Tuaran to host Sabah’s Harvest Festival

The main organising committee decided that Tuaran will host the launch of Kaamatan this year after a meeting on Friday (Feb 10).

KOTA KINABALU: Tuaran will host this year’s launch of the month-long Kaamatan, or Harvest Festival, celebration.

The district, some 40km from the state capital, was chosen ahead of two other shortlisted districts namely Ranau and Sandakan.

The decision was announced in a statement after the state-level Harvest Festival’s main organising committee meeting chaired by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan on Friday (Feb 10).

Kitingan is also the main organising chairman.

It had been the tradition that the launch of the state-level celebration was to be held in one of the 27 districts in the state.

The month-long celebration, that takes place in May every year, was traditionally celebrated by the indigenous communities in Sabah.

However, the celebration was also generally celebrated by all communities irrespective of their religious beliefs and races.

The committee unanimously decided this year’s theme as "Kaamatan Membudayakan Perpaduan" (Kaamatan Inculturates Unity).

The Kaamatan celebration culminates in a grand closing and the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) in Penampang near here on May 30 and 31.