16-05-2025
Borneo Native Festival returns to KL
(Seated, from left to right): Paul, Shazrean, Raffy and Juinah at the press conference.
KOTA KINABALU (May 16): The fourth edition of the Borneo Native Festival will take place at Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur from May 23 to 25, to celebrate Sabah and Sarawak native cultures.
'This festival aims to bring the vibes of the Kaamatan and Gawai festivals to the Peninsular, so that people of the two states who are unable to make it home can celebrate there and to introduce to other people the annual cultural events,' said the festival director, Raffy Syazwan Arpandi, at a press conference here recently.
Raffy said among the activities planned include beauty pageants, dance competitions and selling of various products by local entrepreneurs.
He said it is also a pre-introduction to Kaamatan and Gawai, where those who want to experience the real thing can fly to Sabah or Sarawak after.
This year's event is supported by several agencies including Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah, Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (Scenic) and Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR).
It is also supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) and the Ministry of Unity, with the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) as the strategic partner.
DIDR will be bringing 12 local entrepreneurs to showcase their handicraft as well as traditional food and beverages such as linopot and tuak.
Scenic's initiative is to give market access through 11 social entrepreneurs it is bringing to this festival, related to the handicraft, food and beverages and health industry sectors.
IDS Sabah will be bringing two entrepreneurs showcasing handicraft made out of banana fibre as well as copper, with a focus on a bottom-top approach to uplift economies at the grassroots level.
Several local artists will be performing at the event, including Tompuvan, Dabra Sia, Belle Sisoki and Alena Murang.
A mob dance trail is also planned from TRX Kuala Lumpur to Pavilion to Pasar Seni, which will highlight the Datun Julud dance.
A total of 90,000 visitors are expected at this year's event, while the sales target is around RM200,000.
Deputy Economy Minister Dato Hajjah Hanifah Hajar Taib and Deputy Motac Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan are expected to officiate.
In terms of entrepreneur participation, around 200 are anticipated.
Also present at the press conference were DIDR Sabah economic affairs assistant officer Juinah Lipat, Scenic Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship assistant manager (Capacity Building Ecosystem Department) Shazrean Shah Saptu and IDS Sabah research associate Paul Canigea Pungut.
