KUCHING: Marylyn Velarie Bolovin has been crowned this year’s winner of the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Sarawak’s Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan (beauty pageant).
Standing at 169cm tall, the 21-year-old beat seven other finalists and brought home a cash prize of RM1,000, a trophy, a certificate, and other goodies during the KDCA Sarawak’s Kaamatan Festival at Imperial Hotel on Sunday (Apr 30).
Datin Melinda Claudia Bucking, the wife of Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan, was present to hand over the winning prize to Marylyn.
Marylyn, who is of Rungus parentage from Kudat, Sabah, is a student at the Teacher Education Institute in Batu Lintang. She will represent KDCA Sarawak in the state-level Kaamatan Festival in Sabah, which is scheduled to take place at the end of this month.
The first runner-up in the competition was Izavel Alesandra Beko, and the second runner-up was Sabrina Tubong. Five others, namely Queency Isabelle Ladzrus, Natasha Jonia, Jorjanne Samantha Diai J, Kelsey Jaklin, and Florida James, won consolation prizes.
The event also saw Presley Petrus emerging as the champion of the KDCA Sarawak Sugandoi Kaamatan (singing competition) 2023. He received a cash prize of RM1,000, a trophy, a certificate, and other goodies.
Adeline Gallus and Khairulamiza Jamal won second and third place, respectively. Henry Douamin and Elkana John won fourth and fifth place.
Presley will also represent KDCA Sarawak at the Kaamatan Festival in Sabah.
The festival, themed ‘Kaamatan Membudayakan Perpaduan,’ is organized by KDCA Sarawak, which consists of the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, and Rungus (KDMR) Sabah community residing, working, and studying in Sarawak.
Also present were Lubok Antu MP Roy Angau Gingkoi, Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol, Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, KDCA Sarawak chairman James Samid, and KDCA Sabah secretary-general Datuk Suman Yasambun.
