KOTA KINABALU: Those who celebrate the annual Kaamatan festival have been urged to reflect on the occasion's cultural aspects and origin to ensure its continued relevance.

Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Youth Council chairman Steve Johnny Mositun said Kaamatan, or Harvest Festival, is a celebration of thanksgiving after a bountiful harvest of paddy and other crops.

He said in the past, most of Sabah’s native Kadazandusun Murut and Rungus (KDMR) communities depended mainly on paddy planting for a living.

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“Nowadays, it is more about sharing culture such as language, dance, traditional costumes and food because paddy planting is no longer a main source of economic activity for most natives,” he said here on Tuesday (May 31).

“It is also about sharing our KDMR ethnicity, music and lifestyle with the world so it can understand and appreciate our diverse and unique cultures,” Steve said.

Hence, it is vital that the public and organisers focus more on these aspects and showcase this heritage, he added.

“While Kaamatan is a celebration for the whole of Sabah, it shouldn’t be about just partying and drinking alcohol, and this should not be the highlight of any event,” he said in response to claims on social media that Kaamatan was more an occasion to drink than a cultural showcase.

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He said it is undeniable that consuming alcohol is part of the celebration statewide, but it would be better if such consumption was done in moderation.

He said in the past, the natives drank local brews like lihing and tumpung (different variants of rice wine) but today, they have an array of drinks to choose from.

“We cannot stop people from drinking whatever they want, or how they wish to celebrate Kaamatan, but I hope we will all drink responsibly,” Steve said, adding that it came down to the individual.

He said for bodies such as KDCA, which hosts the opening and closing ceremonies for the Kaamatan festival, the priority has always been to showcase culture.

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“Various cultural activities such as the Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Queen contest), the Sugandoi (singing competition) and ‘Piboian HIIS’ which is a singing, speaking, and poem reading competition in the native tongue, are lined up,” he said.

Booths selling handicraft, local cuisine and the like, as well as traditional sports and games, will always be part of the festival as well, he added.

"Take your time to visit the booths, check out the programmes and activities... you might be surprised at what you may have missed all these while,” he said.