KOTA KINABALU – The recent controversy surrounding Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan over its “vote-buying” mechanism has invited a more serious question – is Unduk Ngadau the best platform to celebrate and show Kadazandusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) traditions?
Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan (UNK) is a beauty pageant held annually in Sabah in conjunction with the Kaamatan festival celebrated by the KDMR community.
Over the years, UNK has become the highlight of the Kaamatan celebrations, where women from different districts compete for the crown to commemorate the spirit of Huminodun, which in KDMR folklore is a woman with beauty of the heart, mind and soul.
However, members of Sabah Women’s Action-Resource Group (Sawo), an organisation that stands for women’s rights and equality, have questioned the purpose of the event.
A trained gender equality advocate from Sawo, Grazele Jenarun, questioned if Unduk Ngadau is a good platform for KDMR culture.
“As a Kadazandusun, I want to ask this: if UNK, a beauty pageant, is cultural, who sets the beauty standard? KDMR women are of different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, and all women are beautiful. How does a UNK woman represent all of us, if one needs to have a certain minimum height to even participate in the contest?”
Jenarun also said there is a lack of empowerment in the contest, as the women are often given irrelevant questions during the question-and-answer session.
“I remember the first time I watched UNK, I was stunned by the question when the contestant was asked ‘what are the qualities and values of a good wife’. It does not have anything to do with KDMR culture, and it is surely not empowering the women.
“These young women are being groomed to look and act a certain way, what they call a ‘proper’ way. Surely they are being taught more of the culture, but that is not empowerment. Are they able to speak up, become empowered in their workplace, in the community, or are they able to secure higher decision-making positions after they participate in the contest?”
Meanwhile, Sabrina Melisa Aripen, founder of the Society for Equality, Respect and Trust for All, said she agrees with what was mentioned during a recent discussion session organised by Sawo, that Sabah is slowly losing its unique cultural identity thanks to efforts to “Malayanise” the state.
“Our local languages have been relegated to the background as the Bahasa Malaysia language has been prioritised. We barely see our own culture and traditions save for in May, the Kaamatan month. Of course, we recently had great efforts from some local businesses to safeguard the local heritage, which should be applauded.
“But the problem still remains – the commercialisation of this event that has influenced the narrative that Sabah is all about pretty women and alcohol,” she said in her Facebook post recently.
Sabrina also said Sabahans today have limited avenues to learn about their own local cultures.
“No doubt, we have some very confident women as a result of the UNK. There are UNK winners and contestants who said the event had helped them learn more about their own cultures and motivate them to speak their mother tongue.
“But is this really the best and only avenue to learn of our own cultures now though? Should the knowledge of local culture and traditions only be prioritised for those pretty enough?”
Sabrina also said she finds it hard to link the pageant with honouring Huminodun, a legendary young woman who sacrificed herself for the good of her people.
“Wouldn’t it be better to reward community warriors of KDMR ethnicity without referring to looks? I mean, as beautiful as Huminodun was, I am sure, I doubt she was running around perfectly coiffed and made up as she saved her people from hunger and famine.”
Recently, the holding of the Unduk Ngadau beauty contest came under public scrutiny after a “vote-buying” mechanism was introduced whereby people had to pay to cast their votes to determine the winner.
The votes account for 60% of the judging criteria while 40% is based on the judges’ evaluation.
Kaamatan, the harvest festival, is celebrated by KDMR in Sabah annually for the whole month of May.
Borneo Speaks, a community-centred platform led by women based here, said that it could not be denied that UNK’s cultural significance still exists as it serves as a platform to showcase KDMR’s traditional attire, especially when the UNK committee encouraged the participants to go back to basics when presenting on stage few years ago.
The contestants must also be fluent in their mother tongue and understand the traditional attire they are wearing during the pageant.
But more can be done to promote the KDMR culture and tradition through the event, the group said.
“Since the event only began in the 1960s, it is worth looking into how it can be reformed to fit better into the current context and how it can empower women further instead of it just being tourism fodder.
“The committee should consist of members genuinely invested in culture preservation to do justice to the culture, not opportunists who see funding and the ‘glamour’ of the event.
“Huminodun and her parents’ sacrifice for the KDMR people must be the priority in the organising of the event. It’s not about the sash, crown, or trophy, it’s about being proud of your culture and tradition.
“It’s about instilling all this in future generations so that our culture and tradition continues when we are long gone from this earth.
“Unduk Ngadau should also remain relevant throughout the times but stay true to the meaning of the title and the roots of the culture,” they said.
Borneo Speaks is a community-centred media platform for Borneo-centric stories. – The Vibes, May 30, 2021
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