Memorable end to Kaamatan

Making music: Jivino Miat, 68, of Penampang showing his skill in playing theTongkungon, a Kadazandusun traditional instrument

FOR a whole month, Sabahans celebrated the Kaamatan festival with pomp and splendour. And the merry-making ended with a big bang in another memorable year. 

The grand finale was the Unduk Ngadau or beauty queen contest held at the Hongkod Koisaan hall in Penampang near Kota Kinabalu last Thursday. 

The event saw 18-year-old Joanna Sue Henly Rampas beat 36 other contestants to clinch the title. 

Joanna, a Universiti Tun Abdul Razak student, impressed the judges in the question and answer session and her ability to converse in English, Bahasa Melayu and Kadazandusun. 

Although she is of mixed parentage – daughter of Englishman Dr John Henly and Kadazandusun activist Sulah Rampas – she is not a foreigner to the Sabah tradition. 

“I was confident with my answers. I think I did well and provided substantial answers to their questions,” she said. 

Joanna was obviously the hot favourite for the night. The crowd went wild each time her name was called. 

Second place went to Mellonie Takom, 21, of Putatan, followed by Cherrylanne Chok binti Chok Kui Eng, 24, of Beluran. 

The unique feature of this beauty pageant was that the characters and abilities, synonymous with the Kadazandusun legend of Huminodun, took centre stage. 

According to the legend, Huminodun was a Kinoingan (The Creator) princess who was sacrificed during a famine to save the Kadazandusun people, her mother creations, from starving. 

Huminodun’s body parts were transformed into various foods for the people. But more significantly, her flesh turned to padi and her blood, red rice. 

Last Thursday, Sabah Yang DiPertua Negri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah officially closed the festival. He ended the celebration by beating a gong seven times. 

Like in previous years, thousands of people thronged Hongkod Koisaan to witness the traditional sports and exhibitions launched by Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman as part of state-level festivities to mark the end of another memorable celebration. 

Unique art: A Dusun woman, Gandit Muyatong, 57, of Tambunan, showing her skill inplaying the Turali or nose flute.

A series of traditional cultural performances by various Sabah ethnic communities, including Kadazandusun Sumazau and Murut, were held. 

Visitors to the festival had the opportunity to meet and get to know the lesser-known Sabah ethnic communities – the Kolobuan and Makiang from Tongod district in the upper reaches of the Kinabatangan river and Tombonuo from the northeast Paitan district. 

Showcasing their dance and traditional musical instruments was the Bonggi Dusun community from the northernmost Banggi Island. 

Brunei’s Dusun community, participating in the Kaamatan for the first time, attracted the crowds’ attention. 

Community elder Benson Tunggang said there were nearly 40,000 Dusuns in Brunei and their language was similar to Sabah’s Bisaya community from the southwestern Beaufort district. 

The crowd also participated in traditional games such as mimpulas or arm wrestling, momolastik or shooting with a slingshot and menyumpit (shooting with a blowpipe) to get a feel how the ethnic communities lived.