KOTA KINABALU: Sabah plans to globalise its Kaamatan festival, which is celebrated by the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, through digitalisation and links with the United Nations.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also the State Kaamatan Festival main organising chairman, said this would elevate the harvest festival's status as a culture and tradition.
"The state plans to use Sabah TV broadcasts and social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to internationalise the festival," he said during a press conference on the state-level Kaamatan festival at the Sabah Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) hall in Penampang.
He also said they would collaborate with the United Nations Biodiversity Centre to conserve endangered plants, with the Food and Agriculture Organsation (FAO) for food security, and with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to register some aspects of Kaamatan at the international level.
He added that Kaamatan should be celebrated nationwide, which will help strengthen unity in Malaysia.
This year's Kaamatan festival will be held from May 1 to May 31, under the theme "Kaamatan Membudayakan Perpaduan" (roughly translating to mean Kaamatan develops unity through culture), with the launch set to take place in Tuaran district, 30km from Kota Kinabalu city centre.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor will officiate the event, and the climax of the celebration will be held in Penampang on May 30 and 31.