KUCHING: Gawai Day celebrations among the Dayak community statewide began today (June 1) in moderation for the second consecutive year following the current Covid-19 situation in the state.
Jeremy Jamaludin, 38, is one of the many Dayaks in the state who are complying with the order not to return to his home village in Bintulu, will celebrate the festival with his family in Kuching this year.
The father of three children said it is to ensure his elders were safe from the Covid-19 outbreak as such, he was willing forgo the trip to avoid any untoward incidents.
“My family and I are only celebrating Gawai moderately. We are also not going to visit anyone for fear of being infected or infecting someone because right now, many are asymptomatic virus carriers,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had earlier decided there would be no ngabang Gawai activities or Gawai visits under the movement control order (MCO) standard operating procedures (SOPs) currently being enforced throughout Sarawak.
For civil servant, Bibiana Kawa, 40, she said that Gawai celebrations this time was like last year when she and her family only enjoyed special dishes she cooked and spent time together at home.
“I had very much hoped to return home and celebrate Gawai with my relatives in Miri this year, but after seeing the rising number of Covid-19 cases and taking into consideration the travel ban by the government, my family and I decided to obey.
“Every Gawai, the children are the ones most excited because if we go home, there are various things that can be done, like ngabang Gawai and watching cock fights in the village,” the mother of two said.
State leaders, including Governor Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, have advised Sarawakians to consider the current Covid-19 situation and asked longhouse chiefs to play their roles to ensure that the SOP during the MCO is complied with fully by the residents there.
In addition, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg also expressed his disappointment regarding the inability to celebrate Gawai normally due to the current public health situation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also SDMC chairman, shared that the sharp rise of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak since January has now surpassed 40,000 cases.
Last year, the longhouses were largely free of Covid-19 infections, but since early this year, 634 longhouses were placed under the enhanced MCO (Emco) due to increasing cases.
This situation had led to moderate celebrations of this year’s Gawai Day and the travel ban is restricting anyone from travelling back to their home villages to take part in the festivities. – Bernama
