Kota Kinabalu: Six cultural icons were showcased during the 2026 Sabah Day celebrations, highlighting the unique cultural identity of Sabah.
The icons, namely the Sigar Penampang, Usunan Bajau Samah, Mount Kinabalu, Kinabalu Tower, Taming and Ship, were featured during the parade held at Dataran Bandaraya, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, on Monday.
The parade also featured 40 Sabah athletes who brought honour to the State at the recent 22nd Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor, after securing 30 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze medals.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Cawangan Sabah’s Komander Kesatria team retained its championship for the third consecutive year in the marching competition held in conjunction with the 2026 National Day and Sabah Day celebrations.
Kesatria emerged champion in the public and private higher education institutions category, followed by Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Kampus Gaya, Kota Kinabalu, as runner-up and Latihan Institut Teknik dan Perdagangan (ILTP), Jabatan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (JPSM), in third place.
For the state uniformed government department category, City Hall (DBKK) Enforcement Department emerged champion, while the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) won the federal uniformed government department category.
The State Ministry of Finance and Federal Secretary’s Office Sabah were champions in the state and federal non-uniformed government department categories, respectively.
Other category winners included SK Api Api Kota Kinabalu for primary schools, State Correctional Cadet for secondary schools, Yayasan Sabah for the private/statutory body category, Sabah Youth Council for non-governmental organisations and Persatuan Etnik Bajau Tabawan Sabah (Perbatas) for Sabah ethnic organisations.
The celebrations at Dataran Bandaraya, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, featured 173 contingents comprising 121 marching contingents and 52 vehicle contingents, involving about 10,000 participants.
The parade brought together contingents from government departments and agencies, uniformed bodies, educational institutions, the private sector, NGOs and Sabah ethnic organisations.
It also featured various assets and vehicles from security agencies, including the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) and Fire and Rescue Department, while the K9 Unit was among those taking part in the parade.
Winners in each category received RM3,000, while runners-up received RM2,000 and third-place winners RM1,500, in addition to trophies and certificates.
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