KUCHING – Though the sirat, the traditional loincloth of Iban men is usually worn on special occasions, 72 indigenous men will take to the skies on a flight from Miri to Sabah wearing just that.
They will also be bare-chested and barefooted for good measure and will bring along with them a banner reading 'Bersirat Naik Pesawat Beylun' ('Taking to the Skies in our Loincloth').
This 'loincloth diplomacy' to The Land Below the Wind on April 30 will be led by Sarawak’s indigenous peoples' rights activist, Peter John Jaban.
No eyebrows will be raised if Iban men dressed in the sirat perform their ngajat, but 72 bare-chested and barefooted Dayaks milling around the airport before boarding a commercial jet is likely to cause a stir and draw the attention of tourists and other travellers.
This is exactly what Sarawak’s maverick human rights campaigner Jaban intended – to draw the attention of the world to Sarawak, which is also known by the moniker 'Borneo to the World'.
Speaking to The Vibes, Jaban said the mission is to promote Sarawak’s culture, traditional dress, food, and cuisine, as well as its music.
“At the same time, we will also promote the upcoming Rainforest World Music Festival which will be hosted in the state from June 17-19 this year.
“This mission will make history as our delegation will be barefooted and bare-chested. In this way, we reveal the intrinsic tattoos of Sarawakians, as such body art is very much a part and parcel of our culture.”
Jaban said the four-day cultural exchange programme is in conjunction with the opening of Sabah’s Kaamatan or harvest festival, which will be held from May 30-31.
“The mission consisting of the native people of Sarawak, representing various cultural associations will gather in Sabah to perform at their iconic waterfront.”
According to him, the group had planned to undertake this mission in November last year with all expenses, including food, accommodation, and airfare borne on their own.
A small retinue representing the delegation visited Sarawak, Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at his office yesterday.
During the visit, Abdul Karim and his deputy Datuk Snowdan Lawan, agreed to support the delegation financially with donations from their own pockets.
Jaban said his delegation will be met by Sabah’s indigenous people represented by the Dayak International Organisation (DIO) and the Dayak Ritual Awareness Fellowship (DRAF) when they arrive at Kota Kinabalu.
“We will head straight to the Sabah Waterfront to do a cultural flashmob there. We will also visit Kampung Murut in Tenom and head on to the famous Batu Sumpah in Keningau.”
Jaban’s delegation will also visit the Kadazan Dusun community in Tambunan.
He said the group will participate in several activities such as tattoo workshops, cooking demonstrations, and handicraft displays.
“This trip will serve as a dry run. We plan to hold a similar trip at another time to book a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Jaban added. – The Vibes, April 20, 2022
