MIRI – Sarawak Deputy Minister for Education, Talent Development and Innovation Dr Annuar Rapaee has denied that the raunchy Gawai Dayak celebrations in Sibu, which caused controversy among the native communities recently, was planned by him.
“I have been unfairly dragged into this and unfairly targeted by critics.
“It was not my idea to stage the sexy dance show.
“I was only invited as one of the guests of honour for PBB Central Zone (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, a component of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak).
“The stage show was organised by the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP)’s organising team.
“I had no idea before the event that there would be such sexy dances.
“Next time, I will send my assistant to check out all the events before I attend…” the Nangka assemblyman said.
Dr Annuar, who is also PBB chief for Nangka branch, which is part of Sibu district, said he has been targeted by personal attacks due to his attendance at the said event.
“It has turned into a political controversy against me and I have been unjustly targeted,” he said.
Branches of two parties from the state’s ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition have admitted to staging a sexy dance show at a Gawai Dayak event in Sibu town in central Sarawak.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) Central Zone branch and the Progressive Democratic Party’s Bawang Assan branch made the admissions in separate statements.
The two parties, however, defended the use of sexy girls to perform the controversial dances, saying that it was merely for entertainment for the guests.
PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had said the show became a public controversy as it was “taken out of context”.
Tiong, who is Dudong assemblyman and also Bintulu MP, said the Dayak National Congress also took things out of context in their condemnation of the performance.
He insisted that the sexy dance had not desecrated Gawai Dayak in any way.
Dayak community leaders condemned the organisers of the Gawai Dayak event in Sibu for allegedly using women who performed raunchy shows on stage.
The Dayak National Congress and Dayak Think-Tank Association Sarawak said the event had “desecrated” the Gawai Dayak image. – The Vibes, June 20, 2022
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