of interior Sabah.

Bajau

The second largest ethnic group in Sabah, the Bajaus make up about 15% of the state’s population. Historically a nomadic sea-faring people that worshipped the Omboh Dilaut or God of the Sea, they are sometimes referred to as the Sea Gypsies. Those who chose to leave their sea-faring ways became farmers and cattle-breeders. These land Bajaus are nicknamed ‘Cowboys of the East’ in tribute to their impressive equestrian skills, which are publicly displayed in the annual Tamu Besar festival at Kota Belud.

Murut

The third largest ethnic group in Sabah the Muruts make up about 3% of the state’s population. Traditionally inhabiting the northern inland regions of Borneo, they were the last of Sabah’s ethnic groups to renounce headhunting. Now, they are mostly shifting cultivators of hill paddy and tapioca, supplementing their diet with blowpipe hunting and fishing. Like most indigenous tribes in Sabah, their traditional clothing is decorated with distinctive beadwork.

Content courtesy of Tourism Malaysia