[VIDEO] The Adorable Girls Of '5 Sekawan' Are Back To Celebrate Gawai And Kaamatan
Bom Bom is our queen.
By Laila Zain — 30 May 2018, 11:10 AM
Celcom's lovable '5 Sekawan' are back! But this time, the squad are splitting up :O
Don't worry, Bom Bom and Maria are heading home to their kampungs in Sabah and Sarawak respectively, to celebrate Hari Gawai and Hari Kaamatan. Kumari and Su Mei tag along, while Hasnah is left alone.
The new short film showcases the beautiful cultures of Sabah and Sarawak, through the girls' latest misadventures:
On top of the super cute storylines that the girls are given, we absolutely love seeing the unique cultures of Sabah and Sarawak in the limelight
The short film raises awareness of Kaamatan and Gawai, which are so important to Malaysian culture <3
Kaamatan means "harvest" in Kadazan-Dusun and is celebrated for the whole month of May in Sabah. Gawai Dayak is celebrated in Sarawak by many ethnic groups such as Iban, Bidayuh, Kenyah, Kelabit, and Murut.
Both festivals include unique rituals, feasting, games, and traditional music and dances.
The video shows Bom Bom and Kumari on the last day of Kaamatan celebrations taking part in Unduk Ngadau, an annual beauty pageant where the Harvest Festival Queen is crowned
The Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant is held to commemorate Huminodun, a spirit believed to have been sacrificed to save the people of Sabah from famine. The title comes from Runduk Tadau, which means 'the girl crowned by the sunlight.'
Meanwhile in Sarawak, Maria is tasked with playing the sape - a traditional lute mainly used by the Kenyah and Kayan people, many of whom still live in longhouses
As the harvest season ends, the community gathers for a feast and perform traditional dances to folk music. The sape was once only played by men, but now women and girls are encouraged to learn and play the instrument, thus preserving an important piece of Sarawakian culture.
In the end, the video reminds us that, "with acceptance and understanding comes a sense of belonging"
We are such a vibrant, multicultural nation, and it's all our diverse traditions and heritage that makes Malaysia so special. The more we learn about each other, the more we understand and appreciate our unique cultures.
