Serian MP reiterates call for Gawai Dayak, Kaamatan be made national public holidays
The federal government should declare the harvest festivals of Sarawak and Sabah, Gawai Dayak and Kaamatan, as national public holidays, says Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.
In making this call, the Serian MP stresses that the recognition is crucial because both Dayak and Kadazan-Dusun communities also play their part in nationbuilding.
“It is a two-day (holiday) which is 31 (May) for the Kaamatan Festival for the Kadazan-Dusun people in Sabah, while June 1 is for Gawai for the Dayak people in Sarawak.
“This is because during this festival, not only the KadazanDusun people celebrate it, not only the Dayak community celebrates it, but almost all races in Sabah and Sarawak welcome and celebrate it,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat.
Riot said despite his multiple calls of voicing out the matter, these two significant cultural days had yet to be declared as national holidays since the formation of Malaysia in September 1963.
He said he was informed that both festivals could not be included in the list of national holidays as Malaysia already had too many public holidays.
He, however, viewed such an excuse as unacceptable, saying that Malaysia would not exist today if Sabah and Sarawak had not joined forces with Malaya and Singapore in the formation.
“However, the minister stated that Malaysia has too many public holidays…14 days if I am not mistaken.
“But why not? This is very important because it must be remembered that without Sarawak, without Sabah, there’s no Malaysia.”
Previously, a group of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) called upon the federal government to declare Gawai Dayak and Kaamatan as national public holidays.
The NGOs comprise Sarawak Indigenous Intellectual Association (Perantis), Terabai Menua Association (TM) and Persatuan Masyarakat Salako dan Rara Sarawak (Perasa).
In January last year, TM, Perasa and six other NGOs also called for Gawai Dayak and Kaamatan to be declared national public holidays.
The organisations also said that the elected representatives from Sabah and Sarawak in Parliament had tried to advocate for the festivals to be listed as national public holidays.
According to them, recognising the two dates as national holidays would strengthen national unity.