He recalled the merry and joyful moments they shared together, saying it was a “new year” for the Dayak communities, who are found mostly in Sarawak.
But Ngabong’s village, Kampung Iban Kuala Nansang, is not in Sarawak but in Sabah where the harvest festival is Kaamatan for the Kadazan Dusun Murut and other communities.
Kampung Iban Kuala Nansang is home to more than 400 people mostly from the Iban ethnic community. It is located in Balung in the east coast Tawau district.
Ngabong, who is the village head, said the first-generation residents had come to Tawau from Sarawak in the late 1960s as oil palm settlers.
He said they do celebrate Sabah’s harvest festival Kaamatan, as there is a minority of local Sabahans there, too, but not in the same big way as Gawai.
“We used to pack our hall in the village and invited Yang Berhormats (elected representatives) to open the celebrations,” he told FMT.
But Covid-19 restrictions mean they are unable to usher in the festival with the usual merriment, as happened last year as well.
Young people losing their traditions
Gawai is celebrated on June 1. In previous years, Ngabong said the festival would be celebrated with full Dayak colours with activities such as traditional games, the Kumang Gawai, or beauty pageant for unmarried young women, and singing of Iban songs.
“We would perform the ‘piring ngalu pengabang’, which is basically the Iban custom to welcome guests to our festivities. One of us, draped in a traditional costume, will hold a rooster and make sort of a circling motion just around the guest’s head as a symbolic gesture for good fortune or luck before allowing the person to enter the main area.
“Despite not being in Sarawak, it was actually still a joyous and memorable occasion everytime we celebrated Gawai until the pandemic hit,” he said.
Ngabong hoped things will be different next year as the younger Iban generation in Tawau is at risk of forgetting their roots, being far from Sarawak.
“Many of the young people, after their parents passed, have moved out and our communities have become smaller,” he said, adding there is another Iban village in Tawau, Kampung Iban Merotai Besar.
“We are trying the best possible way we can to preserve our language and culture. So that’s why occasions like Gawai are important to remind our youngsters who they are even if it’s a simple celebration,” he said.
Ngabong, who founded and chairs the Tawau Iban Dayak Association, said he is also eager to let go the reins of the association to younger people.
“Our association was formed with the intention to develop our race but it’s tough to tell why the youths are not interested. Once we can hold our annual general meeting, I will get the Iban or Dayak youths to join so they can step up and do something for the association and ultimately our community,” he said.