Gobind pledges better national coverage for Gawai Dayak
BINTULU: Minister of Communications and Multimedia Gobind Singh Deo has pledged better national mainstream media coverage for Gawai Dayak.
He said this when officiating at the ‘Ngerandang Jalai Gawai’ in connection with the national Gawai Dayak celebration yesterday.
“With the coverage from the mainstream media under Malaysia Baru, the younger generation would be exposed to the richness and fineness of the culture, custom, and arts of their people, which they rarely see. It should be preserved as the heritage of the country,” he said.
He also called on Dayak nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to play an active role in protecting and preserving their culture and traditions.
“The efforts to preserve the culture and heritage of the people in the country should not be placed on the government’s shoulders alone, but the people must also play more active roles in line with the Iban warrior battle cry ‘Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban’.
“Let us all make sure the Sarawak Dayak culture and traditions are on par with other ethnic groups in the world,” he said.
He added that a peaceful multiracial community contributes to the country’s development.
“This situation enables the government to focus on development programmes to improve the living standards of the people in the aspects of economy, education, basic infrastructure, culture, and religion,” he said.
Over 3,000 participants took part in the 1.7km-parade.
There were also cultural performances including by a troupe from Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia, and fashion shows.