Programmes to preserve cultural heritage: Hajiji
Published on: Saturday, June 01, 2024
Hajiji said the Kaamatan Festival is very significant and hence the efforts of the State Government to dignify the cultural and artistic heritage.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government through the Sabah State Cultural Board will implement several important cultural programmes this year to ensure the cultural and artistic heritage of the local people can be preserved from generation to generation.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said among them is “Community Development” through its Community Culture Protocol module which would benefit rural tourism.
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He said the project to improve tourism products at the Murut Tenom Cultural Center would also be implemented, in addition to empowering the Cultural Pit-Stop (CPS) located in Tawau, Kota Belud, Sandakan and Tenom including three other locations namely Dataran Wisma Budaya, Ranau and Keningau.
“The programmes aim to ensure that these inherited treasures can be preserved,” Hajiji said when closing the 2024 Sabah Kaamatan Festival at Dewan Hongkod Koisaan KDCA, Friday.
Hajiji said the Kaamatan Festival is very significant and hence the efforts of the State Government to dignify the cultural and artistic heritage.
“We also realise that the richness of cultural traditions in ethnic diversity is an important asset in the tourism sector that will continue to be preserved for future generations to inherit.
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“For that reason, the State Government strongly supports efforts to develop and defend the culture and arts of each ethnic group through their respective associations so that this valuable cultural heritage will last,” he said.
He also said the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI) continues to commit to efforts to increase the self-sufficiency level (SSL) of agricultural products, especially rice, to strengthen food security, especially the rice commodity.
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Last April the State Cabinet agreed to revive the Sabah Padi and Rice Board as part of an initiative to increase production and food safety in the state, in addition to implementing several other initiatives to improve the SSL.
The effort includes emphasising the development of dry land rice (cultivation of hill rice) this year, considering that the Sabah Agriculture Department (JPS) has as many as 404 collections of accessions (types of dry land rice) in the gene bank of rice germplasm.
Based on JPS statistics in 2021, he said, 13,733 hectares of dry land rice cultivation area would cover 17 districts throughout Sabah including the districts of Ranau, Tongod, Kota Marudu, Penampang, Tuaran, Nabawan and Pitas.
Hajiji said the Kaamatan Festival, apart from being a platform to highlight the culture and art of the KadazanDusun Murut and Rungus (KDMR) community in Sabah, is able to unite all people regardless of race, religion and culture in this state.
“Unity in the diversity of tribes, cultures and religious beliefs in Sabah is an important asset that needs to be preserved and defended by the people of the State.
“This is because of the harmony and colorful diversity that makes Sabah unique and special in addition to having the beauty of culture and art that its own.
“We need to embed in each of us that only with stability and unity can we bring a country and its people forward and at the same time be respected and respected by the international community,” he said.
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