Kota Kinabalu: The State-level Kaamatan Festival celebration can be known as the National Kaamatan Festival.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also Chairman of the State-level Kaamatan Festival Main Organising Committee, said this is because this annual festival of the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Rungus (KDMR) is also celebrated by the Madani community in several states in the peninsula and that it is being officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on May 31.
“The Kaamatan Festival can be made a national level celebration because the states in the peninsula are also involved and it is officiated by the Prime Minister.
“So, it is also appropriate because we want to raise the Kaamatan Festival to the national level with the involvement of everyone in Malaysia with the Prime Minister also officiating the Kaamatan Festival,” he said after leading the 2024 Kaamatan Festival Main Organising Committee in a courtesy visit to Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at Istana Seri Kinabalu.
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“I have briefed the Head of State on the arrangement for the State-level Kaamatan Festival on May 30.
“There is a slight difference because he (Juhar) usually officiates the closing on May 31 but this time he asked that he officiates the opening on May 30 because May 31 is a Friday.
“At the same time, we have made a slight adjustment whereby the Prime Minister will officiate the opening of the Kaamatan Festival on May 31,” he added.
The Kaamatan Festival is launched every May 1 in certain districts on a rotating basis to mark the start of celebrations at the village and district levels, before the culminating event at the State-level at the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association’s (KDCA) Hongkod Koisaan in Penampang on May 30 and 31.
This year, Ranau hosted the launch of the Kaamatan Festival which was officiated by the Chief Minister represented by Dr Jeffrey on May 1.
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