Minister urges more authentic settings such as longhouses for Gawai Dayak festivities

Residents of Sebangki Panjai longhouse in Lubok Antu have their reunion dinner on the ruai outside their respective bilek to usher in Gawai Dayak festival on May 31, 2025.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 3: Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, has proposed that future Gawai Dayak celebrations be held in more authentic locations, such as longhouses, to better preserve and reflect the cultural heritage of the Dayak community.

According to TVS, he noted that celebrations are currently held in venues such as event halls, which do not fully capture the cultural and traditional atmosphere of Gawai Dayak.

“In the future, I hope we can find other locations for Gawai celebrations, whether in longhouses or in places that truly reflect our own identity, rather than what we have now.

“We need to think about the future to ensure our culture continues to be preserved, including heritage elements such as Kumang, Keling, as well as various customs and activities related to Gawai,” he said at the ‘Pengerami Ngabang Gawai Begulai Enggau Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas’ event, organised by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Kakus branch at a restaurant in Bintulu on Saturday (May 2).

Dr Rundi, who is also Kemena assemblyman, added that Gawai celebrations also serve as a platform for the community to assess annual achievements, including in terms of economic progress and personal development.

He added that the community should continuously strive to improve their capabilities and remain competitive in various fields to avoid being left behind in the pace of development. — DayakDaily