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Professor Datuk Dr Jayum JawanAdvertisement
By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 5: An analyst has questioned the cultural checks in place at the Sarawak Agrofest 2026 after cattle were named “Keling” and “Kumang” as a promotional gimmick, saying the use of the iconic Iban names should have raised a red flag before the stunt was rolled out.
Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Datuk Prof Dr Jayum Jawan said the names carry deep cultural significance to the Iban community and should not have been used casually for livestock.
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The controversial references have since been withdrawn by the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department (DVSS), which also apologised following concerns from the Iban community.
However, Jayum said the issue should not end with the withdrawal, as the Agrofest involved multiple government agencies and was organised under the Sarawak Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (MFICORD), headed by Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.
He questioned how the use of the names had passed through the event’s organising and promotional processes in the first place.
According to information on the Agrofest website, the festival was supported by nine entities — the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA), Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Services, Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation, Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB), Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board, Bintulu Development Authority, and Sago and Nipah Development Board, alongside the ministry.
Jayum noted that six of the nine agencies associated with the Agrofest were headed by Dayaks, including Ibans, while the remaining three were headed by Malays.
“That would have been enough to raise the red flag at the organiser’s level about the disrespectful act that belittled the Iban iconic Keling-Kumang,” he said.
He said it was Dr Adrian Susin Ambud, director of the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department, who ultimately announced the withdrawal of the gimmick.
Jayum questioned why the matter had not been addressed earlier at the organising level and said the community deserved a proper apology from the higher authority overseeing the event.
He also expressed disappointment that organisations associated with safeguarding Dayak adat, customs and traditions had not been heard publicly on the controversy.
Among those he cited were the Dayak Cultural Foundation (DCF), Tun Jugah Foundation and the Sarawak Council for Native Customs and Traditions (MAIS).
Jayum said the issue also reflected a broader concern over the inappropriate use of culturally significant names in commercial settings.
He cited establishments such as Telaga Kumang, Kumang-Keling Karaoke & Pub and Ambai Kumang Pub and Lounge in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu.
He called on socio-cultural organisations concerned with adat, customs and traditions to take note of such usage and rebut what he described as the degradation of cultural icons.
“However, the gimmick of naming cattle as either Kumang or Keling had clearly gone overboard,” he said.
The controversy had earlier prompted DVSS to direct that the names “Kumang” and “Keling” no longer be used in livestock promotional materials.
The department said it took full responsibility for the use of the names and would tighten its screening processes and promotional guidelines to ensure the cultural values, customs and heritage of Sarawak’s communities were respected. — DayakDaily
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