Bajau heritage stays relevant with annual Regatta Lepa
SEMPORNA: As brightly adorned lepa boats glided across the turquoise waters of Semporna this weekend, the 31st Regatta Lepa once again transformed the coastal town into a vibrant celebration of Bajau heritage.
But beyond the dazzling colours, cultural performances and festive atmosphere, the annual event carries a deeper meaning for Sabah’s Bajau community, a tribute to a centuries-old seafaring identity and an enduring bond with the sea.
The festival honours the lepa, the traditional wooden boat that once served as the primary mode of transport for Bajau communities living across Semporna and its surrounding islands.
First held officially in 1994 before being recognised as a national festival, Regatta Lepa has grown into one of Sabah’s most iconic cultural events, drawing visitors from across Malaysia and abroad each year.
Teacher and local historian Zubir Osman said the celebration’s origins stretch far beyond its official inception.
“Before it became a festival, it was already our culture,” he said.
“In the old days, people travelled in groups of lepa. Sometimes four or five boats would journey together, partly for safety and partly because our communities were closely connected.”
Over time, those gatherings evolved into a celebration that was eventually institutionalised as an annual festival.
For the Bajau people, Zubir said, the lepa is far more than a means of transport.
“It was our vehicle before all the modern things came. Everything about Bajau culture comes together in the lepa,” he said.
From traditional dance and poetry to language, attire and craftsmanship, the boat serves as a floating symbol of Bajau heritage.
“When we look at a lepa, everything is there. The dances are there, the traditional clothing is there and the decorations are there,” he said.
Even the colourful sambulayang flags fluttering atop the boats carry cultural significance.
“They are meant to beautify the lepa, signal that a celebration is taking place and create a sense of awe,” he explained.
Yet amid the festivities, Zubir expressed concern that some traditional knowledge, particularly the art of lepa-making, is gradually fading.
“It should be passed down from one generation to the next. But the times have changed. Young people leave to study and work elsewhere and some of these skills are no longer being inherited,” he said.
Among those determined to keep the traditions alive is 26-year-old Nurul Halimah Budlain, runner-up of the Ratu Lepa pageant in 2023.
Her family’s cooperative, founded by her father in 2008, showcases traditional attire and cultural artefacts during the festival.
Dressed in the elegant Bajau Sigpit, Nurul said the pageant had given her a platform to promote her community’s heritage to younger generations.
“I use this platform to showcase Bajau traditions, especially those of the Bajau Kubang community in Semporna,” she said.
“I hope Ratu Lepa will continue to gain international recognition and remain a platform for celebrating and uplifting Bajau traditions in Semporna.”
She added that social media has become an increasingly important tool for cultural preservation.
“Young people who are away from Semporna can still follow the festival through Facebook, TikTok and YouTube,” she said.
“Even if they cannot come home for Regatta Lepa, they can still stay experience it online.”
As Semporna’s waters once again filled with beautifully decorated lepa, the festival served as a reminder that these boats are not merely relics of the past but enduring symbols of a seafaring culture determined to keep its traditions afloat.
