TAMBUNAN – The month-long Kaamatan festival will be without all the usual revelries and will be celebrated entirely online, said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said this was in view of the conditional movement control order which was implemented in Sabah starting today until May 17.
“We will continue to do livestreaming and online broadcasting, but we will do so in accordance with the standard operating procedures set by the Health Ministry.
“The Sabah government has also decided that except for the launching of the Kaamatan month this Saturday, which will also be done symbolically at Hongkod Koisaan, the Kaamatan festival will not be celebrated at the district level.
“Programmes such as the Unduk Ngadau beauty contest, Sugandoi singing competitions and other competitions at the district level will continue, but other programmes such as the officiating ceremony will be omitted,” he said in a statement here today.
Kitingan, who is also the chairman of this year’s Kaamatan main organising committee, said the decision is made to ensure there will be no new Covid-19 clusters.
Themed “Borderless Kaamatan for Reconciliation and Peace”, the harvest festival has already been hit by cost overruns due to live broadcasting technical issues.
The Vibes was made to understand the government will not go over the usual RM1.5 million budget.
The Kaamatan festival was not held last year due to the pandemic.
The festival is observed from May 1 until May 31. – The Vibes, April 29, 2021
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