KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government will support every effort and initiative of each district in the state to highlight the uniqueness of culture and tradition of their respective community, such as the Regatta Lepa festival.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the Regatta Lepa festival that is celebrated by the Bajau community in Semporna is a treasure that needs to be honoured especially by the younger generation.
“Sabah is very lucky for being rich in various races and cultures. Surely, this would attract international tourists to come to the state,” he said when launching the Regatta Lepa Sabah 2022 Promotional and Expansion ceremony at Padang Merdeka here, last night.
He said such a programme is the best platform for the Bajau people in Semporna to highlight their culture and traditions to visitors.
The Regatta Lepa festival is a celebration in April every year in Semporna. However, due to the pandemic, the festival has been cancelled since 2020.
It is a vibrant celebration, with the highlight of the event being the Lepa (small boats) decoration competition which would see these boats beautifully decorated with bright and colourful flags and clothes.
However, it could not be ascertained why the festival in Semporna was cancelled this year, and when it will be held in the future.
The event in Padang Merdeka has been heavily criticised by locals in Semporna especially the Bajau community, for being conducted in Kota Kinabalu instead of Semporna this year, as circulated on social media.
However, it is believed that the Semporna folks have misunderstood the event as it was not held to replace the actual festival in Semporna, but was only meant to promote the event in the district. – The Vibes, May 29, 2022.
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