PENAMPANG, May 31 — The celebration of the Kaamatan Festival is very significant in the efforts of the Sabah government to dignify the cultural and artistic heritage of the locals, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said.
As such, he said the state government will organise several community development programmes to ensure that these cultural and artistic heritage can be preserved for future generations.
He said the programmes include improving tourism products at the Murut Tenom Cultural Centre, as well as creating a Cultural Pit-Stop (CPS) in Tawau, Kota Belud, Sandakan, Tenom, Ranau and Keningau.
“The move to dignify the heritage is important given the fact that the richness of cultural traditions in ethnic diversity is an important asset, especially in the tourism sector that needs to be preserved to be inherited by future generations.
“For that reason, the state government strongly supports all efforts to develop and preserve the culture and arts of each ethnic group through their respective associations so that this valuable cultural heritage will last.”
Hajiji said this at the closing ceremony of the Kaamatan Festival Festival which was graced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Kadazandusun Cultural Association’s (KDCA) Hongkod Koisaan Hall here, today.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzli, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali and KDCA president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said the state government’s efforts to revive the Sabah Padi and Rice Board is an important initiative to increase food production and ensure the food security of the state, in addition to emphasising the development of dryland rice or upland rice this year.
“The Sabah Agriculture Department also has as many as 404 access collections (dryland rice) that are able to help this effort,” he said. — Bernama
